Private insurance in Denmark
What kinds of insurance are required by law in Denmark?
Certain types of insurance are required by law in Denmark:
- If you own or use a motor vehicle, such as a car, motorcycle or moped, the vehicle must have liability insurance.
- If you have a dog, you must have dog liability insurance.
- If you own a horse, you must have liability insurance that covers any damage that may be caused by the horse when loose.
- If you have a speedboat, water scooter or similar watercraft, you must have liability insurance.
If you borrow money to buy a home, the bank or mortgage-credit institution will usually require you to have fire insurance. Fire insurance is not required by law in the same way as liability insurance for dogs or motor vehicles, but it may be a requirement from the lender.
Bringing a dog to Denmark
If you bring your dog to Denmark, please note that you must have liability insurance for the dog in Denmark. This also applies to temporary stays in the country.
Dog liability insurance covers damage to other people, animals or property caused by the dog. The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration states that you must have liability insurance for your dog, and the rules in this area basically apply to all dogs.
If you live abroad and intend to travel to Denmark with a dog, you should therefore check in advance whether your current insurance covers dog liability in Denmark. In some countries dog liability is covered by general liability insurance, while other countries do not have similar insurance. If your insurance company is unable to offer or document coverage in Denmark, you should find out how to obtain insurance that covers the dog’s liability during your stay.
You must be able to document that the dog is insured for liability while in Denmark.
Which private insurance policies are common in Denmark?
The most common private insurance policies in Denmark are contents insurance, liability insurance, accident insurance, house insurance, car insurance and travel insurance.
What insurance you will need depends amongst other things on:
- Whether you live alone or with others
- Whether you rent or own your home
- Whether you have a car, dog, horse or boat
- Whether you have children
- Whether you travel between Denmark and other countries
- Whether you are already covered by insurance from another country.
Contents insurance usually covers your personal belongings, such as your furniture, clothing, computers and bicycles, and provides coverage if they are stolen or damaged, for example by fire, water or theft.
Contents insurance often includes private liability insurance, which can provide coverage if you or someone in your household harms other people or their property and becomes liable for damages.
If you are moving to Denmark, you should check whether your insurance in the country from which you are moving will also cover you and your belongings in Denmark. You should also check whether a Danish contents insurance policy also covers travel, liability and legal aid if you need it.
Accident insurance can provide compensation if you have an accident and suffer permanent injuries. There are various types of accident insurance. Some provide coverage 24 hours a day, while others cover only leisure time.
If you work in Denmark, you may be covered by your employer’s statutory industrial injury insurance when you are at work. This does not necessarily cover accidents in your leisure time, so here private accident insurance may be relevant.
Travel insurance can cover the cost of illness, accident, theft, repatriation or cancellations when you travel. The coverage will depends on the insurance agreement.
If you are staying temporarily in Denmark to work, study or take an internship, you should check whether your travel insurance covers your entire stay. Ordinary travel insurance policies may have restrictions if the stay is long, or if its purpose is work or study.
You should also check whether you are entitled to treatment from the public health services in Denmark during your stay.
If you have a car, motorcycle or moped in Denmark, you must as a rule have liability insurance for the vehicle. The liability insurance covers damage caused by the vehicle to other persons, vehicles or property.
You can also choose to take out comprehensive insurance, which can also cover damage to your own vehicle. If you have taken out a loan to buy the car, the lender may require you to have comprehensive insurance.
If you are a young person moving away from home, you should check whether you are still covered by your parents’ insurance. This will depend on the terms of the insurance agreement, your age, where you live, and whether you live alone, with a partner, or have children.
When you move away from home, it may be relevant to obtain your own home contents insurance. As a student, you may also need travel insurance and accident insurance, especially if you are staying temporarily in Denmark or travelling between Denmark and another Nordic country.
Unemployment insurance in Denmark is administered by unemployment insurance funds (‘A-kasser’). An unemployment insurance fund is not an ordinary private insurance company. If you wish to be insured against unemployment in Denmark, you must as a starting-point be a member of an unemployment insurance fund.
How should you choose insurance in Denmark?
You should compare prices, coverage, own risk deductibles and terms before choosing an insurance policy. In particular, you should check:
- What the insurance covers
- What the insurance does not cover
- How high the own-risk deductible is
- Whether the insurance is valid abroad
- Whether the insurance covers your entire household
- Whether you are already covered through another insurance policy
- How to terminate or change the insurance policy.
At forsikringsguiden.dk you can compare the prices and terms of insurance policies from a number of Danish insurance companies. Forsikringsguiden.dk is a collaboration between the Danish Consumer Council and Forsikringsoplysningen (Insurance Information).
Please fill in our contact form if you have any questions or if you have encountered an obstacle in another Nordic country.
NB! If you have questions regarding the processing of a specific case or application, or other personal matters, please contact the relevant authority directly.