Alcohol
Carry-On Baggage (Air Travel)
Currency
Customs Regulations (Foreign Citizens)
Driving in Denmark
Electricity
Medical Information
Pets
Public Holidays – Denmark
Shopping
Smoking Restrictions
Tipping
Travel for the Disabled
Vaccinations and Health Certificates
Value-Added Tax (VAT)
Visa/Passport Rules
Weights and Measures
What to Wear
Alcohol
Retailers, super markets, etc. are allowed to sell beer, wine and spirits from Monday to Friday from 6am until 8pm, and Saturday from 6am until 5pm. You must be at least 16 years of age to be allowed to buy wine and spirits.
In shops a bottle of beer (33 cl) costs about DKK 6,50/€ 0,90, 1 bottle of Danish snaps (75 cl) about DKK 90/€ 12,00, 1 bottle of table wine from around DKK 40/€ 5,50. Gin and whisky vary as regards price depending on brand, although a bottle normally costs around DKK 120/€ 16,00.
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Carry-On Baggage – Commercial Air Travel
From November 6 the EU (European Union) introduced new rules limiting the amount of liquids in carry-on baggage, when travelling by airplane. The rules include liquids and gels such as water, juice, perfume, lipstick, lotions etc.
You are only allowed to pack liquids or liquid substances in containers that can hold a maximum of 100 millilitres (3.3 ounces) in your carry-on baggage.
You may pack more than one container in your carry-on baggage, but the quantity may not exceed the number of containers that can fit into a transparent one-litre plastic bag that is re-sealable.
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Currency
Danish currency is the Krone (DKK), made up of 100 øre. ATMs are liberally sprinkled throughout the country, and all major credit cards are widely accepted, expecially Visa. Travellers cheques are welcome at banks and hotels. Most banks are not open at weekends, however Copenhagen has several bureaux de change which stay open late at night, seven days a week.
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Customs Regulations (Foreign Citizens)
Used household goods are duty-free if:
• Owner has resided abroad a minimum of 12 months
• Household goods have been used a minimum of 6 months
• Shipment must arrive within one year of Customer
• Shipment must clear on arrival
Dutiable/Restricted Items
• All new items (less than six months old) require an invoice
• Alcoholic beverages and tobacco products are highly taxed and strictly controlled (advisable not to include in household goods shipment)
• Foodstuff: Dry and canned food that is in your possession prior to the arrangements of the removal, and in limited amounts is allowed. Foodstuff bought AFTER the arrangements of the removal will be considered as commercial import and may only be imported by licensed importers. Please note: it is prohibited to import any kind of food (also dry and canned food) containing anything connected to animals i.e. milk, eggs, meat, fish, or poultry.
Prohibited Items
• Firearms, ammunition (Unless: Import License is obtained from Danish Ministry of Justice. Shooting permit required)
• Narcotics
• Any kind of of food (also dry and canned food) containing anything connected to animals i.e. milk, eggs, meat, fish, or poultry.
• Live plants
• Live, dead and pre-manufactured parts of animals mentioned in the "Washington" Convention CITIES.
• Medicine
Motor Vehicles
• Original foreign registration document, showing ownership for a minimum of six months
• Owner has resided abroad for a minimum of twelve months
• Extremely high registration tax payable on all vehicles (100% to 200%).
NOTE - Customs regulations are subject to change at any time. The proceeding information is a brief summary of customs regulations applicable to household goods shipments to this destination and is being provided for general guidance to assist our Agents and Customers. Since such regulations are subject to change without notice, cannot be held liable for any costs, damage, delays, or other detrimental events resulting from non-compliance. Always double check with your local embassy or consulate.
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Driving in Denmark
For the most current and complete driving regulations please copy and paste the following link into your browser:
http://www.trafikken.dk/wimpdoc.asp?page=document&objno=20853
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Electricity
Denmark runs on 230 volts AC (50 cycles). Note that most modern laptop, cell phone and digital camera chargers are dual voltage and will work perfectly in Denmark with just a simple adapter plug.
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Medical Information
Health and medical information (reproduced from the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen). A visitor to Denmark faces no special health risks, as the overall health conditions are excellent. No special inoculations are required. Any needed immunization is available in Copenhagen. Although Danish law is strict about commercial processing, cooking, handling, and serving of foods, consumers are advised to show caution when using eggs and preparing poultry, as salmonella bacteria has been found in these products. All milk and tap water is safe to drink.
