CPR Registration, MitID & Digital Post for New Arrivals in Denmark
Reviewed by the Commoner Law Editorial Team. Sourced from Danish Acts of Parliament (love), executive orders (bekendtgørelser), and official government guidance. Written in plain language for general understanding — this is educational content, not legal advice. Our editorial standards
What is this right?
The CPR number (central personregister) is the 10-digit identifier that unlocks almost every service in Denmark: tax, NemKonto, doctor's visits, utility contracts, MitID, and Digital Post. The format is DDMMYY-XXXX; digits 5-6 plus 7 encode the century, and the last digit is even for women, odd for men. Since 1 October 2007, not every number includes a modulus-11 check digit because available numbers ran out for some birthdates:
- Who must register: EU/EEA/Swiss citizens staying more than 3 months; Nordic citizens after 6 months under the Nordic registration agreement; non-EU citizens within 6 months of permit issue and within 5 days of taking a Danish address.
- Short-stay workers (under 3 months, or 6 months for EEA) get a personligt skattenummer — same 10-digit format, issued by skat.dk via form 04.063, and converts automatically to a full CPR on permanent residence.
- Where to register: International Citizen Service (ICS) centres in Copenhagen, Aarhus, Aalborg, Odense, Sønderborg, and Esbjerg (six locations), or local Borgerservice. Free of charge.
- Yellow health card (sundhedskort): arrives by post in 2-4 weeks after registration, listing your assigned GP. Name must be on the mailbox or the card is returned. Digital version in the Sundhedskortet app.
- MitID replaced NemID, which shut down on 31 October 2023. New arrivals usually get MitID at the CPR appointment or via passport scanning in the app.
- Digital Post is mandatory for everyone 15+ resident in Denmark (LBK 686/2021). Messages have the same legal effect as a paper letter from the moment they are delivered. Exemption under § 5 requires an in-person request at Borgerservice.
- GDPR + Databeskyttelsesloven (LBK 289/2024): controllers must respond to access / rectification / erasure / portability requests within 1 month, extendable by 2 months for complex cases. Denmark is the only EU state where data-protection fines are court-issued — Datatilsynet reports cases to police; courts impose fines under § 41.
When does it apply?
- You are moving to Denmark for more than 3 months (6 months for Nordic citizens).
- You are a short-stay worker needing a tax number but not full residence.
- You have been refused CPR registration because of address or documentation problems.
- Your yellow health card did not arrive, or you want to change GP (a DKK 40 fee in 2026 unless one of the free-switch triggers applies).
- Your NemID no longer works (fully shut on 31 October 2023) and you need MitID to bank or access public services.
- You want to exercise GDPR rights against a Danish controller (access, rectification, erasure, portability, restriction, objection, or automated-decision rules).
What to Do If You Are New to Denmark and Need a CPR Number, MitID, or Digital Post
- Before travel: EU/EEA/Swiss citizens apply for an EU residence document from SIRI at newtodenmark.dk. Non-EU citizens must first have a residence and work permit from SIRI.
- Book an ICS or Borgerservice appointment. Bring a valid passport, SIRI permit or EU residence document, proof of a Danish address (rental contract or landlord confirmation), original marriage/birth certificates with certified translations if needed, and (for Nordic citizens) the home-country social-security number.
- Put your name on the mailbox before the yellow card is posted — without it, PostNord returns the card and delays everything by weeks.
- Set up MitID at the CPR appointment if possible, or at Borgerservice by answering identity questions from the CPR register or with a witnesser. Passport holders can scan their document in the MitID app.
- Check Digital Post daily — deadlines run from delivery. Formal exemption (§ 5) must be requested in person at Borgerservice.
- For GDPR requests: write first to the controller (1-month statutory response). If you do not get a satisfactory answer, file with Datatilsynet at datatilsynet.dk/borger/klage.
- To change GP: request through borger.dk with MitID. The DKK 40 fee is waived on move, practice closure, turning 15, or switching from health-insurance Group 2 to Group 1.
What should you NOT do?
- Don't arrive without a rental contract — Borgerservice will not register you without a verifiable Danish address. Short-term sublets without owner permission are routinely rejected.
