Am I allowed to access the data a company holds about me in Denmark?
Yes — you have a right of access to the personal data an employer or company holds about you. Under GDPR and the Data Protection Act you can get confirmation and a copy of your data plus information on purpose, recipients and storage period, with no reason. They must respond within 1 month (up to 3 months for complex cases, with notice first). The first copy is free; a reasonable fee can only be charged for manifestly unfounded or repeated requests. Being told to find the data yourself is not enough — you must get an actual copy. If you think the right is breached, you can complain to the Data Protection Authority.
📋 The rules
- Right to access and a copy of your data
- They must respond within 1 month
- Up to 3 months for complex cases
- The first copy is free
- You can complain to the Data Protection Authority
🔓 Exceptions
- Data about others or trade secrets can be kept out
- The Data Protection Act §22 can limit access for reasons such as state security
- Courts and purely statistical purposes have their own exceptions
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Serious GDPR breaches can bring fines of up to 20 million euros or 4% of global turnover. In Denmark the fines are set by the courts after a report from the Data Protection Authority.
📎 Official sources
- Data Protection Authority · Your rights →
- Data Protection Authority · Access (guidance) →
- Data Protection Act · Retsinformation →
❓ Frequently asked
Can I access my data?
Yes. You have a right of access to the personal data a company holds about you, and a copy of it.
How quickly must they respond?
Within 1 month. The deadline can be extended to up to 3 months for complex cases, with notice first.
Does access cost anything?
No, the first copy is free. A reasonable fee can only be charged for manifestly unfounded or repeated requests.
Is it enough to be told where I can find the data myself?
No. You must get an actual copy of the data, not just a pointer to find it yourself.
Where do I complain if they refuse?
You can complain to the Data Protection Authority, which supervises the data-protection rules.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “can I access my data denmark”
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- “personal data access”