Danish medical care is of high quality and is comparable to the medical care one finds throughout Western Europe. Diagnostic laboratories and specialists in all fields of medicine are available. Hospitals are well-equipped, and maternity hospitals and many clinics are available. Most doctors and dentists speak English.
The system for providing care in Denmark is different from that in the United States. Danish citizens and permanent residents of Denmark qualify for free hospitalization and medical treatment under the Danish National Health Service. However, medical treatment and hospital care, covered by the Danish National Health Service, may require referral from a general practitioner, which often creates long waiting periods. To avoid waiting time in these situations, patients may choose to seek medical and hospital care privately as paying patients.
Tourists do not qualify for treatment under the Danish National Health Service, except in cases of emergency. If, however, the medical facility determines that the emergency occurred as a result of a pre-existing condition, the tourist must be prepared to pay for all services received.
Most medicines are available locally. They may not, however, be the same brand names as those used in the United States and prices are generally higher than in the U.S. Tourists should bring a supply of the medicine that they know they will need. In case of emergency - ambulance - fire - police - dial 112.
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Pets
• Health certificate which must be MAX 7 days old and must be issued by a government veterinarian at origin.
• Rabies vaccination which must be at least 30 days old and not more than 12 months old. this vaccination must be reconfirmed after 6 months by a blood test controlled by an authorized laboratory
• Traveling with the EU: the animal must be provided an animal passport, identification of the animal is done by tattoo or microchip.
• Owner must apply for import permit with the Danish authorities prior to departure from place of origin. When this application is filed, owner will receive up-to-date requirements for import of this specific animal from this place of origin.
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Public Holidays – Denmark
Date English Name Local Name
January 1 New Year's Day Nytårsdag
Sunday before Easter Sunday Palm Sunday Palmesøndag
The Thursday before Easter Sunday Maundy Thursday Skærtorsdag
The Friday before Easter Sunday Good Friday Langfredag
March/April Easter Sunday Påskedag
The day after Easter Sunday Easter Monday 2. Påskedag
The 4th Friday after Easter General Prayer Day Store Bededag
40 days after Easter Ascension Day Kristi Himmelfartsdag
7 weeks after Easter Whit Sunday Pinsedag
7 weeks +1 day after Easter Whit Monday 2. Pinsedag
June 5 Constitution Day Grundlovsdag
December 24 Christmas Eve's Day Juleaftensdag
December 25 First Day of Christmas Juledag / 1. juledag
December 26 Second Day of Christmas 2. juledag
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Shopping
Opening Hours:
Common opening hours in Copenhagen and most places in the rest of the country are:
Monday - Friday: 10.00 to 18.00 or 19.00 (10 am - 6 or 7 pm)
Saturday: 9.00 to 15.00 (9 am - 3 pm)
Sunday: only bakeries, florists and souvenir shops.
Malls and department stores may have longer opening hours.
With special permission, shops and stores have been granted 8 Sundays during the year on which they are allowed to open for business. Currently, they are: April 2, May 4, Jun 15, as well as December 3, 10, 17, and 21 (last 4 Sundays before Christmas).
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Smoking Restrictions
As of August 15, 2007, smoking is no longer permitted in public indoor areas, unless a designated smoking space such as a smokers' room or smokers booth has been installed, or the area is used by one person alone at a time.
Consequently, smoking in restaurants is no longer allowed, unless it takes place in a designated smoking space. Food and beverage may not be served or brought into the smoking space.
Smoking in bars and cafés with an alcohol license is allowed only if the area occupied by the premises is less than 40 square metres. Food as such may not be served, and tables and chairs must be available.
Whether smoking is allowed in hotel rooms used for sleeping depends on the hotel management.
Smoking is not allowed in taxis or in public means of transportation.
Smoking is not allowed on domestic flights, buses, S-trains, on board the trains going to Copenhagen Airport and on to Malmö, Sweden, and in many taxis.
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Tipping
Service charges are automatically added to the hotel and restaurant bill in Denmark, so no further tipping is required as such. Tipping for outstanding service is a matter of choice, but is not expected.
Tips for taxi drivers are included in the fare.
