Guide · Denmark
Driving a UK-registered car in Denmark: how long you can keep UK plates, what registreringsafgift costs, and what to do instead
Denmark's registration tax is the highest in Europe, and since Brexit a UK car also carries customs duty and VAT before it is calculated. This guide covers how long you can stay on UK plates, what registration involves and costs, and the alternative.
Last reviewed September 2026
How long can I keep it on UK plates?
Non-residents may use a foreign-registered car temporarily while its home registration, inspection and insurance are valid. Once you take up residence in Denmark the car must be registered in Denmark promptly (Motorstyrelsen enforces this actively); the UK registration cannot be kept from abroad because the V5C needs a UK address and the MOT and UK insurance lapse.
Can a right-hand-drive car be registered?
Right-hand-drive cars can be registered in Denmark. The syn will require headlamps adjusted for driving on the right and suitable mirrors, and Danish buyers pay less for right-hand drive.
What registering it involves
- Customs clearance as a non-EU import through Toldstyrelsen, paying duty and VAT.
- Registration inspection (syn) at an approved station.
- Valuation and registration tax (registreringsafgift) assessed by Motorstyrelsen.
- Registration and Danish plates.
- Danish motor insurance.
What it costs
- Customs duty: 10% of the customs value unless UK origin is documented under the EU–UK agreement.
- VAT: 25% on the value plus duty.
- Registreringsafgift: 25% of taxable value up to the first threshold, 85% up to the second and 150% above, less deductions for safety equipment and low emissions.
- Syn, headlamp work, plates and fees.
Moving home? Transfer-of-residence relief
If you lived in the UK for at least 12 months and owned and used the car for 6 months or more, transfer-of-residence relief normally removes customs duty and VAT when you move to Denmark — but not the registration tax, which is still payable in full. The car cannot be sold for 12 months after relief.
The alternative: sell it back to the UK
Selling back to the UK trade avoids all of it. We buy UK-registered cars in Denmark as they stand, collect free from any address, handle the export paperwork, and pay in pounds sterling on the day.
Get a free valuation for your car in Denmark
Free collection anywhere in Denmark, all export paperwork handled, paid in pounds sterling (£) on the day.
Value my UK carCommon questions
Can I estimate the registration tax first?
Yes — Motorstyrelsen publishes the bands and an online calculator based on the car's market value and equipment.
What if the MOT has expired?
Not a problem — we buy cars with expired MOT or SORN and collect by transporter.
How quickly can you collect?
Usually within a week of acceptance; Denmark is on a regular run.
Rules, rates and thresholds change. This guide is a general summary as of September 2026, not legal or tax advice — check the current position with the registration authority or a customs agent before relying on it.
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