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Travellers returning to Denmark after Christmas must take Covid-19 test

The Local Denmark
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Travellers returning to Denmark after Christmas must take Covid-19 test
Copenhagen Airport early in the Covid-19 pandemic. Denmark is to reintroduce entry testing rules for travellers. Photo: Linda Kastrup/Ritzau Scanpix

Updated travel rules require all travellers to Denmark to take a Covid-19 test for entry into the country. Danish residents can take the test within 24 hours of arrival while all other travellers must take a test prior to departure.

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Under the new rules all travellers are required to test for Covid-19 in connection with arrival in Denmark. The rule applies to Danish citizens and residents as well as foreign visitors. It also applies regardless of vaccination status.

However, residents of Denmark are permitted to take a test up to 24 hours after arrival. In these cases, travellers will be required to test no more than 24 hours after arrival in Denmark but are advised to take tests before travel where possible.

People without an address in Denmark must take a Covid-19 test before entry to the Scandinavian country. The health ministry states that entry tests can be a PCR test up to 72 hours before arrival or a rapid antigen test taken up to 48 hours before arrival.

Health Minister Magnus Heunicke said at a briefing on December 22nd that the government was in favour of requiring travellers to provide a negative Covid-19 test on entry to Denmark.

"Compared with many other countries, we test a lot (for Covid-19) and it doesn't make a lot of sense that we test so much if completely untested people come in (to the country)," Heunicke said according to broadcaster DR.

Parliament’s Epidemic Committee, which must not oppose new Covid measures in order for them to become effective, later gave its approval to the new travel restriction.

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The restriction came into effect on December 27th and will be in effect for an initial three weeks until January 17th.

Failure to comply with the rule could result in a fine.

Covid-19 testing is available at Copenhagen, Billund and Aalborg airports.

A number of exceptions apply to the testing requirement. Children under the age of 15 and persons who have tested positive for Covid-19 within the last six months will not be encompassed by the rule.

People who travel for work or have addresses in border regions Schlesvig-Holstein (Germany) and Blekinge, Skåne, Halland and Västra Götaland (Sweden) will also be exempted from travel testing. Travellers from Danish island Bornholm who transit through Sweden are also exempted.

Travellers who transit through Denmark and stay for less than one day before leaving are likewise not required to test. This allows, for example, Swedish residents who travel through Copenhagen Airport before continuing their journeys overland to avoid the testing requirement.

READ ALSO: The new Covid-19 restrictions now in effect in Denmark

Editor's note: an earlier version of this article stated that foreign residents must test within 24 hours of entry to Denmark. This has been corrected following an update from the Ministry of Health.

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michel_60352c2eac6c6 2021/12/23 13:38
The article is wrong re non-residents: From 27 December 2021, the Danish Government will introduce a COVID-19 test requirement for all persons without residence in Denmark prior to entry. A PCR-test must be taken no later than 72 hours before entry, and a quick antigen-test must be taken no later than 48 hours before entry. see: https://en.coronasmitte.dk/travel-rules/covidtravelrules
  • Anonymous 2021/12/23 21:47
    Dear Michel, Please do not mislead people who reads this article. There are exceptions link in the webpage you referred : https://coronasmitte.dk/raad-og-regler/emner/rejser-til-eller-via-danmark/krav-om-test-og-isolation-ved-indrejse I use googletranslate for it but it's pretty clear : *Personer med fast bopæl i grænselandet. (Persons permanently resident in the border country.) I hope this link may help people who needs this information.

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