Am I allowed to keep bees in my garden in Denmark?
Yes — you may keep bees, as a hobby or commercially, but you must register them. Under the Beekeeping Act, all beekeepers must register their apiaries in the Central Apiary Register, however many colonies you have. You register it free digitally via MitID at cbr.lbst.dk. No permit is needed, and there is no limit on the number of hives or the plot size. There is no national minimum distance to the neighbour — a neighbour may lawfully place hives right at the boundary — but the municipality can order removal for significant nuisance. Suspicion of a notifiable bee disease must be reported immediately to the bee inspectorate.
📋 The rules
- All beekeepers must register apiaries in the register
- Registration is free via MitID at cbr.lbst.dk
- No permit and no limit on the number of hives
- No national minimum distance to the neighbour
- A bee disease must be reported immediately
🔓 Exceptions
- The municipality can order removal for significant nuisance; allergy alone is not enough
- Moving hives over 1 km needs a health certificate
- An apiary away from your own plot must be marked with name and address
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Keeping unregistered bees or failing to report a bee disease can bring a fine under the Beekeeping Act. There is no fixed fine tariff — it is set case-by-case.
📎 Official sources
- Beekeeping Act · Retsinformation →
- Bee Diseases Regulation · Retsinformation →
- Agriculture Agency · Register in the register →
❓ Frequently asked
Can I keep bees in my garden?
Yes, as a hobby or commercially. But you must register your apiaries in the Central Apiary Register.
Must I register my bees?
Yes. All beekeepers must register their apiaries free via MitID at cbr.lbst.dk, however many colonies.
Is there a minimum distance to the neighbour?
No, there is no national minimum distance. A neighbour may lawfully place hives at the boundary, but the municipality can act on nuisance.
Can the neighbour complain about my bees?
Yes, to the municipality, which can order removal for significant nuisance. Allergy alone is not a valid ground.
What if my bees get sick?
Suspicion of a notifiable bee disease must be reported immediately to the bee inspectorate or Aarhus University.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “can I keep bees garden denmark”
- “register bees apiary register”
- “beekeeping mitid free”
- “bees distance neighbour”
- “bee disease report”
- “keep bees hobby”