Obtaining a Driving Licence

You can apply for a driving licence at the citizen’s service centre, where you need to fill out an application form. You will need to bring:

• Doctor’s certificate issued by your own doctor with a valid photo.
• A valid passport.
• If you are not a Danish citizen you should bring your residence permit.
• You should also bring your health card (“sygesikringskort”).
• You need to complete a First Aid course before applying, which are offered at driving schools.

You will be informed of how to proceed further at the citizen’s service centre. You can ask the citizens service centre for more information or at different driving schools’ websites.

Useful Links
http://www.politi.dk/da/borgerservice/korekort (only in Danish)
https://www.borger.dk/Emner/transport-og-rejser/biler-og-koerekort/Sider/default.aspx (only in Danish)

Exchanging a Driving Licence

EU Driving Licence
If your driver's licence is issued in another EU country, Norway, Lichtenstein, Iceland or the Faeroe Islands, you do not need to exchange it for a Danish one.

If your driving licence is issued in Russia, South Korea, Japan or Switzerland you must exchange it for a Danish driver's licence, but you do not need to take any tests.

You can exchange your licence at the citizen service centre (Borgerservicecenter). Remember to bring:

• A valid foreign driver's licence
• A valid passport
• A completed application form which you can get from your nearest citizen service centre.

If your driver's licence has expired or will expire within the next six months, you also need a doctor’s certificate issued by your own doctor as well as a passport photo. 

Non-EU Driving Licence
If your driver's licence is issued in a non EU country or Greenland, you must exchange it for a Danish one. This can be done at the citizens service centre (Borgerservicecenter), remember to bring:

• A valid foreign driver's licence 
• A valid passport or birth certificate 
• A completed application form which you can get from your nearest citizens service centre. 
• A doctor’s certificate issued by your own doctor as well as a passport photo (meeting the latest requirements).

If you are not a Danish citizen, you should bring your residence permit and CPR nr. (health insurance card).

Your foreign driver's licence is valid for 14 days, unless it has been issued in Greenland, in which case it is valid for one month after you have registered an address here in Denmark. Your driver's licence must be issued at a time when you have not had an officially registered residence in Denmark for at least six months. You might have to provide a certified translation of the text on your driver's licence.

Buy or Bring a Car

Buying a Car
If you want to buy a car, you should consider whether you want to buy a new or used car. Car dealers often offer discounts and/or bonuses on new cars, making it advisable to compare prices. If you have optional extras which increase the security in the car or make it more environmentally friendly, these extras can reduce the registration costs.

If you are considering a used car, it can be advantageous to compare prices. Additionally, it is worth mentioning that the value of a used car rapidly decreases after 3 years, and hence you may get a 3 year old car which is less expensive than one which is only 1 or 2 years old.

Bringing a Car
When taking up residency and bringing a car to Denmark, you must register your car within two weeks upon arrival. To do this, you find and visit your nearest tax centre (for tax centre contact information go to www.skat.dk/kontakt  (Only in Danish) type in your zipcode in the search box to the right and check the "Skattecentre" box to the left, press the search button and the available adresses will appear under the map). 

Registration fee, duties and VAT
When you register a car to Danish number plates, you must pay a registration fee. The registration fee is calculated by SKAT and is based on the car's market price. Customs duty and VAT are charged on cars imported from non-EU countries, whereas owners of cars registered in EU countries do not have to pay either customs duty or VAT. After registering your car, everyone is required to pay annual taxes and duties. These depend on the type of car and on how it is used. Please note that during the first year in Denmark you will experience some limitations on the use of your car such as not being allowed to sell, rent or use your car for commercial purposes.

In the section below you will find a list of what you need to do and bring in order to register your car in Denmark.

Registering your Car
When you bring your car to Denmark, you need to register it, as mentioned above. To do this, you need to do the following in the described order:

• Roadworthiness check (“Bilsyn”)
• Car insurance (“Bilforsikring”)
• Registration at the nearest tax centre (“Registrering”)
• Number plates (“Nummerplader”)

For more information on registering your car click here.

