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DRIVING

What to know about taking the Danish driving test as a foreigner

Acquiring a Danish driving licence after moving to the country isn’t necessarily a straightforward procedure. Here are six key things to know.

Published: 26 September 2022 15:01 CEST
What to know about taking the Danish driving test as a foreigner
A file photo showing a convoy of Danish driving school vehicles. Photo: Henning Bagger/Ritzau Scanpix

Public transport and cycling are good options for travel within Denmark, especially in times of surging gas prices. But using the country’s landeveje (B-roads) and motorveje (motorways) is a vital way for many people to traverse the country.

As a foreign resident, getting a Danish driving licence can be an expensive and sometimes complex affair. Some banks even offer loans to learner drivers, given the expense of lessons and tests.

Here are six things that you need to know about the Danish driving licence (for a manual or automatic car).

Who can apply?

Anyone with a CPR (personal registration) number indicating normal residency in Denmark and a photo ID can apply. A Danish driving licence cannot be issued if your right to drive has been restricted, suspended or revoked in another EU or EEA country.

If you already have a driving licence issued in another country and want to exchange it for a Danish licence, there are clear directions on how this is to be done. These can be found on the official borger.dk website.

READ ALSO: How and when should I exchange my foreign driving licence for a Danish one?

Anyone who is aged 17 years and 9 months to 70 years old can apply. You must also provide a certificate from your GP saying you are fit to take driving lessons.

What languages can you expect driving schools to offer lessons in?

Many driving schools offer lessons in Danish and English. In major cities, you might find driving schools offering lessons in other foreign languages too.

What is expected of you from a driving school?

You will need to provide your driving school with a passport photo as well as the, medical certificate from your GP or doctor, mentioned above. A fee of around 500 kroner is payable for the certificate.

Driving lessons usually cost between 12,000 and 15,000 kroner excluding the mandatory first aid course. Payment maybe possible in instalments, depending on the school’s policy.

How many lessons and courses do you need to go through before your first driving test?

The lesson requirement is structured as follows:

  • 29 lessons (minimum 45 mins each) of theory lessons
  • 16 lesson (minimum 45 mins each) of practical lessons with an instructor, driving in traffic
  • Four lessons of driving on a manoeuvre lane (manøvrebane), where you practice with an instructor’s guidance.
  • Four lessons of skid pan (glatbane) training, where you are required to drive safely on different surfaces including gravel, water, and icy roads, with instructions given over a radio. This is meant to help you understand the key rules of braking, accelerating, and maintaining your speed under different circumstances.
  • Eight hours of first aid training. This is a mandatory element of the driving licence.

It should be noted that above information on theory and practical lessons is indicative of the minimum requirements. In the event that your instructor recommends that you take more lessons, you might need to pay extra for each of these lessons, since this may not be covered in the initial pricing structure. Assessment can vary between different schools and instructors.

What does the theory test involve?

In the theory test, you must answer 25 questions in 30 minutes about different scenarios and how you, as a driver, would react.

All questions are multiple choice and some might have more than one correct answer. They all use a photo or visual aid. You can only have up to five errors in this test. Once you have passed the theory test, you can apply to have your practical driving test. Your passed theory test has a validity of 18 months.

Many schools allow the theory test to be taken manually. Here, the audio of the questions and multiple choices is played with a visual, and you have to mark “Yes” or “No” against the options. If you are more comfortable with the digital version of the test option, you may need to pay extra for this.

Examples of theory test questions can be found online, including on website teoriklar.dk.

What do I need to know about the practical test?

Once you have passed your theory test, your driving instructor or driving school will apply for a date for you to take your practical driving test. If you need a translator for the test, you can request one.

You will be able to take your practical test in the car in which you took your lessons. An evaluator will be present as a passenger next to you throughout the test. You will be asked to drive, make specific turns, park and demonstrate other manoeuvres. The test begins with a quiz about the technical specifications of the vehicle. The entire test takes about 30-45 minutes.

