Denmark on an Indian Licence — The Side Switch & the Bridge Tolls

Denmark is flat, well signed and patient with visitors, which helps when you are learning to drive on the other side. For an Indian driver, two things need planning: that switch, and the cost of crossing the water between the islands.

Your licence works on its own

Danish rules, as set out on the official citizen portal, ask for an international driving permit or a translation into Danish, English or French only when a foreign licence is not written in Latin letters. Indian licences carry their details in English, so the licence is enough for the police. Rental firms can make an IDP a condition of hire, so read the terms; if they want one, get it from your RTO before you travel. The driving permit checker covers neighbouring countries.

Left to right

India keeps left; Denmark keeps right. Spend the first hour away from central Copenhagen, and be deliberate at roundabouts, at junctions and when leaving fuel stations. Danish towns run on bicycles: a cyclist going straight has priority when you turn right across the cycle lane, so check the right mirror every time.

Speeds and fines

Towns are 50 km/h, rural roads 80 and motorways 130. The lowest speeding band, under 20% over the limit, starts at DKK 1,200, with higher bands and surcharges above it. The speeding fine calculator models a ticket, and our page on who pays driving fines abroad explains how hire-car tickets reach you.

Bridges and alcohol

There are no motorway tolls, but the Øresund Bridge to Sweden costs DKK 470 for a car up to 6 m at the toll station, and the Great Belt Bridge charges every crossing, at a price that varies with vehicle type and time. The alcohol limit is 0.05%, and 0.02% for drivers in their first three years since July 2025. The emergency number is 112. More in the Denmark driving guide.

Sources

• Borger.dk, foreign driving licence in Denmark (IDP or translation for licences not in Latin letters): borger.dk
• Øresundsbron, prices (car up to 6 m, toll station DKK 470): oresundsbron.com
• Storebælt, prices and payment methods: storebaelt.dk
• Danish police, guideline fines under the Road Traffic Act (speeding: DKK 1,200 under 20% over), PDF: politi.dk
• Rådet for Sikker Trafik, 0.2 per mille limit for new drivers from 1 July 2025: sikkertrafik.dk
• WHO Global status report on road safety 2023, Denmark profile (50/80/130 km/h; 0.05 g/dl): who.int
• India, Motor Vehicles Act 1988 s.185 (30 mg per 100 ml): indiacode.nic.in