If you hold a driving license from a non-EU/EEA or non-Nordic country, you are required to exchange your license for a Danish equivalent. You must do so within 14 days of being issued a Danish CPR number. Read more about the rules and how to exchange your license under Driving Licenses.

If you hold a driving license from a Nordic or an EU/EEA country you are allowed to drive in Denmark using your foreign licence. However, note that if you lose your driving licence you may have difficulty obtaining the necessary documentary proof from the authorities in the country that issued your driving licence. It is therefore a good idea to obtain a Danish driving licence. Read about the rules and how to obtain a Danish license under Driving licences.

Foreign-registered motor vehicles brought into Denmark must be register no later than 14 days after the owner has been issued with a CPR number. You can read more about importing a foreign-registered vehicle under Importing a foreign-registered vehicle.

Before driving in Denmark you should acquaint yourself with the rules and regulations that apply here. Many of the rules and regulations may be the same as in the country you come from, and others will be different. For instance, in Denmark the use of headlights is obligatory 24 hours a day. You are also required to carry a warning triangle in your car and to wear a seatbelt at all times when the vehicle is in motion.

The Danish Road Directorate’s website provides an overview of some of the Danish traffic rules, as well as some guidelines.

Be aware when paying for your parking space with your Dankort in Aarhus. Several of the city’s designated parking bays can now be paid for with your Dankort, which is a relief for people like me that rarely carry coins. The procedure is relatively simple, you slide your Dankort through the payment metre when you arrive and again when you leave. The amount for the exact time is then automatically deducted from your bank account. However, you must ensure that you use the same machine when leaving otherwise you end up registering a second time and will end up with two parking bills for 24 hours each. 

Danish road signs use standard international symbols. However, you may come across different signs that you are not familiar with. At The Danish Road Directorate´s website you can find illustrations and information about different road signs.

On the Danish Road Directorate’s website you can find information about the Danish motorways.

Owners of vehicles in Denmark are required by law to take out motor vehicle liability insurance. This liability insurance covers damage you might inflict on other people or their property. For more information and prices, contact an insurance company. Note that the price may vary from one insurance company to another. It can be good idea to get offers from different insurance companies.

In the event of accident of emergency, dial 112 for the police, ambulance, or fire services. Emergency telephones are located along motorways at two kilometre intervals. On the Danish Road Directorate’s website you can read more about emergency telephones. When you call the emergency services, remember to say who and where you are, what has happened, how many people and/or vehicles are involved and where you are calling from.

Owners of motor vehicles are liable to vehicle tax. You can find information about vehicle taxation on the Danish Tax Authorities – SKAT´s website.

For directions to drive from one point to another, the Danish Yellow Pages’ website, degulesider.dk, has a map search application. Enter your point of departure and destination in the boxes at the top of the screen and a route suggestion will appear on the map.

The internet journey planer, rejseplanen.dk, has a service which allows you to compare a car journey with a journey by bus and/or train. Access the service at www.rejseplanen.dk and click on “CarJourneyplanner” in the menu on the left hand side. Click on the UK flag at the bottom of the page for the English version.

For information on roads and traffic in Denmark and elsewhere in Europe, you can contact the Road Directorate’s Traffic Information Centre. You can also find information on how the Danish Road Directorate logs traffic density on the motorways.

Relevant authorities:

The Danish Road Directorate
Niels Jules Gade 13
PB 9018
DK-1022 Copenhagen K.
Telephone: 45 7244 3333
Fax: +45 3315 0848
Website: www.vejdirektoratet.dk.

SKAT’s website www.skat.dk provides information about SKAT and the tax rules and regulations that apply in Denmark.