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DRIVING

How and when should I exchange my foreign driving licence for a Danish one?

Foreign residents of Denmark are required to exchange their foreign driving licence for a Danish one after moving to Denmark.

Published: 9 May 2022 16:39 CEST
A file photo showing sample Danish driving licences
A file photo showing sample Danish driving licences. Photo: Anne Bæk/Ritzau Scanpix

The rules for when a foreign driving licence must be exchanged for a Danish licence depend on the country which issued the original licence.

You must change your foreign licence for a Danish one within 90 days of moving to the country (meaning the date on which you arrived in Denmark with the purpose of staying).

At the time of writing, the 90-day deadline is extended to 180 days due to delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

EU and EEA countries

If you have a driving licence issued in the EU or EEA (Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein), you can use it in Denmark. You can freely exchange the licence for a Danish licence without having to take an additional driving test.

Australia (Capital Territory only), Brazil, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Russia, Switzerland and Ukraine

Driving licences issued in the above countries and territories can also be exchanged for Danish licences without taking any additional test.

In addition to your existing licence, you must also submit a medical declaration from your doctor and a signed written declaration that you have not been disqualified from driving within the last five years. Your licence must not be restricted or issued under special conditions.

It should be noted that the above only applies for category B driving licences. This is the category for driving a normal car. For other types of category such as motorcycle or HGV licences, it is necessary to take an additional test in order to exchange your foreign licence for a Danish one.

Singapore, United States, Canada, Australia, Chile, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, New Zealand, Isle of Man (UK) and Israel

For the above countries and territories, the same conditions apply as for the non-EU/EEA countries listed further above.

Additionally, you must also submit a declaration that you have two years’ effective (reel) in Danish driving experience. In other words, you must have driven regular for at least two years and not had a driving licence for five years or more without having done any driving.

United Kingdom after Brexit

The UK does not neatly fit into any of the above categories because the applicable rules depend on whether your licence was issued before or after the UK left the EU.

In short, you can exchange your licence in line with EU rules if it was issued before Brexit, but UK licences issued after January 1st 2021 are treated as “third country” driving licences.

The rules for exchanging UK driving licences in Denmark following Brexit are set out in more detail in this article.

Other foreign driving licences

Driving licences issued in all other countries can be used to drive in Denmark for up to 90 days after you are registered as living in the country.

Danish rules permit the use of foreign driving licences printed in English (or French) with Latin letters, or if it is accompanied by an English, French or Danish translation. If your licence does not meet this, you may be required to obtain an international licence before driving in Denmark.

You will be required to take what is termed in Danish a kontrollerende køreprøve (“control driving test”) to be able to exchange your foreign licence for a Danish one.

What is a ‘control driving test’?

The Danish Road Traffic Authority website states that a control driving test or kontrollerende køreprøve consists of a theory and practical element. Driving lessons are not mandatory for the test, unlike with the regular driving test given to new drivers.

Drivers taking the test must supply their own vehicle and applications are made via their home municipality.

Where do I go to exchange my licence?

The application form for exchanging to a Danish driving license can be found on the Local Government Denmark (KL) website.

The form must be handed in at a municipal Borgerservice (“Citizens’ Service”). Check the website of your local municipality to find out where the Borgerservice is located in your area. You may be required to make an appointment (or it might be better to do so to avoid a queue).

You’ll need to bring your existing licence, passport and a photo (see here for the photo specifications) when you hand in your licence for exchange. You’ll also need your Danish residence permit.

More information on the application process can be found on the Danish citizen and residents’ platform Borger.dk.

A fee of 280 kroner is charged to exchange a foreign driving licence for a Danish one.

Sources: Færdselsstyrelsen, Borger.dk

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DRIVING

What medical conditions can lose you your driving licence in Denmark?

If you become seriously ill, or are diagnosed with a psychiatric condition, you can have your Danish driving licence suspended or revoked. Here's what you need to know.

Published: 18 September 2024 11:05 CEST
What medical conditions can lose you your driving licence in Denmark?

As a general rule, any medical condition or illness which makes you unsafe on the road will lead to your licence being suspended and perhaps even permanently revoked. 

