Guidance

Denmark: providing services and travelling for business

Guidance for UK businesses on rules for selling services to Denmark.

From:
Department for Business and Trade, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Department for International Trade and Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
Published
28 February 2019
Last updated
11 June 2021 — See all updates

Read this page in combination with the guidance for the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

The authoritative source for Danish market regulations is the government of Denmark. This guidance links to official Danish sources wherever possible.

Trade and services regulations in Denmark

If you are a UK business providing services in Denmark, you must follow Danish regulations about:

  • getting an authorisation or a licence to provide a service
  • complying with local business regulations
  • EEA nationality requirements which could prevent you from providing services in some sectors

Use the Danish Business Authority portal to:

  • find out about providing services in Denmark
  • understand local regulations
  • complete any relevant administrative procedures online

Consider appointing an English-speaking lawyer in Denmark to help you comply with specific regulations. You can also contact your local chamber of commerce for advice.

To find out if EEA nationality requirements apply to you, contact the appropriate competent authority or the Danish Business Authority.

Trade reservations

To sell or provide services to customers in Denmark, you must follow local laws. If in doubt, you should get professional advice.

Reservations are part of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. They reserve the right of each party to keep or make new laws restricting investment, or the sale of services, in ways that would otherwise breach the rules in the agreement.

Check which reservations apply to the sale of services from the UK to Denmark. This includes an interactive tool to find reservations that are already in place.

VAT on sales of digital services

To use the UK’s VAT Mini One Stop Shop (MOSS) to declare sales of digital services to EU consumers, businesses need to register for MOSS in an EU member state.

Find out more about paying VAT on sales of digital services.

Ownership of companies registered in Denmark

If you have a UK business, you might face restrictions on your ability to own, manage or direct a registered company in Denmark or any other EEA country.

For information about setting up and running a business in Denmark, visit Invest in Denmark.

Read more about this in our guidance relating to the EEA and Switzerland.

UK legal professionals who have investments in law firms in Denmark should contact the Danish Bar and Law Society for information on implications on those investments.

Business travel and entry requirements

UK business travellers and service providers may need a visa, work permit or other documentation.

Check our travel to Denmark for work guidance for detailed information on:

  • types of visa and work permit routes available
  • exemptions that may apply to you or the activity you are planning to undertake

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and New to Denmark websites have more information about:

  • visas including intra-corporate transfers
  • work and residence permits
  • supporting documentation
  • other conditions

For advice on specific situations, companies in the UK and UK nationals can write to the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration using this website.

Check which actions travellers visiting Europe need to take.

Social security payments for employees

Find out if you need to pay National Insurance in the UK or social security contributions in Denmark.

Recognition of professional qualifications

To check what you need to do in Denmark, read:

If you need to take action to secure the recognition of your professional qualification in Denmark, these sources can help you:

UK statutory auditors working in Denmark

For UK statutory auditors, the Danish Business Authority should be able to provide further information.

UK lawyers working in Denmark

If you’re a UK-qualified lawyer working in Denmark, using either a Danish or UK professional title, you should contact the local Bar association in the region where you are working or the Danish Bar and Law Society (site in Danish) for specific advice.

Data transfer and GDPR

On 28 June 2021, the EU formally adopted ‘adequacy decisions’ for the UK, delivered through:

‘Adequacy decisions’ allow for the ongoing free flow of personal data from the EU/EEA to the UK.

Read guidance on using data in your personal business or other organisation.

Updates to this page

Published 28 February 2019
Last updated 11 June 2021 + show all updates

  1. Added 'Trade reservations' guidance. Updated 'Recognition of professional qualifications' with new UK contact point.

  2. Updated the following sections to reflect the changes created by the UK and EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement: overview, trade regulations, VAT on sales of digital services, business travel and entry requirements, social security payments for employees, recognition of professional qualifications, and data transfer and GDPR.

  3. Guidance for ‘Business travel and entry requirements’, ‘Social security payments for employees’ and ‘Recognition of professional qualifications’ updated.

  4. New guidance under the Business travel and entry requirements section for UK nationals

  5. Change to title to include travelling for business

  6. Update to 'Business travel and entry requirements' section

  7. First published.

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