If you have normal residence in Denmark
The rules regarding to what extent you must exchange your foreign driving licence for a Danish driving licence depends on (among other things) whether you have normal residence in Denmark.

For purposes of acquiring a driving licence, you have in principle normal residence in Denmark from the moment when you settle in Denmark with the intention to live in this country for at least 185 days because of personal or occupational ties.

At the assessment it may be given particular consideration whether you have established a long-term residence here in Denmark, whether your property and your closest relatives (for instance spouse and children) are in Denmark and whether you are staying in Denmark (not taking into account brief trips outside of Denmark in connection with for instance business, study or holidays).

If you are staying in this country solely with the purpose of carrying out a temporary occupation or as part of an educational course, and you do not have personal relations to Denmark, you will in principle not be considered as having normal residence in Denmark with respect to the issuing of a driving licence.

The same applies if you merely have occupational ties to Denmark and you have your personal ties in another country, which you regularly return to.

If you have a foreign driving licence and are staying temporarily in Denmark

If you do not have normal residence in Denmark, you may use your foreign driving licence in Denmark in the following cases:

• The driving licence is issued by an EU or EEA country (Iceland, Norway and Lichtenstein)
• The driving licence is from the Faroe Islands
• The driving licence is from Greenland
• It is a temporary driving licence issued in Finland, Iceland, Norway or Sweden
• It is a foreign driving licence (not issued in an EU or EEA country), issued in the Latin alphabet or accompanied by a translation in Danish, English or French. The translation must be produced by a public authority or by an organisation which has been authorised to produce it by the issuing country.
• It is an international driving licence.
• In Denmark, you are allowed to drive the same types of vehicles as you are according to your valid driving licence from the issuing country

If you need a Visitor’s Driving Licence during your temporary stay in Denmark
If you do not have normal residence in Denmark and you do not possess the required driving licence, you can apply for a Visitor’s Driving Licence.

In order to apply for a Visitor’s Driving Licence, you must contact the local police station and bring documentation from your home country relating to your driving licence.

If you have a foreign driving licence and have normal residence in Denmark
If you have normal residence in Denmark, you must in some cases exchange your foreign driving licence for a Danish driving licence.

Whether you must exchange your foreign driving licence and whether you must complete a driving test (consisting of a theoretical and a practical part) prior to the exchange, depends on the country/constituent state which has issued your driving licence. Moreover, different rules apply as to how long you can wait until you must exchange your foreign driving licence for a Danish driving licence.

Driving licences issued in the Faroe Islands, in an EU country or an EEA country (Iceland, Norway and Lichtenstein)
An exchange is not required and you are allowed to drive the same types of vehicles in Denmark as you are according to your valid driving licence from the issuing country.

However, it is a condition that you must fulfil the age requirements which apply when issuing an equivalent Danish driving licence (certain exceptions apply to driving licences from EU and EEA countries).

Furthermore, since 19 January 2015 you must exchange your driving licence no later than two years after you have taken up normal residence in Denmark, if you are the holder of a valid national driving licence without the limited administrative validity period of 15 years for drivers of group 1 vehicles (categories A, A1, A2, B, B1 and B/E) or five years for drivers of group 2 vehicles (categories C, CE, C1, C1E, D, DE, D1 and D1E).

Moreover, validity periods for Faroese driving licences, which extend beyond the licencees 75th birthday for group 1 vehicles and 70th birthday for group 2 vehicles, are not accepted.

If you desire, you may apply for an exchange even if it is not required.
In principle, you are not required to complete a driving test in connection with the exchange.

Driving licences issued in Greenland
You are entitled to drive with your valid Greenlandic driving licence for a maximum of 90 days after having established normal residence in Denmark.

However, it is a condition that you must fulfil the age requirements which apply when issuing an equivalent Danish driving licence.

No later than 90 days after having established normal residence, you must exchange your Greenlandic driving licence for a Danish driving licence if you still wish to drive in Denmark.

In this connection, you are required to complete a driving test.

Driving licences issued in other countries or driving licences issued on the basis of a such driving licence
How long you have the right to drive with your foreign driving licence and whether you must complete a driving test prior to the exchange, depends on the country/constituent state that issued your driving licence. In this connection, a distinction is made between different groups of countries.

Group 1 countries
If your driving licence has been issued in Australia Capital Territory, Brazil, Japan, Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), The Republic of Korea (South Korea), Russia, Ukraine or Switzerland, you may use your driving licence for 1 year, starting from the moment when you establish normal residence in Denmark.

However, it is a condition that your foreign driving licence is valid. Moreover, the driving licence must be issued in the Latin alphabet or be accompanied by an official translation in Danish, English or French.

You must also fulfil the age requirements which apply when issuing an equivalent Danish driving licence.

Based on an individual assessment, you might be requested to document that you have not been disqualified from driving for the last 5 years.

After 1 year, starting from the moment you established normal residence in Denmark, you must exchange your foreign driving licence for a Danish driving licence if you still wish to drive here in Denmark.

