How to insure your bike in Denmark and how bike theft works in Copenhagen

Why does bike insurance matter in Copenhagen?

Bike theft in Denmark is not a rare event. Gjensidige reports that over 48,000 bikes were reported stolen in 2024, roughly 130 a day. The Danish Crime Prevention Council cites 40,642 bikes reported stolen in 2020, about 111 a day. If you cycle daily in Copenhagen, you are statistically exposed, and a stolen bike is often your main way of getting around.

Insurance is what turns that from a total loss into an inconvenience - but only if you have a policy of your own.

Does your home insurance already cover your bike?

Only if you hold an indboforsikring (contents insurance) yourself. Forsikringsoplysningen describes it as the policy that covers your own things: it is voluntary, it is yours to take out, and your landlord’s building insurance covers the building rather than your belongings. If you have just moved to Denmark, check that you have a policy and that it lists your current address. With a policy in place, bike theft is usually covered, but the cap and conditions vary by insurer: standard payouts range from around 6,000 kr to just under 20,000 kr per bike. For one concrete example, Topdanmark includes bikes in its contents cover against theft, fire and damage during a theft attempt, up to 19,649 kr per bike, and lets you raise that ceiling to 117,891 kr for an expensive bike. Topdanmark is now part of If and these amounts are index-linked, so check the current terms before you buy.

Two things are not automatically covered. One is a speed pedelec, an e-bike that assists up to 45 km/h: it needs its own mandatory motor liability insurance and is not covered by contents insurance. The Danish trial scheme for speed pedelecs (forsøgsordning) started on 1 July 2018. As of 2026, Færdselsstyrelsen says it has no expiry date and continues until further notice. Under it, the rider must be at least 15, wear a cycle helmet, ride with the lights on at all times, and carry the insurance receipt (præmiekvittering) so it can be shown to the police. A rider under 18 must also hold a valid small-moped licence (kørekort til lille knallert) or a car licence (category B) issued under the driving-licence scheme for 17-year-olds, and must carry that licence while riding Færdselsstyrelsen Bekendtgørelse om forsøgsordning for speed pedelecs amendment on licences. Because it is a trial scheme, check the Færdselsstyrelsen page for the current rules before you ride. The other gap is crash damage, which usually needs a separate add-on.

Do you need extra cover for an expensive bike or e-bike?

A standard contents policy is enough for a city bike. It is often not enough for a cargo bike, a racing bike or a modern e-bike, where the replacement cost can easily exceed the standard cap. If your bike is worth more than your policy’s limit, either raise the sum insured or add a dedicated bike cover.

E-bikes need care. A pedelec that assists up to 25 km/h is normally treated like an ordinary bike and covered by contents insurance, and LB includes e-bikes up to that speed in its contents policy. A speed pedelec, which can reach 45 km/h, is treated as a motor vehicle: it needs its own mandatory liability insurance and is not covered by your contents policy, per Topdanmark. Extra rules apply on top: a helmet, lights on at all times, a minimum age of 15, and, if you are under 18, a small-moped licence or a car licence issued under the scheme for 17-year-olds. The trial scheme that lets speed pedelecs use the cycle path started on 1 July 2018. As of 2026 it has no expiry date and continues until Færdselsstyrelsen says otherwise Færdselsstyrelsen.

Extra covers also add crash and vandalism protection. LB’s top bike add-on covers damage from road accidents, vandalism, falls and transport, with an excess of 1,350 kr (2026) and a fixed 5,000 kr excess for certain carbon-frame damage. The amounts are 2026 figures and are adjusted over time.

What is selvrisiko, and how much will you actually get?

Selvrisiko is your excess: the amount deducted from any payout before it reaches you. If your excess is 2,000 kr and the payout is 9,000 kr, you receive 7,000 kr.

Payouts also account for age. Lærerstandens Brandforsikring pays up to 17,500 kr per bike per claim if you know the frame number (2026), but only 8,000 kr if you do not, and LB applies depreciation once a bike is more than a year old. Note that LB Forsikring is only open to members of certain professional groups: if you are not eligible, compare the bike terms of an insurer you can actually buy from. Gjensidige notes that standard contents cover for an ordinary bike is typically around 6,000 kr, and your excess is subtracted from that, so you receive less.

What locks do insurers require?

