Am I allowed to import a car to Denmark?
Yes — you can import a car, but the Danish registration tax is high, and the car must be registered with the Motor Agency. The tax is calculated in bands: 25% of the first ~72,000 kr, 85% up to ~224,000 kr and 150% of the rest (2026 level; the thresholds index every year). A CO2 surcharge is added on top, and a basic deduction is given. Electric cars get a 60% reduction and plug-in hybrids 32% in 2026. The trap is that the cheap foreign purchase only turns expensive here: the car must pass a customs inspection before it can get plates, and importing from outside the EU adds customs duty and import VAT. If you move to Denmark with a car you owned abroad, there can be a tax exemption.
📋 The rules
- Registration tax in bands: 25%, 85% and 150%
- The thresholds index every year
- A CO2 surcharge is added on top
- Electric cars get a 60% reduction, hybrids 32%
- The car must pass a customs inspection before plates
🔓 Exceptions
- Importing from outside the EU adds customs duty and import VAT on top of the tax
- If you move to Denmark with a car owned abroad, there can be a tax exemption
- Vintage cars and certain disability-adapted cars have special schemes
⚠️ Penalties & fines
The big bill is the tax itself, not the fine. If you drive a car that is unregistered or under-taxed, the full registration tax can be charged retrospectively, a fine can be issued and the car can be seized. The mistake usually happens in the calculation: the tax runs in bands of 25%, 85% and 150%, the thresholds index every year, and the CO2 surcharge is added on top — so a deal that looked cheap abroad can turn expensive once the car needs Danish plates. The car must also pass a customs inspection before it can be registered.
📎 Official sources
❓ Frequently asked
Can I import a car to Denmark?
Yes, but the car must pass a customs inspection and be registered with the Motor Agency before it can get Danish plates. The big item is the registration tax, which is high and calculated in bands.
How is the registration tax calculated?
In bands: 25% of the first ~72,000 kr, 85% up to ~224,000 kr and 150% of the rest. A CO2 surcharge is added on top, and the thresholds index every year, so the numbers move from year to year.
Do electric cars get a discount?
Yes. In 2026 electric cars get a 60% reduction in the registration tax and plug-in hybrids get 32%. The reduction does not change the fact that the car must still pass a customs inspection and be registered.
What is the difference between EU and non-EU?
Importing from outside the EU adds customs duty and import VAT on top of the registration tax. If the car comes from an EU country you pay the registration tax, but not customs duty and import VAT.
Can I avoid the tax?
If you move to Denmark with a car you owned abroad, there can be a tax exemption under certain conditions. Vintage cars and certain disability-adapted cars also have their own special schemes.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “can I import a car denmark”
- “registration tax bands 25 85 150”
- “customs inspection motor agency”
- “ev discount registration tax”
- “co2 surcharge car”
- “import car eu”