How to insure your bike in Denmark and how bike theft works in Copenhagen

Why does bike insurance matter in Copenhagen?

Bike theft in Denmark is not a rare event. Gjensidige reports that over 48,000 bikes were reported stolen in 2024, roughly 130 a day. The Danish Crime Prevention Council recorded about 40,000 a year in the early 2020s. If you cycle daily in Copenhagen, you are statistically exposed, and a stolen bike is often your main way of getting around.

Insurance is what turns that from a total loss into an inconvenience. The good news is that you probably already have cover.

Does your home insurance already cover your bike?

Usually yes. Forsikringsoplysningen states that your bike is covered as a rule if you hold an indboforsikring (contents insurance). Topdanmark includes bikes in its contents policy, covering theft, fire and damage during a theft attempt, up to 19,649 kr per bike, and lets you raise that ceiling to 117,891 kr for an expensive bike.

Two things are not automatically covered. One is a speed pedelec, an e-bike that can reach 45 km/h, which legally needs its own motor liability insurance and is not covered by contents insurance. The other is crash damage, which usually needs a separate add-on.

Do you need extra cover for an expensive bike or e-bike?

A standard contents policy is enough for a city bike. It is often not enough for a cargo bike, a racing bike or a modern e-bike, where the replacement cost can easily exceed the standard cap. If your bike is worth more than your policy’s limit, either raise the sum insured or add a dedicated bike cover.

E-bikes need care. A pedelec that assists up to 25 km/h is normally treated like an ordinary bike and covered by contents insurance, and LB includes e-bikes up to that speed in its contents policy. A speed pedelec, which can reach 45 km/h, is treated as a motor vehicle: it needs its own mandatory liability insurance and is not covered by your contents policy, per Topdanmark.

Extra covers also add crash and vandalism protection. LB’s top bike add-on covers damage from road accidents, vandalism, falls and transport, with an excess of 1,350 kr (2026) and a fixed 5,000 kr excess for certain carbon-frame damage.

What is selvrisiko, and how much will you actually get?

Selvrisiko is your excess: the amount deducted from any payout before it reaches you. If your excess is 2,000 kr and the payout is 9,000 kr, you receive 7,000 kr.

Payouts also account for age. Lærerstandens Brandforsikring pays up to 17,500 kr per bike per claim if you know the frame number (2026), but only 8,000 kr if you do not, and it applies depreciation once a bike is more than a year old. Gjensidige notes that standard contents cover for an ordinary bike is typically around 6,000 kr, with the excess deducted on top.

What locks do insurers require?

Most insurers require the bike to have been locked with a lock approved by Dansk Varefakta Nævn, as Gjensidige and the Danish Crime Prevention Council both state. When you buy a new bike and lock together, you get a låsebevis (lock certificate). It must be filled in with the frame number, the purchase date and the dealer’s stamp and signature, and your insurer will ask for it if you claim.

Some add-on covers are stricter. LB’s top bike cover, for example, requires two approved locks when the bike is not left in a properly locked building, with at least one lock fixed to something permanent through the frame.

What is a stelnummer, and why does it decide your payout?

The stelnummer is your bike’s unique frame number, stamped on the frame. It is the single most important piece of information you own about your bike. Both the police and your insurer use it: without it, the police cannot register the theft and many insurers pay a reduced amount or refuse the claim. LB warns that this catches people who bought a bike at a supermarket or a general retailer, where the frame number is often not written on the lock certificate.

If you buy a bike from abroad, the police can issue you a Danish frame number. The police register only holds Danish frame numbers of up to 19 characters, so longer numbers cannot be checked.

How do you report a stolen bike?

Report as soon as you notice the bike is gone.

1. Report it online via politi.dk, by calling 114, or in person at a police station. Call 112 only if the thief is still there.
2. Have ready: your MitID, the frame number, the make, model and colour, the purchase price and any receipts, and your insurer’s name.
3. Contact your insurer with the police report number to open a claim.
4. Check later whether the bike has been recovered. You can search the police bicycle register on politi.dk or in the Politi app.

The Danish Crime Prevention Council also suggests walking the neighbourhood after reporting: many bike thefts are opportunistic joyrides, and the bike may be abandoned a few streets away.

Where can you buy a used bike safely?

Before you pay, enter the frame number in the police bicycle register to check it has not been reported stolen. Ask the seller for a receipt, which documents that you own the bike if it is later stolen, and which also protects you from buying stolen property. The Crime Prevention Council recommends marking valuable parts with the frame number, using visible or invisible marking products.

What it costs & how long it takes

Reporting a theft online takes minutes. A payout is typically settled within a few weeks once the police report and the lock certificate are in.

Common mistakes

• Not recording the frame number. It is the difference between a full payout and a reduced one.
• Using a cheap lock that is not Varefakta-approved, which can void the claim.
• Losing the lock certificate.
• Locking only the wheel, or not locking the frame to something permanent.
• Buying a used bike without checking the frame number in the police register.

If something goes wrong

If your insurer reduces or rejects your claim, ask for the reason in writing and check it against your policy terms and the lock certificate. If you are stuck, you can take the case to the independent insurance complaints board, Ankenævnet for Forsikring. If you suspect you were sold a stolen bike, report it to the police on 114 or at a station.