There is a long list of medical conditions which could cause this, including certain sight and hearing problems, cardiovascular, respiratory and neurological illnesses, and psychiatric conditions. You might lose your licence temporarily, for good, or in the case of progressive conditions, be given a temporary licence which requires a new health assessment before being renewed.

Who might decide to remove my licence for health reasons? 

The decision to suspend, revoke or limit your driving licence is most likely to be taken by a GP, specialist doctor, psychologist or optician after a medical condition has been diagnosed, or in the case of elderly patients, if their age makes them unsafe behind the wheel. 

Under Danish law, doctors are obliged to issue a driving ban “in cases where the doctor detects changes in a patient’s health conditions, and the doctor assesses that the patient can no longer safely drive a motor vehicle.”

If a doctor is unsure, or feels they lack the information needed to tell whether it would be dangerous for you to continue to drive, they can start a driving licence case by filling in a medical certificate detailing the health conditions and sending it to the patient’s municipality.

The health conditions will then be assessed in the same way  as health conditions are assessed when applying for or renewing a licence, with the licence either denied, issued for a limited time, or granted for the full 15 years. 

They can also recommend that the patient’s driving ability be assessed by an expert at the Danish Road Traffic Authority. 

Denmark no longer requires people to automatically have their driving ability tested, with driving licences instead renewed after 15 years, regardless of the holders age. 

READ ALSO: Can you drive a friend or relative’s car in Denmark?

How are health conditions treated when applying for or renewing a driving licence? 

Everyone applying for their first driving licence in Denmark needs to present a medical certificate (unless they want their licence to be limited to small mopeds). The certificate can either be obtained by contacting your doctor, or else by applying digitally on Borger.dk. 

You will also need to present a medical certificate if applying to extend your driving license so you can drive a tractor, car, taxi, or a motorcycle with a sidecar, or applying for or renewing a licence to drive a truck, bus or large trailer. 

People who have been issued with a temporary licence due to a health condition will need a medical certificate in order to have it extended. 

Finally, if you have been stripped of your licence due to a health condition or because of addiction to alcohol or drugs, you will need to present a medical certificate to have it reissued. 

You don’t normally have to submit a medical certificate, however, if you are renewing an ordinary licence to drive a car or motorbike. 

READ ALSO: New digital Danish driving theory test to be offered as English-language version

What health conditions might lead to a driving ban? 

In general the conditions that could lead to a ban include: 

  • Dementia
  • New onset or recurrence of a neurological disorder such as seizures
  • apoplexy (stroke) affecting perception and/or physical ability
  • New onset or relapse of mental illness such as manic psychosis, schizophrenia with significant hallucinations/delusions, with or without forced hospitalisation 
  • Heart disease with risk of sudden loss of consciousness
  • Change in field of vision and/or visual acuity to such an extent that the patient no longer meets the vision requirements even with glasses or contact lenses 
  • Treatment with and consumption of certain medicines

You can find a detailed guide to the various conditions that can lead to a driving ban here, (in Danish), as well as an explanation of the more demanding rules for driving heavy vehicles such as trucks and buses. 

If you have such difficulties with attention that it warrants a diagnosis with ADHD, your doctor will judge whether they think you are safe, and if you are you will be issued with a licence valid only for two years, after which, if you have driven successfully over the period, you can have a normal licence.   

READ ALSO: What to know about taking the Danish driving test as a foreigner

What can I do if I disagree with the ban? 

You still have to follow it and if you don’t, you risk your insurance company refusing to pay out in the event of an accident, and if the police find out, your licence may be confiscated. 

If your doctor suspects you of continuing to drive despite a ban, they will report you to the Danish Patient Safety Authority, who may then forward this report to the Danish Road Traffic Authority, who might in turn recommend to the police that your driving licence be revoked .

If they believe your continued driving represents an acute danger, they should contact the police directly. 

To have your doctor’s opinion reviewed by others, you need to send their medical assessment to your local municipality, who will forward it to the police, who will then contact you to hear your side of the story, and consult with the Danish Patient Safety Authority before deciding on whether to uphold the ban. 

If you disagree with the police’s decision, you can appeal once again, after which the case will be handled and a final decision made by the Danish Road Traffic Authority, which cannot be appealed. 

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