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, whether you have one hive or twenty. Registration is free and done digitally with MitID at cbr.lbst.dk. No permit is needed, and there is no limit on the number of hives or the size of your plot. What neighbours rarely know: there is no national minimum distance to the boundary — a neighbour may lawfully place hives right up against the hedge — but the municipality can order removal for significant nuisance, and allergy alone is not enough. A notifiable bee disease must be reported immediately.
📋 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, and there is no fixed tariff — it is set case by case. An order from the municipality to move the apiary because of significant nuisance hits harder than the fine, because the hives then physically have to go, and if they move more than 1 km the move also needs a health certificate. The registration has a purpose: it makes it possible to trace and contain infection, so an unregistered apiary in an outbreak is a real problem, not just a missing form.
📎 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, and you need no permit. But you must register your apiaries in the Central Apiary Register, however many colonies you have — including when you keep a single hive.
Must I register my bees?
Yes. All beekeepers must register their apiaries, and it is free and done digitally with MitID at cbr.lbst.dk. The requirement applies from the very first hive, and an unregistered apiary can bring a fine.
Is there a minimum distance to the neighbour?
No, there is no national minimum distance. A neighbour may lawfully place hives right at the boundary, but the municipality can order them moved if the bees cause significant nuisance — allergy alone is not enough.
Can the neighbour complain about my bees?
Yes, to the municipality, which can order the apiary moved for significant nuisance. Allergy alone is not a valid ground, and if the hives move more than 1 km, the move needs a health certificate.
What if my bees get sick?
Suspicion of a notifiable bee disease must be reported immediately to the bee inspectorate or Aarhus University. Failing to do so can bring a fine, and that is exactly why every apiary must be registered.
🔎 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”