Driving in Denmark

Driving in Denmark is similiar to (almost) anywhere else in the world. You drive on the right side of the road and follow most of the same types of traffic laws.

When driving, you must ALWAYS be on the lookout for bicycles and mopeds. Along most major roads there are bike paths, which are designed for bicycles and small mopeds/scooters. Since their paths are to the right of your lane, you must be aware when turning right in your car. You DO NOT have the right of way. Motorists must always yield to bicycles, mopeds and pedestrians.

If you hit a cyclist, you are in SERIOUS trouble. You will find that in the city there are traffic lights for cars and another set for cyclists.

When you change lanes you must indicate or you will get fined.

When driving in Denmark you must have your headlights on at all times - day and night. If you rent or buy a car in Denmark, it is standard on all cars that the lights turn on automatically when the engine is started. If you drive in from another country, remember to turn on your headlights - you will get fined for not using them.

Denmark does have a few roundabouts, but they are far fewer than you find in other countries; for example, England. At a roundabout in Denmark, you yield to traffic coming from the left.

Speed limits are pretty straightforward. They are: 50kph in the city, 80kph outside the city and 130kph on the motorway. KPH is "kilometers per hour". The exception is when another speed is posted on the road. In cities it is common to find 70kph on the ring roads or other major thoroughfares through the city.

Some speed limits are not posted on signs in the conventional way, especially when coming to small towns and villages. If you come to a sign showing a cityscape (see below) that means that the speed limit is 50 km. This is not obvious, since there is no mention of the speed on the sign. When you leave the village you should see a cityscape sign with a black diagonal line

Speed cameras are not as prevalent in Denmark as they are in Britain. In some areas of Britain, you see one every 2 or 3 minutes, whereas in Denmark, you can travel all day and maybe only come across a dozen of them. Of course, in Denmark they are harder to see, you are not warned that there is a camera ahead and maps do not show you where they are. If you travel the same route every day you will soon know if there is a camera on your route. Best suggestion is to follow the speed limit.

More often traffic is monitored by traffic vans. If you travel by a van sitting on the side of the road and you see a bright flash - you just got caught on camera speeding and will receive a ticket in a few weeks time.

For more information on various traffic signs and road symbols check out traffic signs.

Driving License

If you need to switch licenses, it may be necessary to take a written and practical test. This will depend on where your original license came from. Check with the local police or kommune for more details.

To exchange your license take it your local kommune, where they can arrange it. If you are exchanging your license there is a small fee (260 kroner). You need to bring the following things with you when exchanging your license:

1. Money for the fee

2. Your original valid license

3. 2 photos for your license

4. Your passport

5. Residence permit

6. National identity card

Car Ownership

You can bring your own car over, but there are some heavy taxes imposed. These taxes were placed on vehicles in order to limit the number of cars on the roads. (I'm not really sure that has helped.) See more details below on importing a car.

If you need a car, there are a few options to consider:

1. If you only need a car occasionally, consider renting one from a local dealership. If you rent on a regular basis, you should be able to get some decent deals. There are also many local rental places that are more likely to bargain with you than the major players like Hertz and Budget. That said, Budget and Hertz are often running specials - just keep an eye out.

2. If you are staying for a year or two, consider leasing a car. This way your maintenance, repairs, wheel rotation, etc., will all be taken care of. When you are ready to leave, they take the car back. You can often get a nicer car for lower payments.

3. If planning on staying longer, check out the used car market. There are plenty to choose from. I suggest buying from a car dealership, where you will get a warranty on the used vehicle.

Things you need to know about car ownership.

1. Your car must be insured. Check out Forsikringsluppen for a list of insurance companies.

2. You must have a valid drivers license.

3. Your car must pass an inspection.

4. It is not required, but due to the temperatures in winter, it is HIGHLY recommended that you switch your tires to winter tires during the winter months and back to summer tires in the summer. Due to the cold, they claim that the tires do not adhere as well to the road surfaces during the cold weather.

Personally I have never understood their rationale and have never experienced it while living in Britain where it is just as cold. But it is another expense. (5000 - 10,000 kr)

5. You also have to have your car inspected regularly to make sure it is road worthy and properly equipped. It is called a Bilsyn and a new car will have it's first inspection after 4 years. Used cars will have it every 2 years as will new cars after the 4 yr inspection.

6. Gas / Petrol prices are VERY high in Denmark. If you live in the US, you may think you are being gouged at the pumps, but in 2009 the average petrol price is hovering around 9 - 10 kroner per liter. If you do your conversions at 3.8 liters to a gallon and your exchange rate you can expect to pay $6.50 to $7.25 per gallon. About 3 times what most of the US pays!

Importing a Car

If that does not dissuade you, here is what you have to do. Within the first 2 weeks of bringing your car into Denmark, you need to pay duty and VAT, get proper insurance, have the car inspected and get any repair and adjustments made (like adjusting the lights and automating the light system) and register it.

This is a real pain -- time consuming and expensive.

Still want to do it? Okay, then this is how you do it. If the car was registered within the EU, you will not have to pay customs duty. If it was registered outside the EU, there is a 10% duty.

VAT duty. If the car is more than 6 months old and has been driven at least 6000 km, you may be exempt from VAT. You will need to check with the Tax Office (SKAT).

The Registration fee of the car is calculated by the SKAT office again, but it is about 60% of the value of a simliar used version sold in Denmark. So if a car (similiar to yours) sells in Denmark (not in your home country) for 200,000 kroner, you would pay a registration fee of 120,000 kroner. Considering that a car in Denmark sells for about twice the price compared to other many parts of the EU, you are actually paying for your car twice - four times if it was bought in the US!

Example: I bought a Smart car in the UK in 2002 at a cost of £8,000. When I wanted to bring it to Denmark in 2008, the registration fee was 80,000 kroner. That is £8,700. That is £700 more than I paid for it and it was 6 years old. I bought a new car in Denmark - for 120,000 kroner - instead.

To find out the value of your vehicle, there is a Registration Form on www.skat.dk, which you can fill out and find out if it is cost-effective to bring your car to Denmark. When you open the page, click on "Hent blanketten" and that will open a download window for the PDF file in English.

Now if you decide to import your car, you will also have to get new number plates/license plates and register your car with the police.

So if you are set on importing that car, send in your car evaluation form, and when you get it back, SKAT will send you the other details of what to do. Good luck.

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