Can a British Driver Drive in Denmark? — Yes, on Your UK Licence (Mind the Side Switch)

Denmark is an easy, well-run place for British visitors to drive — the paperwork barely registers. The adjustment is physical: you change sides, and the alcohol margin is tighter than at home.

Can you drive in Denmark on a UK licence?

Yes. Your UK photocard licence is accepted in Denmark and no International Driving Permit is required. Carry the photocard and your passport and that is the licence question dealt with. Denmark rates among the easiest countries in Europe to drive: excellent roads, clear signs, disciplined traffic.

The side switch is the real work

The UK drives on the left; Denmark drives on the right. This is the biggest single adjustment, and the risk is concentrated in your first day — pulling out of a car park, taking a roundabout the opposite way round, or an instinctive glance the wrong way at a junction. Start somewhere quiet rather than central Copenhagen, and stay deliberate until right-hand driving stops feeling odd.

A tighter alcohol limit than home

Denmark’s limit is 0.05, below the 0.08 that applies in England and Wales (and even under Scotland’s 0.05 there is little room). The honest advice is to treat it as no drinking before driving. Enforcement is consistent and penalties scale with the reading.

Bridge tolls and metric speeds

Denmark has no motorway vignette, but the Storebælt (Great Belt) bridge and the Øresund bridge to Sweden charge large one-off tolls — plan for them if your route crosses either. Limits are posted in km/h: 50 in town, 80 rural and 130 on motorways, with cameras widespread. Watch for cyclists on your inside before turning right. A modest speeding fine starts around DKK 1,000 (about EUR 135).

See the full rules on our Denmark driving guide and estimate any penalty with the Speeding Fine Calculator. The emergency number is 112.