Roadworthiness check
At a roadworthiness check or vehicle inspection the car's identity, number of kilometres on the clock, features and general condition will be determined. At the completion of the check, you will receive a roadworthiness report (also called a vehicle inspection form), which you will have the bring to your tax centre afterwards when registering the car.

Car insurance
To register a car in Denmark you need to take out a liability insurance. This should be done before you register at SKAT, since you will need to provide documentation of an insurance document. Contact an insurance company for more information (see the section on "Social Security and Insurance" at the top left menu).

Registration
When you register at SKAT you will need to provide the documentation of your roadworthiness report, foreign registration certificate, receipt, if any, for payment of customs duty and VAT, insurance certificate, registration form (form no. 21.016, download from www.skat.dk under Borger - Blanketter) and cash to pay the registration fee. You will then be issued a number plate at the number plate desk.

Number Plates
When you have registered your car, you will get a registration number. The registration will appear on your new number plate and consists of two letters followed by normally five numbers. There are two types of number plates, ordinary number plates (used for private use) and commercial number plates (used for commercial use). The cost of a ordinary number plate is approximately DKK 1.800.

For more information on bringing your car click here. 

Cycling (and cycling rules!)

In Denmark the most popular and cheapest way to get around is cycling. In cities and towns cycling is the fastest, most efficient and not to mention cheap. However, it is important to lock your bike, as theft of bicycles especially in the cities is relatively common. If it is stolen, report it to the police and to the insurance company, both can be done on the internet.

In Denmark you have cycling paths which are normally around 1.5m to 2m wide, and traffic often favours cyclists. Additionally, the conditions of these paths are good. It is also important to note that scooters with a maximum speed of 30kmh also drive on the cycle paths.

If you want to buy a bike, you will find numerous bike shops and the larger supermarkets also sell bicycles. If you want to buy a second-hand bicycle, you can look on: http://www.dba.dk or http://www.guloggratis.dk.

Rules for Cyclists
Cyclists show their intentions through hand signals:

• Hand stretched to the left: left turn.
• Hand stretched to the right: right turn.
• Raised hand upwards: stopping

When turning left in an intersection you do not use the left turn lane for cars. You cycle across the intersection, stop (raising your hand to signal that you are stopping), and then cross when the lights go green.

Cycling against the traffic flow is forbidden.

When a bus stops at a bus stop, you must stop and wait for the passengers to leave and enter (when the bus door closes). This is not the case if there is a bus island.

You are not allowed to cycle on the pavement, and similarly you are not allowed to walk on the cycle path. If there are no cycle paths, you cycle on the street. If you are pushing your bike, you must walk on the pavement.

If there are no bicycle traffic lights, you must follow those of the cars, and not of the pedestrian. When cycling you must have both feet on the pedals and at least one hand the handlebar.

Requirements for New Bicycles

• Front and back light. The lights are often set to flash in the winter to ensure that the cyclist is seen.
• The wheels must have reflectors on them.
• The bicycle needs a white reflector in the front, and a red one in the back.
• Front and back brakes.
• A bell.

Public Transport

Denmark has an extensive, efficient and fairly affordable public transport system. The government encourages the use of public transport rather than private cars and the majority of the population use these services on a regular basis.

Danish State Railways operate the national rail network, as well as the S-Tog commuter rail system in the Greater Copenhagen area. Inter-city services link the main cities on all of Denmark's islands. There are also a number of small railway lines throughout the country that are operated by private companies.

Within Copenhagen there is a Metro which opened in 2002 and is gradually being extended throughout the city. City transport is also provided in the form of Copenhagen's distinctive yellow buses. Denmark's smaller towns and rural areas are well served by local buses and regional train services.

If you want to plan your route by public transport, you can use the following website which also tells you the cost of your journey: http://www.rejseplanen.dk (available in English and German).

