Exchanging a foreign driving licence for a Danish one

Can you drive on your foreign licence in Denmark?

It depends entirely on where the licence was issued borger.dk.

• EU, EEA (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein), Faroe Islands, Greenland and Switzerland: your licence is valid in Denmark. You may drive on it until it expires, or exchange it for a Danish one with no test.
• Everything else (a “third country” licence): it is valid for 180 days from the date you take up habitual residence in Denmark. After that you must hold a Danish licence, which means exchanging yours and passing a controlling theory and practical test borger.dk.

Some third-country licences count as “group 1” or “group 2” arrangements, where a car licence can be exchanged without a test. As of 2026 those include licences from Australia (Australian Capital Territory), Brazil, Japan, Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), North Macedonia, South Korea, Russia, Switzerland and Ukraine, with a medical certificate Odense Kommune.

When does the clock start, and what is habitual residence?

Denmark defines habitual residence for licence purposes as settling here with the intention of staying at least 185 days because of personal or professional ties Rudersdal Kommune.

In practice the 180 days run from the date you register your address in Denmark and get your CPR number. That is the date the authorities will use, so do not assume the clock starts when your plane lands or when your contract begins. If you move here in March and only deal with the licence in October, you may already be driving illegally.

How do you apply, and where?

1. Book an appointment at a Borgerservice office - any municipality, not only your own borger.dk.
2. Turn up in person with your foreign licence and the documents below. Borgerservice takes the payment borger.dk.
3. Borgerservice forwards the application to Færdselsstyrelsen, which assesses it and sends you the decision in your Digital Post borger.dk.
4. If a controlling test is required, you book it through a driving school after Færdselsstyrelsen has approved the application City of Copenhagen.

You cannot apply by post or online only. The police and Færdselsstyrelsen deal with the assessment; Borgerservice is the counter where you start.

What documents and photos do you need?

• Your original foreign licence. If it is lost, get written confirmation from the authority that issued it, in Danish or English City of Copenhagen.
• Passport or national ID card borger.dk.
• A medical certificate (lægeattest) where one is required.
• A passport-style photo meeting the official requirements: 35 x 45 mm, head 30-36 mm high, plain light background, face evenly lit, both eyes fully visible, mouth closed, no tinted or reflective glasses Politi.

Your photo may be taken at Borgerservice for a fee if you would rather not bring one.

What is a lægeattest, and where do you get one?

The lægeattest is a medical certificate covering eyesight and fitness to drive. You get it from your own GP, and you pay their fee yourself; Færdselsstyrelsen does not set that price borger.dk.

You need one if your licence is not from the EU, EEA, Faroe Islands or Greenland, and in some other cases - for example if your foreign licence is about to expire and the Danish one will carry a fresh validity period borger.dk. Book the GP appointment early, because it is the step most people forget.

What is the temporary licence?

If your foreign licence is still valid, or expired less than three years ago, Borgerservice can give you a temporary Danish licence that you can use while the application is being processed. It is valid in the Nordic countries City of Copenhagen.

That matters if your foreign licence is expiring: you can keep driving legally in Denmark and its neighbours instead of waiting at home.

What if your licence is not in Latin script?

If your licence is not written in Latin letters, you must carry either an international driving licence or a translation into Danish, English or French. The translation must come from a public authority or an authorised body in the country that issued the licence borger.dk.

If your licence is in Latin script, no translation is normally needed. Sort the translation out before your Borgerservice appointment, because the counter cannot accept a document they cannot read.

Can you take the test in English?

Assume not. Danish driving tests are normally conducted in Danish, and since 1 January 2025 it is no longer possible to take the theory or practical test with an interpreter Færdselsstyrelsen.

What you can do is find a driving school that teaches the theory in English and prepares you for a Danish-language test. Ask about this before you pay a deposit.

How long does it take, and what does it cost?

Færdselsstyrelsen publishes the full, current list of fees, and it is worth checking it before your appointment because the amounts change Færdselsstyrelsen.

Expect roughly two weeks from appointment to card for a straightforward exchange, and longer if a test or a translation is involved. Many municipalities say the card arrives by post in about 14 days, or can be collected after about 10 Odense Kommune.

Which Danish driving rules surprise newcomers?

• The alcohol limit is 0.5 promille. Above that you are prosecuted, with a fine based on your net salary and a conditional loss of your licence; the penalties escalate sharply above 1.2 Sikker Trafik.
• Speed limits are 50 km/h in towns, 80 km/h on rural roads and 130 km/h on motorways, unless signs say otherwise Sikker Trafik.
• Headlights and daytime running lights are expected at all times, not just at night.
• Parking fines are issued by municipalities and private operators, and they escalate if you ignore them.
• Right-hand priority applies on many unsigned urban junctions, and cyclists have real priority when you turn right.

What about buying a car?

Cars in Denmark carry a very heavy registration tax (registreringsafgift), which is why new cars cost far more here than in most of Europe, and why plates must be registered with Motorstyrelsen when you buy borger.dk. Check the current rules before you commit to a purchase.

Common mistakes

• Waiting too long. For third-country licences the 180 days run from CPR registration, not from your arrival date.
• Forgetting the lægeattest. It is the most common reason an appointment stalls.
• Bringing a photocopy of the licence. Borgerservice needs the original.
• Assuming you can test in English. Interpreter tests ended on 1 January 2025.
• Booking a driving school before the application is approved. The test can only be booked once Færdselsstyrelsen has accepted the application.

If something goes wrong

If your application is refused, the decision comes to your Digital Post with the reason. Færdselsstyrelsen handles foreign licence cases directly and publishes its guidance in English, so start there Færdselsstyrelsen.

If your licence expires while you wait, ask for the temporary licence; you may be eligible for one if your foreign licence is valid or expired less than three years ago City of Copenhagen.

If the photo is rejected, take a new one to the published specification, or have it taken at the counter Politi.