How to rent a car in Denmark: licences, insurance, tolls and parking

Can you rent and drive a car in Denmark?

Yes, and it is straightforward once you understand the licence rules, the insurance excess and the tolls. Rentals are widely available in Copenhagen, Aarhus and at the airports. The main things that catch newcomers out are the age limits, the fact that a non-EU licence must be exchanged after 180 days of residence, and the high insurance excess the basic price includes.

How old do you have to be, and what does a young driver pay?

Denmark has no single legal minimum for renting, so it is the company’s rule. At Avis Denmark the minimum age is 19, and you must also have held a full licence for at least 12 months; a higher minimum age can apply to certain vehicles. Drivers under 25 pay a young-driver surcharge: at Avis it is about DKK 100 a day, charged for at most 10 days, so it is capped at around DKK 1,000. See the company’s full rental terms for the current figures.

Can you drive on a foreign licence, and for how long?

For a short visit you can drive on a valid EU or EEA licence. Other foreign licences are accepted if they use Latin letters or come with an official translation into Danish, English or French, or if you carry an International Driving Permit (IDP). The full list is on the Færdselsstyrelsen page on foreign licences. Even where Danish law does not require an IDP, rental companies can set stricter document rules, so check your rental company’s terms before you travel.

If you move to Denmark and have sædvanlig bopæl (usual residence, meaning you stay at least 185 days a year), an EU/EEA licence stays valid in Denmark for its stated period. A licence from outside the EU/EEA, by contrast, may be used for up to 180 days after you take up residence; after that you must exchange it for a Danish licence if you want to keep driving. The rules are set out on the licence exchange page.

How do you exchange a non-EU licence?

Most licences issued outside the EU/EEA can only be exchanged after you pass a kontrollerende køreprøve (control driving test), which has both a theory part and a practical part. Licences from countries in Færdselsstyrelsen’s group 1 and group 2 schemes — including the UK, Switzerland, Japan, South Korea, the USA and Canada — can be exchanged to category B without a test; check Færdselsstyrelsen’s list for your country before booking.

You apply through your kommune’s borgerservice, which forwards the application to Færdselsstyrelsen. The exchange fee is DKK 520 (2026), and DKK 270 for a moped licence, according to borger.dk. That fee covers only issuing the Danish licence: if a control test is required you also pay the theory and practical test fees and hire a driving school car, since the practical test must be taken in a car with dual controls. Færdselsstyrelsen aims to finish 80% of exchange cases within 90 days, so start as soon as you register your address.

How does the insurance work, and what is selvrisiko?

Rental prices normally include cover for damage and theft, but with a selvrisiko (excess) that varies by car and company: if anything happens, you pay up to that amount. Avis states that most of its prices include cover with an individual excess and that you can buy an extended policy with zero excess at the rental desk, plus optional personal accident cover. See Avis’s rental terms. Expect the rental desk to also take a credit-card pre-authorisation for the deposit when you collect the car; those conditions are in the same rental terms.

Which bridges and tolls cost money?

Two bridges charge per crossing. Storebælt, between Zealand and Funen, charges a single-crossing price that depends on your vehicle and payment method: you pay less with an automatic payment agreement than by card or cash. The current figures are on the Storebælt price list.

Øresundsbron, to Sweden, costs DKK 470 at the toll station or DKK 420 as an online ticket, as of 2026. An ØresundGO discount agreement cuts the single-trip price to DKK 182, but it carries a DKK 370 annual fee, so it only pays off if you cross regularly. The full table is on the Øresundsbron price page.

The cheapest way to pay on both bridges is BroBizz, a small device that charges a linked card automatically.

Is there a congestion charge in Copenhagen?

No. As of 2026 Denmark has no congestion charge and no “betalingsring” around Copenhagen; that plan was dropped. What does exist is miljøzoner (low-emission zones), where older diesel vehicles without a particulate filter are banned from the city centre, and paid parking. The zones are described on vejafgifter.dk.

What about parking in Copenhagen?

Copenhagen has four paid parking zones. Since 1 April 2025 you pay on all days of the week, not just weekdays, and you must register your parking by app, machine or phone even for a short stop. The only free window is the first hour of your first registered parking between Saturday 17:00 and Monday 08:00. Zones, prices and free areas are on the kommune’s parking prices and zones page. If you live in the zone you can apply for a beboerlicens (resident licence), whose annual price depends on your car’s fuel consumption, listed on the kommune’s resident licence price page.

What about the green owner tax?

If you own the car rather than rent it, you pay a periodic vehicle tax, the grøn ejerafgift (green owner tax), based on the car’s fuel consumption or CO2 emissions. It is collected by the Motorstyrelsen, whose periodic taxes page explains how it works. Rental companies fold these costs into your price, so you will not pay it separately on a rental.

What happens if you get a fine?

Traffic fines go to the police, and you can view and pay them through the Politi’s fine self-service. If a car is caught by a speed camera, the registered keeper must say who was driving; the Politi page on naming the driver explains that duty. With a rental, the company will normally pass the fine on to you plus an administration fee. Parking fines are issued by the kommune instead, not the police.

What it costs and how long it takes

Budget for the rental itself, the young-driver surcharge if you are under 25 (about DKK 100 a day at Avis, charged for at most 10 days), and optional zero-excess insurance. Add DKK 420 to DKK 470 for one Øresund crossing and the current Storebælt price for one crossing. A licence exchange costs DKK 520 (2026) to issue the Danish licence, plus the theory and practical test fees and a driving school car if a control test is required. Collecting a car takes 20 to 30 minutes including the credit-card pre-authorisation.

Common mistakes

• Assuming the basic insurance covers everything. The excess can be large; decide before you drive off.
• Not bringing a credit card in the driver’s name. Debit cards are often not accepted for the deposit.
• Forgetting you must register parking in the app. Even a fifteen-minute stop can be fined.
• Renting one-way without checking the fee. Drop-off charges vary and are not always shown up front.
• Driving past 180 days on a non-EU licence. After that you are unlicensed, which voids insurance.

If something goes wrong

If you are stopped or caught by a camera, the penalty is handled by Politi, and the rental company will forward it to you. If the car is damaged or stolen, tell the rental company immediately and follow the terms you signed; that is when the excess applies. If you have passed 180 days on a non-EU/EEA licence, stop driving and start the exchange, because driving unlicensed invalidates your rental insurance and can void any claim.

FAQ

How old do you have to be to rent in Denmark? It is the company’s rule. At Avis the minimum age is 19 and the licence must be held for at least 12 months; a higher minimum can apply to certain vehicles. Drivers under 25 pay a young-driver surcharge, about DKK 100 a day capped at around DKK 1,000.

Can I drive on my own licence? Visitors can drive on EU or EEA licences, and other licences if written in Latin letters, translated officially, or covered by an International Driving Permit. Residents keep an EU/EEA licence; a non-EU/EEA licence lasts 180 days, then must be exchanged.

Is there a driving test to exchange a non-EU licence? Usually. Most licences from outside the EU/EEA require a kontrollerende køreprøve, though group 1 and group 2 countries can exchange to category B without one. The exchange fee is DKK 520 (2026), plus test and driving-school costs.

Is insurance included? Usually yes, with an individual excess (selvrisiko) that you can buy down to zero at the rental desk for an extra charge.

Do I need Brobizz for the bridges? No, but it is the cheapest way to pay on Storebælt and Øresund, and it gives the lower express price.