Denmark Tourist Visa Requirements for UK Citizens
Last checked: 17 March 2026
Planning a holiday to Denmark with a full British citizen passport?
This guide explains the current tourist entry rules for UK travellers, including whether you need a visa, how long you can stay, passport validity rules, what Danish border officers may ask to see, electronic systems now in use or coming soon, costs, and the official government links to check before travel.
This article is restricted to tourist entry for UK citizens. It does not cover work, study, residence permits, or long-stay immigration routes except where needed to explain what does not apply to a normal holiday.
Denmark is part of the Schengen area and uses the Danish krone (DKK).
Index
- 1. Quick answer
- 2. Passport and stay rules
- 3. What Danish border control may ask for
- 4. Electronic systems in use, or coming soon
- 5. Costs for UK tourist entry
- 6. Official UK and Danish government links
- 7. Frequently asked questions
1. Quick answer
No tourist visa is required for a UK citizen visiting Denmark for a short holiday.
For most British tourists, the key points are:
- You can visit Denmark without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
- Denmark is in the Schengen area, so time spent in other Schengen countries counts towards the same 90-day limit.
- Your passport must have been issued within the last 10 years.
- Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave the Schengen area.
- Until EES is fully rolled out, you should make sure your passport is stamped on entry and exit.
- There is no Denmark-only tourist eVisa or Denmark-only tourist ETA identified in the official sources reviewed for a normal visa-free UK tourist trip.
In simple terms, most UK holidaymakers can travel to Denmark without applying for a tourist visa, provided the trip stays within the Schengen short-stay limit and the passport rules are met.
2. Passport and stay rules
If you are travelling to Denmark as a tourist on a full British citizen passport, your passport should meet these conditions:
- It must have a date of issue less than 10 years before the date you arrive.
- It must have an expiry date at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave the Schengen area.
- You can be denied entry if you do not have a valid travel document or if you try to use a passport that has been reported lost or stolen.
UK citizens can stay in Denmark for tourism for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa.
This is a Schengen-wide allowance, not a Denmark-only allowance. If you also travel to Sweden, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Austria, Croatia, or any other Schengen country, those days count towards the same limit.
If you overstay the 90-day visa-free limit, the UK Government says you may be banned from entering Schengen countries for up to 3 years.
If you want to stay longer than 90 days, that moves outside normal tourist entry. At that point you need to check the relevant Danish long-stay visa or residence route before travel.
3. What Danish border control may ask for
Even though UK tourists do not need a visa for a short holiday, Danish border officers may still ask for supporting documents.
- A return or onward ticket
- Proof that you have enough money for your stay
The UK Government says the amount of money you may need to show varies depending on your accommodation.
Danish government visa guidance provides useful official reference figures used for short-stay visa applications. As a general rule, travellers should have about DKK 350 per day, or about DKK 500 per day if staying at a hotel. Although a standard UK tourist usually does not need a visa, these figures are still helpful as official guidance on what Danish authorities regard as sufficient means.
The same Danish visa guidance says visa applicants must hold travel insurance covering all Schengen countries, with a minimum cover of €30,000.
Until EES is fully rolled out, you should also make sure your passport is stamped on both entry and exit. If a stamp is missing, keep evidence such as boarding passes or tickets and ask border officials to add the date and location to your passport.
4. Electronic systems in use, or coming soon
Denmark does not currently require a separate Denmark-only tourist eVisa or a Denmark-only tourist ETA for a visa-free UK holiday visit.
However, there are three digital or partly digital systems worth knowing about:
Danish online visa system
Denmark has an official online visa application system for travellers who actually need a visa. The official ApplyVisa portal is used to lodge visa applications. A normal UK tourist using the visa-free route would not usually need to use this system.
Entry/Exit System (EES)
The European Union’s Entry/Exit System (EES) is being rolled out in phases, with full operation expected from 10 April 2026.
For short-stay UK travellers, EES means you may need to register biometric details such as fingerprints and a photo when entering the Schengen area. You do not need to do anything before arriving at the border, and there is no fee for EES registration.
Until EES is fully rolled out, your passport should still be stamped on entry and exit.
European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS)
ETIAS is not live yet. The official EU position is that ETIAS will start in the last quarter of 2026.
When ETIAS starts, UK passport holders travelling visa-free to Denmark and other Schengen countries will generally need to apply online before travel unless exempt. The official ETIAS fee is €20, which is about DKK 149.44 (£17.28) using the exchange rates used in this article.