The purpose of this test is to ensure that you have the confidence, knowledge and ability to drive the car safely — both for yourself and other road users including cyclists, as well as pedestrians.

On successfully passing the exam, you will receive a stamp from the Police and Danish Road Traffic Agency (Færdselsstyrelsen). If you don’t pass the exam and need to take the test again, you will have to pay the 1,000 kroner fee for a new test.

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DRIVING

‘Wind-sensitive’ vehicles in Denmark: What are they and when are they not allowed on bridges?

Denmark often experiences windy weather. This can result in road authorities temporarily banning or advising against the use of the country’s long bridges for vehicles categorised as ‘wind-sensitive’ (vindfølsom). Which vehicles does this term cover?

Published: 3 February 2023 13:13 CET
Updated: 17 February 2023 18:07 CET
'Wind-sensitive' vehicles in Denmark: What are they and when are they not allowed on bridges?

Strong winds can cause ‘wind-sensitive’ (vindfølsomme) vehicles to be forbidden from using the Great Belt Bridge, the 18-kilometre fixed link connecting Funen and Zealand. Several other bridges in Denmark, including the Øresund Bridge, Little Belt Bridge and Vejle Fjord Bridge can make similar closures, or alternatively advise against such vehicles using the bridge without banning them outright, for similar reasons.

Such situations are not uncommon in Denmark, where windy weather occurs frequently and there are several high, long bridges, resulting in occasional closures to high vehicles or warnings due to the wind.

On Friday, February 17th, as Storm Otto hit Denmark, Great Belt Bridge operator Sund & Bælt issued notice of such a closure.

The ban on wind-sensitive vehicle on the Great Belt Bridge began just before 4pm and was expected to remain in place until 11pm.

Further east, the Øresund Bridge connecting Denmark and Sweden was closed completely and was expected to open again at 3am.

READ ALSO: How much damage could Storm Otto cause in Denmark?

So how do you know if your vehicle is classed as “wind-sensitive” and therefore affected by weather advice or temporary closure of Danish bridges?

In general, the term vindfølsom encompasses cars with caravans or trailers; camper vans, commercial vans, empty lorries or lorries with very light loads. The list is not exhaustive and it’s the driver’s responsibility to make an honest assessment of their vehicle. A more detailed definition follows below.

On the Great Belt Bridge, such vehicles are not permitted to use the bridge when the wind is stronger than 15 metres per second, operator Sund & Bælt states on its website.

The reason the above vehicles are singled out is because they have a larger surface area than smaller cars and can therefore become destabilised by strong winds if they are not carrying heavy loads.

Normal cars are usually able to use bridges safely in all wind conditions, provided drivers comply with recommended speed limits. These are displayed on the bridge and are reduced if there are very strong winds.

All vehicles that are towing (caravans or trailers) are considered sensitive to the wind, regardless of the vehicle itself.

Empty or light lorries are considered wind-sensitive if the weight of their trailer is less than 10 tonnes, Sund & Bælt states.

Camper vans under 3.5 tonnes also come into the sensitive category.

Signs on the approach to the Great Belt Bridge provide advice to motorists in windy conditions. If the wind is “hard”, meaning over 10 metres per second, yellow flashing lights, signs and wind socks on the bridge warn drivers of the strength and direction of the wind.

Once winds go above 15 metres per second (kuling or gale force with side winds), signs approaching the final motorway exit before the bridge advise drivers that wind-sensitive vehicles are currently not permitted on the bridge.

In such situations, the speed limit on the bridge is reduced to 80 kilometres per hour.

Even stronger winds over 20 metres per second (stormende kuling or storm gale force) result in speed limits being further reduced to 50 kilometres per hour.

Winds over 25 metres per second are considered a full storm and the bridges are closed, with signs advising motorists of the expected delays and closure times. Closure warnings are displayed prior to the last exit before the bridge.

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