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Travel for the Disabled
Disabled visitors can profit from the many facilities generally available to disabled citizens: many restaurants, hotels, camping sites, hostels, attractions, and public toilets provide facilities for the disabled, and the accessibility on trains and ferries and at airports are adjusted to the requirements of disabled citizens. Most ships and many ferries that sail into and out of Danish waters offer special cabins and wide elevators for disabled passengers. In all intercity trains, a toilet for the disabled is provided. Special lifts and ramps are available to get wheelchairs onto and off trains.
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Vaccinations and Health Certificates
At present, no vaccinations, health certificates or the like are required when entering Denmark from another country for business or for pleasure.
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Value-Added Tax (VAT)
VAT in Denmark (called MOMS in Danish) is 25 per cent. It is always included in your hotel and restaurant bills as well as in any other bill for services rendered, admission charges and in purchase prices. Travellers from non-EU countries can have the VAT on goods and gifts to an amount of more than DKK 300 / € 40 refunded on leaving the country - see Tax Free Shopping.
Read more about refund of Danish VAT: Copy and paste the following link into your browser
http://www.skat.dk/SKAT.aspx?oID=69411&vID=69410
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Visa/Passport Rules
Travel to Denmark may require a visa for certain nationalities. To find out whether or not you need to apply for a visa, we suggest you contact the Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (http://www.denmark.org/visa/). If a visa is required, make sure you file an application in due time.
Visas: A visa is issued for the purpose of a short stay (less than 3 months) in Denmark and other Schengen* countries. Employment is not permitted during the stay covered by the visa. Foreign citizens who are exempted from basic visa requirements can stay, but not work, in the Schengen region up to 3 months.
Residence and Work Permits: For sojourns longer than 3 months as well as stays in connection with studies or employment, including work as au pair, a residence and/or work permit is required. However, special rules apply to citizens from the Nordic Countries, the EU Member States as well as Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
Citizens of the following countries require a visa to enter Denmark:
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belize
Benin
Bhutan
Bolivia*
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burma (Myanmar)
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
China**
Colombia
Comoros
Congo
Cuba
Democratic Republic of Congo
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Fiji
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Ghana
Grenada
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
India*
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ivory Coast
Jamaica
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Madagascar
Macedonia (FYROM)
Malawi
Maldives
Mali
Marshall Islands
Mauritania
Mauritius
Micronesia
Moldovia
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco*
Mozambique
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Niger
Nigeria
North Korea
Northern Marianas
Oman
Pakistan*
Palau
Papua New Guinea
Peru*
Philippines*
Qatar
Russia
Rwanda
Samoa
Sao Tomé and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
Sri Lanka
St. Christoffer and Nevis
St. Lucia
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Sudan
Suriname
Swaziland
Syria
Taiwan
Tadjikistan
Tanzania
Thailand*
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunesia****
Turkey***
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Passports issued by the Palestinian Authority
* Citizens with diplomatic and service passports are exempt from the visa requirement.
** Holders of a "Hong Kong Special Administrative Region" passport, a "Região Administrativa Especial de Macau" passport or a "British National Overseas" passport are exempt from the visa requirement.
*** Citizens with diplomatic, special and service passports are exempt from the visa requirement.
**** Citizens with diplomatic passports are exempt from the visa requirement.
* The Schengen Countries: The name "Schengen" originates from a small town in Luxembourg. In June 1985, seven European Union countries signed a treaty to end internal border checkpoints and controls. More countries have joined the treaty over the past years. At present, there are 15 Schengen countries, all in Europe.
The 15 Schengen countries are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Greece, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. All these countries except Norway and Iceland are European Union members.
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Weights and Measures
Denmark uses kilometres/metres/centimetres, kilogrammes/grammes, and litres/decilitres/centilitres. Metric/English equivalents are:
1 kilo (kg) = 2.2 pounds
1 litre (L) = about 1.76 pints
1 kilometre (km) = 0.62 mile
1 metre (m) = 1.1 yards
1 centimetre (cm) = 0.39 inch
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What to Wear
The four seasons are distinct in Denmark, so dress accordingly. An overcoat and warm clothing are needed for late autumn, winter and early spring. Lighter apparel is fine for the rest of the year.
Because Denmark is almost entirely surrounded by sea, it has a moderate, maritime climate. The average temperatures range from 32F in February to 62F in July. Temperatures vary slightly from day to night. Average annual rainfall is 24 inches. Days are short in winter, with about 5 hours of daylight in December and January. Daylight in summer lasts 16-18 hours on clear days.
Source: Danish Tourist Bureau and Government Sources
Wikipedia.com
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