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The first thing to consider when applying for a Danish
driver’s licence is your country of origin or, more importantly, the country
where you got the driver’s licence from, that you would like to exchange.
As you probably know, Denmark is part of the EU, which
means that citizens from other EU countries are generally treated with a bit
more leniency than citizens from non-EU countries. Therefore, if your driver’s
licence comes from an EU country, the rules are different. Norway, Iceland and
Liechtenstein are countries with the same status as EU countries.
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Driver’s
licence from an EU-country, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein
First of all: You’re allowed to drive a car with a licence
from any of these countries if you’re living in Denmark. In other words, you’re
not obligated to exchange it for a Danish one if you want to drive here.
If you want to exchange it anyway, you can simply go
to city hall and ask to get it exchanged. Be aware though, that it might be
possible that you need to have your driver’s licence translated. It’s best to
ask about this at city hall first, before having it translated. It can save you
some translation costs. There’s no need to have it translated if your driver’s
licence is in English. In case they tell you that you need to have it
translated, you’ll need to have it done by an official translated who has been authorized
to do so by the police.
You’ll need to bring a passport photo, your
sundhedskort, passport or ID card and your proof of registration (‘Bevis for
registrering’: that’s the two letters you got from ‘Statsforvaltningen’, when
you first registered after moving to Denmark). You don’t need to bring a proof
of registration if you are a citizen from a Nordic country.
As a EU citizen, you might be asked to sign a piece of
paper that will allow the municipality to get some of the money that it cost
them to exchange your driver’s licence back from the embassy.
Driver’s
licence from Australian Capital Territory, Brazil, Japan, Taiwan, South-Korea,
Russia, Switzerland or Ukraine
Most important to note: You need to exchange a
driver’s licence from any of these countries within 90 days after moving
to Denmark.
Just like the EU driver’s licences, you’ll have to go
to city hall with a valid passport photo, sundhedskort, passport and your
residency permit. Unless your driver’s licence is in English, you’ll probably
have to get it translated by an official translator, who has been authorized to
do so by the police.
Unlike EU-citizens, you will also have to get a medical
certificate (‘lægeattest’) provided by your doctor. You do not, however,
need to take a driving test.
Driver’s
licence from a country not mentioned above
Most important to note: You need to exchange a
driver’s licence from any of these countries within 90 days after moving
to Denmark.
You will have to take a driving test and get a medical
certificate (‘lægeattest’) from your doctor. Unless your driver’s licence
is in English, you will most likely need to get it translated by an official
translator, who has been authorized to do so by the police.
You’ll have to go to city hall with a valid passport
photo, sundhedskort, passport and your residency permit.
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Other things
to consider
You’re allowed to drive a car with a non-EU driver’s
licence during the first 90 days of your residency if the licence is in the Latin
alphabet or if it’s accompanied by a valid translation into English, French or
Danish.
When is a passport photo valid to be used on a Danish
driver’s licence? The requirements can be found at the police website.
We advise you to have the passport photo made here in Denmark at a photo
specialist shop, because the requirements can be quite different from those in
your home country. That can be quite pricey, but at least you can be certain
that it’s done correctly. Photo Care Holstebro
makes good quality passport photos in Holstebro.
You will be given a temporary Danish driver’s licence
that can be used in Norway and Sweden as well, which will normally be valid for
a period of three weeks. It doesn’t look very impressive, it’s just a small
white piece of paper with all your information written on it, but it’s an
official document nonetheless. Your new, real Danish driver’s licence will be
sent to your home address within three weeks.
You obviously need to pay for a driver’s licence, currently
(July 2013), it costs 280 DKK. To be certain about the price, check with Holstebro Kommune
What to do
if…
I currently don’t have a valid passport?
In this case, you will need to
bring an original birth certificate, name certificate or baptism certificate,
with an official translation if required. It’s best to ask at city hall if
you’re not certain what to do in this case.
People tell
me that I need to go to the police station to get my driver’s licence
exchanged?
Don’t worry, they’re simply wrong. Until the 31st
of December 2006, Danes indeed had to go to the police station to get a new
driver’s licence, but that has been changed. Since the 1st of
January 2007 everyone in Denmark must go to city hall to get a driver’s
licence.
They tell me
that I can’t keep my foreign driver’s licence?
This is normal. By law, you’re not allowed to have two
driver’s licences simultaneously. City hall will take your foreign driver’s
licence and send it to the police (‘Rigspolitiet’); they will lock it in a
safe. In case you will need this foreign licence again in the future, you can
request it back, but they will then take your Danish licence and lock that one
away instead.
I didn’t
receive my new Danish driver’s licence within three weeks?
In this case, you should immediately contact city
hall. They will tell you what will be done about it.
Where to find
more information
Be certain to always check the sites mentioned below,
before going to city hall or making the decision to have something translated.
Our information is not only based on personal experiences, but mostly on
information provided on these sites, and as you probably known, rules, prices
etc. change all the time.
When in doubt, always contact city hall.