Costs of Public Transport
Public transport in the region of the capital uses a common pricing and zoning system, divided into coloured zones. Hence, you can transfer freely between buses, trains and the Metro on the same ticket or card, provided that you do so within the time and zones of which your ticket is valid. You can buy a monthly travel card and a discount card for buses and trains. If you bring your dog you must buy a child’s ticket for it, unless it is a guide dog.

For more information: Movia Trafik (available in English)

Car rental

There are several car rental companies in Denmark which offer different services. If you want to rent a car in Denmark it is advisable to check the offers of all the companies before deciding which one suits your interests best.

For more information: http://www.visitdenmark.com/uk/en-gb/menu/turist/turistforside.htm

Airports and Ferries

Denmark's main international airport is located 8 km from Copenhagen, with a second international airport 44km north-east of Aarhus in Jutland. There are also a number of regional airports which you can read more about at http://www.visitdenmark.com/uk/en-gb/menu/turist/turistforside.htm

There are also numerous ferry services to Denmark from Germany, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Poland and the UK. There are also ferry connections within Denmark. Denmark's main harbours include Copenhagen, Esbjerg and Frederikshavn.
For more information: http://www.trafikken.dk/tema.asp?page=dept&objno=89992

Traffic Regulations

Speed Limits
Cars, motorcycles and mobile homes up to 3.5 t: 

• Built-up areas: 50 km/h, 30 mph 
• Outside built-up areas: 80 km/h, 50 mph 
• Motorways: 130 km/h, 80 mph

Cars with a trailer with or without brakes/heavy vehicles weighing more than 3,5 t : 

• Built-up areas: 50 km/h, 30 mph 
• Outside built-up areas: 70 km/h, 45 mph 
• Motorways: 80 km/h, 50 mph 

Motorways
You must use the indicators when you change lanes on the motorways. Use the hazard flashes if you are the last car in a queue on the motorway. Every year the Danish Road Directorate (“Vejdirektoratet”) publishes a leaflet called "Motorvej". The leaflet contains maps of the Danish motorways, city maps of the bigger cities, information about hotels, motels, bed & breakfasts etc. that can easily be reached from the motorway. It also contains information about where the service stations are along the motorway and the most important traffic regulations.

Toll Roads
The motorway-bridge across Storebælt, see Storebæltsforbindelsen at www.trafikken.dk. 

The motorway-bridge across Øresund, see Øresundsforbindelsen at www.trafikken.dk  

Tyres
The depth of the threads in the tyre must be at least 1.6 mm.

Lights
The use of dipped headlights is compulsory at all hours.

Mobile Telephones
It is only allowed to use hand-free mobile telephones while driving.

Alcohol Limit
A blood alcohol level of 0.5 per cent.

Lay-bys
It is allowed to stay overnight but camping is not permitted at lay-bys.

Seat Belts
The use of fitted seat belts is compulsory. Children smaller than 135 cm must be secured with approved safety equipment, which is appropriate to the child’s age, size and weight.

Special Signs
The Marguerite Route: Tourist route of approximately 3,500 km, which passes by more than 1,000 of Denmark’s tourist attractions. Not recommended for cars with a caravan, as some of the roads are very narrow and twisted.

Exits
The exits on motorways are numbered. Thus, it is possible to use a town name as well as an exit number as destination. The exits are numbered in succession recommencing on every motorway stretch.

Duty to Give Way
There is a general duty to give way to traffic from the right. The duty to give way is usually indicated by a roadway marking of white triangles pointing in the direction of the oncoming vehicle.

Accidents
Call 112 (police/ambulance/fire brigade)

Furthermore, there are emergency telephones along the motorways at two-kilometre intervals. The nearest telephone will be indicated by an arrow on the marker posts placed alongside the road at 100 metre intervals. Use the emergency telephones if you have an accident, a breakdown or if you run out of petrol.
For more information check out trafikken.dk.