Buying a used car in Denmark as a foreigner: step by step (2026)
What you need, what it costs and how the change of owner works – from finding the car to driving it home.
What you need before you buy
To register a car in your name, you will usually need a Danish CPR number and MitID. Then you can do the change of owner online yourself. You also need third-party liability insurance – it is mandatory, and you choose the insurance company when you change the owner.
No CPR number yet? Motorstyrelsen (the Danish Motor Vehicle Agency) has a form for an AKR number for people without a Danish CPR number (form 21.081 EN). Ask them before you buy.
Why used cars cost more in Denmark
Every car in Denmark has paid registration tax once – when it was first registered. The tax is part of the price, which is why the same car often costs more here than in neighbouring countries. If you buy a car that is already registered in Denmark, there is no registration tax to pay again.
On top of the price come insurance, service and owner tax: most cars pay green owner tax or weight tax on a regular basis.
Find the car and check it
Find used cars for sale on BilPorten. Before you go and see a car, look up the licence plate in our free licence plate check: make, model, year, engine and the latest inspection should match the ad.
Our guide How to check a used car in Denmark goes through it all – including how to check the car for debt.
Check the inspection (syn)
A car must have its first inspection 4 years after it was first registered – and then every 2 years. If the car is more than 4 years old, it must have been inspected within the last 2 years. Otherwise the owner cannot be changed until the car has been inspected.
A change of owner does not move the inspection deadline, so ask when the next inspection is due.
Put the deal in writing and pay safely
Write a simple contract (slutseddel) with the price, the car's details and what you agreed. Our free template is ready to print.
Pay when you get the car and the keys – never in advance. Read more about buying safely.
Change the owner within 4 weekdays
As the buyer, you must re-register the car in your name within 4 weekdays of the purchase. With MitID you can do it in Motorregistret on skat.dk (TastSelv → Motor → Motorregistret) or in Motorstyrelsen's app Ejerskifte. You need the code from the car's registration certificate (registreringsattest), and you choose your insurance along the way. Doing it yourself costs 340 kr. (2026).
Without MitID, a number plate provider (nummerpladeoperatør) can do it for you. Bring the registration certificate, proof of insurance and photo ID. They set their own price.
Do it straight away. If the buyer does not re-register in time, the seller can ask Motorstyrelsen to deregister the car.
When you leave Denmark
If you deregister from the CPR register because you leave Denmark, you must also deregister the car. Want to sell it before you go? You can list it for free on BilPorten.
Sources for this guide
Rules and prices change. This guide was checked on 3 November 2026 against borger.dk, Life in Denmark and Motorstyrelsen. Always check the current rules there before you buy.