Bringing Your Car to Denmark
Thinking of bringing a car to Denmark when you move? Brace yourself: once you are a resident you must register a foreign car here within 30 days and pay Denmark’s famously steep registration tax on its Danish market value. This guide explains the rule, the tax, VAT and customs, the Motorstyrelsen process – and why selling up first is often the smarter move.
Overview
Denmark has some of the highest car taxes in the world, and they apply to imported cars just as they do to new ones bought here. So bringing a car to Denmark is rarely the bargain people expect: the registration tax is calculated on the car’s value in Denmark, not what you paid abroad, and it can more than double the car’s worth. For many movers, the honest conclusion is to sell at home and buy a used car here. If you still want to bring one, here is exactly how it works.
A car that costs €30,000 elsewhere can cost €50,000-65,000 in Denmark after tax. Bringing a car to Denmark does not avoid that – you pay Danish registration tax on the Danish market value regardless of where the car came from.
The 30-day rule
Once you are registered in the CPR system with a residence in Denmark, you generally cannot drive a foreign-registered car here. You must register it in Denmark no later than 30 days after moving. Keep driving on foreign plates beyond that and you risk penalties. (Short visits and certain cross-border-work situations are treated differently – see exceptions below.)
Registration tax
The big cost is the registreringsafgift, charged on the car’s assessed Danish market value. For passenger cars the bands are roughly:
- 25% of the value up to about DKK 72,900,
- 85% of the value between about DKK 72,900 and DKK 226,500, and
- 150% of anything above that.
A CO2 supplement is added for higher-emission cars, and there are deductions for safety features and for electric vehicles (whose preferential rates are phasing upward through 2030). These figures shift, so use the Motorstyrelsen calculator for your exact car.
VAT and customs
On top of registration tax, watch for VAT and duty:
- From an EU country: no customs duty; VAT (25%) only applies if the car is new – used cars from the EU are not re-charged VAT.
- From outside the EU: typically 10% customs duty + 25% VAT on the invoice plus freight – unless the car qualifies as removal goods, which can reduce or remove customs and VAT in limited cases.
Registration tax still applies either way; the removal-goods relief is about customs and VAT, not the registration tax.
The process
Registration runs through Motorstyrelsen (the Danish Motor Vehicle Agency):
- Request a valuation (værdifastsættelse) of the car’s Danish market value via E-tax / the Motor Register.
- Have the car inspected (a toldsyn registration inspection).
- Pay the registration tax (and any VAT/duty).
- Get your Danish number plates.
The E-tax system is in Danish only, so line up help if you are new – and note newcomers can flag their status in the request.
Is bringing a car to Denmark worth it?
Usually not. Because the tax lands on the Danish value, an ordinary family car can attract tens of thousands of kroner in registration tax, wiping out any saving from not buying locally. When weighing up bringing a car to Denmark, the two smarter moves are normally to sell your car before you move and buy a used one in Denmark (where the tax is already in the price), or to go electric while EV rates are still lower. Our guide to buying a car in Denmark walks through the local route.
Exceptions
A few situations change things: short stays (you are not resident), and certain cross-border employment cases where you can apply to keep foreign plates. The rules are specific, so contact Motorstyrelsen about your circumstances before assuming an exemption applies.
Questions and answers
Do I have to register my foreign car in Denmark?
Yes, if you become a resident (CPR-registered). You must register it within 30 days and pay Danish registration tax; you generally cannot keep driving on foreign plates.
Do I pay tax even though I already paid VAT abroad?
Yes. Registration tax is charged on the car’s Danish market value regardless of foreign VAT. Used cars from the EU avoid re-charged VAT, but the registration tax still applies.
How much is the registration tax?
Roughly 25% up to about DKK 72,900, 85% to about DKK 226,500, and 150% above – plus a CO2 supplement and minus safety/EV deductions. Use the Motorstyrelsen calculator.
Is it worth bringing my car?
Often not. The tax frequently makes it cheaper to sell at home and buy a used car in Denmark, or to choose an EV while its rates are lower.