So the current position for UK tourists is:
- No Denmark-only tourist eVisa requirement identified
- No Denmark-only tourist ETA requirement identified right now
- Denmark does have an official online visa application system for travellers who need a visa
- EES is being phased in now
- ETIAS is expected later, in the last quarter of 2026
5. Costs for UK tourist entry
Denmark uses the Danish krone (DKK). For a normal UK tourist visit, the official entry costs are simple because no tourist visa is required.
Approximate Danish krone and pound conversions below use the European Central Bank reference rates for 16 March 2026 of €1 = DKK 7.4720 and €1 = £0.86408.
| Item | Does it apply to a normal UK tourist? | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Denmark tourist visa | No | DKK 0 (£0) |
| Denmark-only tourist eVisa | No official system identified for UK tourists | DKK 0 (£0) |
| Denmark-only tourist ETA / pre-travel authorisation | No official system identified at present | DKK 0 (£0) |
| EES registration | Yes, this may apply at the Schengen border during rollout | DKK 0 (£0) |
| ETIAS, once launched | Not in force yet, but expected later in 2026 | About DKK 149.44 (£17.28) |
| Reference funds published in Danish visa guidance | Financial evidence, not a fee | About DKK 350 per day (about £40.47) |
| Reference funds if staying at a hotel | Financial evidence, not a fee | About DKK 500 per day (about £57.82) |
Only if you fall outside the normal visa-free UK tourist route, Denmark’s official visa systems currently publish a standard short-stay visa fee of €90, which is about DKK 672.48 (£77.77).
Important: that short-stay visa fee is not part of the normal short tourist route for a full British citizen passport holder. For most UK holidaymakers, the tourist visa cost remains DKK 0 (£0).
6. Official UK and Danish government links
Use these official pages before booking, before travel, and again shortly before departure:
- UK Government travel advice for Denmark
- UK Government Denmark entry requirements
- UK Government foreign travel checklist
- UK Government EU Entry/Exit System guidance
- Denmark in the United Kingdom, travel to Denmark
- New to Denmark, short-stay visa for private and tourist visits
- Official Danish ApplyVisa portal
- Official EU ETIAS information
- European Central Bank exchange rates
If your circumstances are unusual, for example dual nationality, a passport close to expiry, an intended stay beyond 90 days, or travel to Greenland or the Faroe Islands instead of Denmark proper, rely on the official pages above rather than third-party websites.
7. Frequently asked questions
Do UK citizens need a visa for Denmark?
No. UK citizens travelling on a full British citizen passport do not need a tourist visa for short visits of up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
How long can a British tourist stay in Denmark without a visa?
Up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area.
How long must my passport be valid for Denmark?
Your passport must have been issued less than 10 years before arrival and must be valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave the Schengen area.
Can Danish border officers ask for proof of money or onward travel?
Yes. UK Government guidance says border officers may ask for a return or onward ticket and proof that you have enough money for your stay.
How much money might I need to show for a Denmark trip?
Danish official visa guidance gives a general rule of about DKK 350 per day, or about DKK 500 per day if staying at a hotel. These are official reference figures, not fixed amounts charged by the government.
Do I need travel insurance for Denmark?
A normal visa-free UK tourist is not told by GOV.UK to buy a specific entry insurance policy, but Danish official visa guidance for visa applicants requires insurance covering all Schengen countries with minimum cover of €30,000.
Does Denmark have a tourist eVisa for UK citizens?
I did not identify a separate Denmark-only tourist eVisa system for ordinary UK tourists in the official sources reviewed.
Does Denmark have a tourist ETA right now?
I did not identify a Denmark-only tourist ETA or other pre-travel online authorisation for ordinary UK tourists in the official sources reviewed.
Does Denmark have any online visa system?
Yes. Denmark has an official online visa application system for travellers who need a visa, but a normal visa-free UK tourist would not usually need to use it.
What is EES and does it affect Denmark travel?
EES is the EU’s Entry/Exit System for short-stay travellers entering the Schengen area. It affects Denmark travel because Denmark is part of Schengen. During rollout, you may need to register fingerprints and a photo at the border.
When is ETIAS expected to start?
The official EU position is that ETIAS will start in the last quarter of 2026.
How much will ETIAS cost?
The official ETIAS fee is €20, which is about DKK 149.44 and about £17.28 using the exchange rates used in this article.
Final check before travel
For most UK holidaymakers, Denmark is straightforward: no tourist visa is required for a short stay. The main things to get right are your Schengen day count, your passport issue date and expiry date, and keeping an eye on the continuing EES rollout and the future ETIAS launch.
