How to Relocate Your Household & Pets to Denmark

Jump right in:

• Moving and shipping household goods to Denmark
• Customs regulations
• Home goods storage
• Vaccinations and health requirements for Denmark
• Moving to Denmark with pets

Moving and shipping household goods to Denmark

You can ship your items to Denmark by air, sea, rail, or road. The mode of transportation you choose depends on the logistics of your itinerary and your budget.

Here is the break down of options:

• Air freight is the most expensive mode of transport, but is also the fastest.
• Sea freight is the most affordable option, if you are traveling from outside the EU, but your items could take up to two months to arrive in the country.
• You can also import your household goods by road or railway, if you are traveling from within Europe, through Germany or Sweden.

Make sure that your moving agent or carrier completes a customs clearance declaration for your personal belongings (that includes clothing, furniture, kitchenware etc.). Don’t forget to fill out a declaration of personal property yourself, you will have to submit it to the Danish Customs Agency (Toldstyrelsen).

If you choose to move and declare your belongings yourself, you will have to fill out the declaration of personal property and pages 6, 7 and 8 of the so-called Single Administrative Document.

Some options of moving agencies: -Gateway to Denmark -Krugel -Alpha Service -Mesterflyt

Things to keep in mind:

• To bring your items into Denmark, you must be in the country at the time the items arrive.
• When your items arrive, you should be properly registered as a resident in Denmark. Anyone residing abroad, foreign or Danish, will not be able to import their goods free of duty and tax.
• From the time you arrive in Denmark, you have one year to import your household goods and personal items. They must be at least 6 months old.

You will need the following documents:

• ID and passport
• full inventory of your goods written in English or Danish
• proof of residence in Denmark to import items duty and tax free

Customs regulations

Danish customs allowances differ depending on whether you are moving from inside or outside the EU. If you are traveling within the EU, standard EU customs rules apply.

If you are travelling with cash (75,000 DKK (approx. 11,000 USD) )or more you need to notify the Danish Customs agency by filling in a declaration form:

• When traveling from outside of EU
• When traveling from other EU countries Keep in mind that this applies to all currencies and monetary instruments.

Customs allowances from Within the EU

Tobacco Products

• 800 cigarettes
• 400 cigarillos (cigars weighing no more than 3 grams each)
• 200 cigars
• 1 kg of smoking tobacco

Alcoholic Beverages

• 10 liters of spirit drinks
• 20 liters of fortified wine
• 90 liters of wine (including a maximum of 60 liters for sparkling wines)
• 110 liters of beer

Opinion

Once you have all the practicalities taken care of, such as learning the language and securing a solid job, the opportunities in Denmark are endless. (US American expat in Aalborg)

Opinion

Customs allowances from outside the EU

For those traveling from outside the EU, you should know your items are taxed and subject to excise duty if they exceed these values:

• 3,250 DKK (480 USD) if shipping by air or sea
• 2,250 DKK (330 USD) by other means of transportation

As for other items that may be taxed or subject to duty, you are only allowed to bring the following quantities:

Tobacco

• 200 cigarettes
• 100 cigarillos
• 50 cigars
• 250 g of tobacco

Alcoholic Beverages

• 16 liters of beer
• 4 liters of still wine
• 1 liter of spirit drinks
• two liters of fortified wine

Fuel

• fuel contained in the standard tank of a vehicle
• up to ten liters in a portable container

Restricted or prohibited items in Denmark

The following items are prohibited unless you obtain a special license or permit from the Danish Ministry responsible for its regulation:

• plants
• certain foods depending on the country from where you are moving
• arms, ammunition, or dangerous items
• endangered species, exotic animals, and other animals other than domestic, dead or alive

Customs lane: green or red?

If you are bringing anything that needs to be declared at the airport, because of the exceeding value or amount (e.g 300 cigarettes) you have to choose the red lane and pay customs duties, VAT and excise duties. If you have nothing to declare you can choose the green lane. Having nothing to declare means that your goods are for personal use only, that you did not bring any forbidden items with you, and that you did not exceed the maximum amounts allowed for alcohol, tobacco, and gas.

Keep in mind that if you go for the green lane and you are stopped you will have to pay excise duty, VAT, customs duty and an expensive fine. Therefore if you are in doubt make sure to ask and double check to avoid paying more than needed.

Home goods storage

If you need a place to store your items in Denmark before you have secured a place to stay, you can find a few options online, whether that is for long- or short-term storage.

You have more options of storage services close to the capital Copenhagen, but you can find a few self-storage units throughout the country near the bigger cities, like Aarhus, Odense, or Aalborg.

Some options for home good storage:

• SHURGARD
• Pelican
• Green Storage

In some websites you will be able to see prices for self-storage units by size, which allows you to compare several service providers. Storage in Denmark costs around 1,000 DKK (approx. 155 USD) per month for a place that is over 1,5 square meters in the city centre.

Vaccinations and health requirements for Denmark

The vaccinations required for Denmark are the standard vaccines you typically get as a child. Make sure you have these routine vaccines up to date before moving: measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis, varicella or chickenpox, polio, and the yearly flu shot.

Denmark immigration does not have many vaccination requirements. In some cases, travelers may benefit from being vaccinated against Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Rabies. As usual, it is a good idea to visit your doctor before you move, and to check on the Danish immigration health requirements that may be specific to you.

Moving to Denmark with pets

Moving to Denmark with pets requires some preparation, but you should not have any major issues as long as you follow all the requirements for pet relocation to Denmark.

You are allowed to bring up to five pets with you. Ideally, you would accompany your pet as it enters the country. If this is not possible, the animal must enter the country at least five days before or after your own relocation, and accompanied by an authorized person. This could be a partner, friend, or an employee of an animal transport company, provided that they have an appropriate authorization form signed by you.

Any pet traveling from a third country, must be brought into Denmark through one of the designated points of entry.

Taking your dog or cat to Denmark

Requirements:

• All dogs and cats coming to Denmark must have a microchip.
• If you are coming from another European country, your pet must have a valid EU passport with proof of rabies vaccination.
• If the pet is coming from a third country, you will need a veterinarian certificate from a competent veterinarian of your place of residence.
• Puppies and kittens that are younger than twelve weeks old do not have to have a rabies vaccine in order to enter Denmark. Likewise, puppies and kittens that are between 12 to 16 weeks old may enter even if their vaccine is not yet active, but they will need a Puppy/Kitten Declaration form. It is also recommended that they have an EU Pet Passport to guarantee easy passage into the country.
• Ferrets should be vaccinated and accompanied with the proper documentation.

Dogs of the breeds listed below, including mixed breeds with any of these, are forbidden to come to Denmark:

• Pitt Bull Terrier
• Tosa Inu
• American Staffordshire Terrier
• Fila Brasileiro
• Dogo Argentino
• American Bulldog
• Boerboel
• Kangal
• Central Asian Shepherd Dog
• Caucasian Shepherd Dog
• South Russian Shepherd Dog
• Tornjak
• Sarplaninac Once you arrive in Denmark, you have four weeks to register your dog with the Danish Dog Register.

Read more on how you can bring other pets such as birds to Denmark.

Opinion

Denmark is a really dog-friendly country with amazing wildlife—perfect for Sunday drives and walks! (British expat in Copenhagen)

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