In principle, you are not requested to complete a driving test in order to exchange your driving licence for a Danish driving licence, if your driving licence has been issued by one of the countries in question.

The group 1 agreement is described in section 1 of the government order regarding the Exchange of Foreign Driving Licences for a Danish Driving Licence without a Control Test

Group 2 countries
If your driving licence is issued by a country/constituent state where the training for drivers is not completely in line with the Danish one, but where the overall road safety level is comparable with the Danish one, you have the possibility of exchanging your driving licence without completing a driving test if the concerned country/constituent state is among the countries included in this agreement (the group 2 agreement).

The concerned country/constituent state can participate in this agreement if they file an application.

In connection with the exchange, it is a condition that you present a statement from your home country, declaring that you have not been disqualified from driving for the last 5 years.

Moreover, you must make a declaration saying that you have 2 years of genuine driving experience.

It is the country/constituent state (possibly an embassy/consulate) which must apply for  participation in the group 2 agreement. When filing the application, the country/constituent state must use a special application form in which information about the road safety level in the concerned country/constituent state must be stated.

The Ministry of Justice will decide, based on recommendations from the Danish Road Safety Agency, if the country/constituent state can participate in the group 2 agreement.

If your driving licence is issued in a country/constituent state which is included in group 2, you can wait up to 1 year before you must exchange your driving licence. The period counts from the moment you establish normal residence in Denmark.

If you still wish to drive in Denmark after 1 year, you must exchange your driving licence for a Danish driving licence.

Since 1 November 2014 Singapore has been included in the group 2 agreement.

The government order regarding the Exchange of Foreign Driving Licences for a Danish Driving Licence without a Control Test is available in Danish by following this link: The government order regarding the Exchange of Foreign Driving Licences for a Danish Driving Licence without a Control Test

If you cannot find the relevant country/constituent state in the government order regarding the Exchange of Foreign Driving Licences for a Danish Driving Licence without a Control Test, you can contact the concerned country/constituent state (possibly the embassy/consulate) and find out if an application to participate in the group 2 agreement has been filed.

Remaining countries
If your driving licence has been issued by a country other than the countries mentioned above, you have the right to use your foreign driving licence for a maximum of 90 days after having established normal residence in Denmark.

However, this only applies if your foreign driving licence is valid and if the driving licence is issued in the Latin alphabet or is accompanied by an official translation in Danish, English or French.

You must also fulfil the age requirements which apply when issuing an equivalent Danish driving licence.

No later than 90 days after having established normal residence, you must exchange your foreign driving licence for a Danish driving licence if you still wish to drive in Denmark.

To exchange your foreign driving licence for a Danish driving licence, you are required to complete a driving test (consisting of a theoretical and a practical part).

Persons with normal residence in Denmark who acquire a driving licence abroad
Your driving licence can be exchanged for a Danish driving licence if the residence abroad lasted more than 6 months. This restriction does not apply to driving licences from the Faroe Islands and Greenland and driving licences acquired in an EU country or an EEA country.

Application for an exchange
If you wish to apply for an exchange of your foreign driving licence for a Danish driving licence, you must contact your local Danish Citizens Service Centre.

Below you can see, what you must bring together with your application form.

Documents proving your identity
When you hand in your application to one of the Citizens Service Centres, you must prove your identity. Therefore, you must bring your former EU driving licence, if any, or your valid passport. If you do not have this, you must bring your original certificate of baptism, your name certificate, your birth certificate, your medical card (sundhedskort) or other suitable identification papers as well as identification papers with your photo on them.

It is important that your civil registration number clearly appears from the identification papers. Otherwise, you must bring an identification paper issued by a public authority on which your civil registration number clearly appears.

If you do not have a civil registration number and if your date of birth and your name do not clearly appear from the identification papers, you must bring an identification paper issued by a public authority on which your date of birth and your name are clearly written.

If your full and utilized name does not appear from your identification papers, you can be requested to prove your name change by showing a marriage certificate, a name certificate or documentation showing that an application has been sent to the marriage authorities or to the national registration office.

Other documents you must bring along

• Your driving licence
• Valid residence permit or residence document if you are not a Danish or Nordic national or if you cannot stay legally in Denmark without a permit
• A medical certificate, issued by your own doctor, if your driving licence is not issued in the Faroe Islands, in Greenland or in an EU country or an EEA country
• A photo (all requirements to the photo are illustrated here)
• If you are an applicant from the group 2 agreement, you must also bring a statement from your home country, declaring that you have not been disqualified from driving for the last 5 years.

Translation of the driving licence
Please be informed that the Citizens Service Centre is in a position to request a translation of your driving licence. In principle, a translation is necessary unless the text on the driving licence is in English or if the driving licence is from an EU country or an EEA country.

The translation must be carried out by a translator/interpreter approved by the National Police. You must bear the expenses of the translation yourself.