🗳️ Am I allowed to vote in elections in Denmark?

With conditions

Quick answer

It depends on the election and your citizenship — but you must always be 18 and have permanent residence in Denmark. In parliamentary elections you must be a Danish citizen; foreigners cannot vote, however long they have lived here. In municipal and regional elections, EU citizens and citizens of Iceland, Norway and the UK can also vote immediately, and other foreigners after 4 years of continuous residence in the realm. In European Parliament elections EU citizens can vote, but other foreigners cannot. You are registered automatically via the CPR register and get a poll card, so you need not apply — but your CPR address decides where you appear on the roll.

📋 The rules

All elections: 18 and permanent residence in Denmark
Parliamentary: only Danish citizens
Local elections: also EU, Iceland, Norway and the UK immediately
Other foreigners: after 4 years of residence
You are registered automatically via CPR

🔓 Exceptions

People on tolerated stay or expelled by judgment cannot vote in local elections
Danes abroad usually cannot vote in local elections
In European Parliament elections only EU citizens can vote, not other foreigners

⚠️ Penalties & fines

There is no fine for not voting — it is a right, not a duty, and nothing happens to the person who stays at home. The other direction is serious: voting when not entitled, or election fraud, is punishable under the election laws. What trips people up is not punishment but registration: you are registered automatically via CPR, and the poll card is sent to the address you are registered at — if that address is out of date, the poll card lands in the wrong place. And the right to vote locally does not give you a vote in parliamentary elections; that needs Danish citizenship.

📎 Official sources

Last verified: 2026-07-12

❓ Frequently asked

Can I vote in parliamentary elections?

Only if you are a Danish citizen, are 18 and have permanent residence in Denmark. The right to vote in local elections does not by itself give you a vote in parliamentary elections — that needs citizenship.

Can foreigners vote?

In municipal and regional elections, yes. EU citizens and citizens of Iceland, Norway and the UK can vote immediately, and other foreigners after 4 years of continuous residence in the realm.

What is the voting age?

18, and it applies to all elections in Denmark. You must also have permanent residence in the country — Danes who live abroad usually cannot vote in municipal and regional elections. It also applies to European Parliament elections.

Must I do anything to be able to vote?

No. You are registered automatically via the CPR register and get a poll card by post, so there is nothing to apply for. It is your CPR address that decides where you appear on the roll, so keep it up to date.

Is there a fine for not voting?

No. It is a right, not a duty, so there is no fine for abstaining. Voting when you are not entitled, or committing election fraud, is on the other hand punishable under the election laws. Nothing happens if you stay at home.

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