- Don't leave your mailbox unlabeled. The yellow health card and MitID materials are returned if your name is not on it.
- Don't rely on NemID — it was fully shut on 31 October 2023. Banking and public services now require MitID.
- Don't ignore Digital Post messages — deadlines run from delivery, and missing them forfeits your right to respond.
- Don't skip contacting the controller before complaining to Datatilsynet — Datatilsynet asks complainants to raise the issue with the controller first.
- Don't assume the short-stay tax number is permanent — it uses the same format as the CPR and converts automatically on permanent residence.
Common Questions
How long does it take to get a Danish CPR number?
At most ICS and Borgerservice locations — Aalborg, Sønderborg, Odense, Esbjerg, and usually Aarhus — you get the CPR the same day as your appointment. In Copenhagen, online pre-processing takes 1-2 weeks before the appointment. Registration itself is free; the yellow health card arrives by post in 2-4 weeks.
What is the difference between a CPR and a short-stay tax number in Denmark?
A CPR number is for residents staying more than 3 months (6 months for Nordic citizens). A short-stay tax number (personligt skattenummer) is for workers here 3 months or less and is issued by skat.dk via form 04.063. Both use the same 10-digit DDMMYY-XXXX format, and the tax number converts automatically to a full CPR when the worker moves permanently.
Is NemID still used in Denmark?
No. NemID was fully shut down on 31 October 2023. Everyone now uses MitID to log in to banking, tax, and public services. New arrivals can set up MitID at the CPR appointment or at Borgerservice by answering identity-verification questions or scanning their passport in the MitID app.
Is Digital Post mandatory in Denmark?
Yes, for everyone 15+ who is resident in Denmark under LBK 686/2021. A message in Digital Post has the same legal effect as a paper letter from the moment it becomes available — meaning deadlines start to run immediately. Formal exemption under § 5 must be requested in person at Borgerservice and is not automatic.
How do I make a GDPR complaint in Denmark?
First write to the controller — they have 1 month to respond under GDPR art. 12(3), extendable to 3 months for complex requests (with notice). If you are not satisfied, file with Datatilsynet at datatilsynet.dk/borger/klage. Note that Denmark is the only EU state where data-protection fines are issued by courts, not the supervisory authority — Datatilsynet reports cases to police and courts impose fines under § 41 of Databeskyttelsesloven.
When does it apply — cpr registration, mitid & digital post for new arrivals?
You are moving to Denmark for more than 3 months (6 months for Nordic citizens).You are a short-stay worker needing a tax number but not full residence.You have been refused CPR registration because of address or documentation problems.Your yellow health card did not arrive, or you want to change GP (a DKK 40 fee in 2026 unless one of the free-switch triggers applies).Your NemID no longer works (fully shut on 31 October 2023) and you need MitID to bank or access public services.You want to exercise GDPR rights against a Danish controller (access, rectification, erasure, portability, restrictio...
What should I do if I have just arrived in Denmark and need to get a CPR number, yellow health card, and MitID?
Before travel: EU/EEA/Swiss citizens apply for an EU residence document from SIRI at newtodenmark.dk. Non-EU citizens must first have a residence and work permit from SIRI.Book an ICS or Borgerservice appointment. Bring a valid passport, SIRI permit or EU residence document, proof of a Danish address (rental contract or landlord confirmation), original marriage/birth certificates with certified translations if needed, and (for Nordic citizens) the home-country social-security number.Put your name on the mailbox before the yellow card is posted — without it, PostNord returns the card and delays...
What should you NOT do — cpr registration, mitid & digital post for new arrivals?
Don't arrive without a rental contract — Borgerservice will not register you without a verifiable Danish address. Short-term sublets without owner permission are routinely rejected.Don't leave your mailbox unlabeled. The yellow health card and MitID materials are returned if your name is not on it.Don't rely on NemID — it was fully shut on 31 October 2023. Banking and public services now require MitID.Don't ignore Digital Post messages — deadlines run from delivery, and missing them forfeits your right to respond.Don't skip contacting the controller before complaining to Datatilsynet — Datatil...