Most insurers require the bike to have been locked with a lock approved by Dansk Varefakta Nævn or an equivalent approval, as Gjensidige and the Danish Crime Prevention Council both state. When you buy a new bike and lock together, you get a låsebevis (lock certificate). It must be filled in with the frame number, the purchase date and the dealer’s stamp and signature, and your insurer will ask for it if you claim. If you buy a lock separately, or buy a used bike, make sure the certificate carries the bike’s frame number - write it in yourself if the seller or shop did not - and keep it with your receipt.

Some add-on covers are stricter. LB’s top bike cover, for example, requires two approved locks when the bike is not left in a properly locked building, with at least one lock fixed to something permanent through the frame.

What is a stelnummer, and why does it decide your payout?

The stelnummer is your bike’s unique frame number, stamped on the frame. It is the single most important piece of information you own about your bike. Both the police and your insurer use it: without it, the police cannot put the bike on the wanted register, so it is unlikely to be traced back to you, and many insurers pay a reduced amount or refuse the claim. You can and should still report the theft without it - the police state that the frame number is as a rule a precondition for claiming on insurance, so your insurer will want that report Politi. LB warns that this catches people who bought a bike at a supermarket or a general retailer, where the frame number is often not written on the lock certificate.

If you buy a bike from abroad, the police can issue you a Danish frame number. The police register only holds Danish frame numbers of up to 19 characters, so longer numbers cannot be checked.

How do you report a stolen bike?

Report as soon as you notice the bike is gone, to both the police and your insurer. Check your policy terms for any reporting deadline: late reporting can reduce or void a claim.

1. Report it online via politi.dk (you will need MitID), by calling 114, or in person at a police station. If you do not have MitID yet, report by phone or at a station. Call 112 only if the thief is still there.
2. Have ready: your MitID, the frame number, the make, model and colour, the purchase price and any receipts, and your insurer’s name.
3. Contact your insurer with the police report number to open a claim.
4. Check later whether the bike has been recovered. You can search the police bicycle register on politi.dk or in the Politi app. If it does turn up, tell the police and your insurer straight away: once an insurer has paid out, a recovered bike normally belongs to the insurer rather than to you - LB, for example, says recovered stolen bikes come to it LB. Some insurers, however, let you buy the bike back by repaying the compensation - ask yours Forsikringsoplysningen.

The Danish Crime Prevention Council also suggests walking the neighbourhood after reporting: many bike thefts are opportunistic joyrides, and the bike may be abandoned a few streets away.

Where can you buy a used bike safely?

Before you pay, enter the frame number in the police bicycle register to check it has not been reported stolen. Ask for a receipt with the seller’s name and the frame number: it helps you prove ownership, but it does not protect you if the bike turns out to be stolen. The bike still belongs to its original owner, the police can seize it, and you lose both the bike and the money you paid, with only a claim against the seller left Politi. If the price or circumstances should have made you suspicious, you can also be charged with hæleri (handling stolen goods), so walk away from very cheap bikes with no receipt or a filed-off frame number. The Crime Prevention Council recommends marking valuable parts with the frame number, using visible or invisible marking products.

What it costs & how long it takes

Reporting a theft online takes minutes. Ask your insurer how long a payout takes once the police report and the lock certificate are in: some wait a short period in case the bike is recovered, so timings vary.

Common mistakes

• Not recording the frame number. It is the difference between a full payout and a reduced one.
• Assuming your landlord’s insurance covers your bike. Contents insurance is yours to take out.
• Using a lock your insurer does not approve. Without an approved lock the insurer may reduce or refuse the claim.
• Losing the lock certificate.
• Not meeting your policy’s lock rule. Standard cover usually requires an approved lock; some add-ons also need a second lock fixed to something permanent.
• Buying a used bike without checking the frame number in the police register.

If something goes wrong

If your insurer reduces or rejects your claim, ask for the reason in writing and check it against your policy terms and the lock certificate. Complain in writing to the insurer first, including its internal complaints function if it has one: the independent board will not take the case until the insurer has upheld its decision or failed to answer. If you still disagree, you can complain to Ankenævnet for Forsikring (ankeforsikring.dk). A complaint fee applies (DKK 300 in 2026), refunded if you win or if the board cannot decide the case, and typical processing takes six to eight months Ankenævnet for Forsikring. If you suspect you were sold a stolen bike, report it to the police on 114 or at a station.