Shipping to Denmark: the complete guide

After our recent guide to shipping to Sweden, we're continuing our journey through Scandinavia with Denmark. Here you'll learn why Denmark is an attractive market for online retailers, how to ship parcels there, and what you should keep in mind.

Why it's worth shipping to Denmark

Denmark is one of Scandinavia's most appealing e-commerce markets. Danish shoppers buy online readily and are open to ordering from retailers abroad, so getting your shipping right opens up real opportunity. As in any market, meeting delivery expectations is key to turning first-time buyers into loyal customers.

How long does delivery to Denmark take?

Delivery time depends on the carrier and service. Shoppers typically expect a parcel within about two to three days, and most parcel carriers meet that. Postal shipping is slower.

As you can see, shipping to Denmark takes about two days with most parcel carriers, which matches shoppers' expectations. Postal shipments take longer, around 4 to 6 days, despite the short distance. Postal shipments are cheaper, but if a parcel arrives too late you risk leaving a poor impression, so a reliable parcel service is often the safer choice.

Note the Faroe Islands and Greenland: both are self-governing but belong to Denmark. Because of their location, transit times there are much longer, around 10 to 15 days by standard service, or 3 to 5 days by express.

Keep public holidays in mind too. Around Danish public holidays (Easter, Ascension, Whitsun, and Christmas), parcels can pile up and delivery can slow down, and no parcels are delivered on Sundays. Express shipping, which is about a day faster than standard with every major carrier, can help when timing is tight.

About Postnord

Since merging in 2009, the Danish and Swedish national postal services form a joint company, Postnord. If you ship a parcel to Denmark via certain carriers, final delivery is handled by Postnord. It delivers on business days, including Saturdays. If a parcel can't be delivered, Postnord holds it for 14 days before it's returned (at a cost) and becomes a case for your international returns.

How much does shipping to Denmark cost?

Costs depend on several factors: express or standard, the size and weight of the parcel, whether you add insurance, and whether you're shipping to Denmark itself or to Greenland or the Faroe Islands. With a free Sendcloud account you can use the built-in rate calculator to compare carriers, methods, prices, and included insurance in a few clicks.

Can your customers track their orders?

Your customers abroad can track their order just like domestic customers. But carriers' standard tracking is far from appealing, and you give away after-sales potential when the customer interacts with the carrier instead of your store. That's where Sendcloud's tracking experience comes in: design tracking pages in your store's style, with your logo, your Instagram feed, and promotional banners to encourage repeat purchases. It's multilingual, so you can use it for shipping to Denmark too.

Are my parcels insured when shipping to Denmark?

The short answer: yes. Carriers insure your parcels up to a set value: DHL up to €500, UPS up to €510, DPD up to €520, and GLS up to €750. If you ship more valuable goods, you can add extra shipping insurance through the Sendcloud platform.

Which goods can you ship to Denmark?

Good news: like Sweden, Denmark is an EU member, so you benefit from a straightforward shipping process without heavy bureaucracy. Note, though, that an EU country isn't always a euro country: Denmark is in the EU but not in the eurozone, so its official currency is the Danish krone (DKK), not the euro.

Even within the EU, some goods are restricted:

• Medicines and controlled substances: may require a permit

• Cash: from a total value of €10,000

• Chemicals: prohibitions and possible conditions

• Dual-use goods (civilian and military): require a permit

• Cultural goods: relevant regulations apply

• Counterfeit products and brands: trade prohibited

• Plants: subject to plant-health rules

• Media harmful to minors or unconstitutional content: checked

• Weapons and explosives: strictly regulated

It's different for Greenland and the Faroe Islands: they're not part of the EU customs area, so stricter rules apply and they're treated like non-EU destinations. The usual customs forms, such as the customs declaration (CN22/CN23) and a commercial invoice, are required, and you shouldn't forget details like Incoterms, HS (tariff) codes, and your EORI number.

How to address a parcel to Denmark

To avoid delays, get the address right so carriers immediately know where the parcel should go. A correct Danish address looks like this:

Fr. Ida Hansen
Dr. Holste Vej 8, 3
Abby
8230 AARHUS
DENMARK

That's the salutation with first and last name, then street, house number, and floor, then the district, then postal code and city, and finally the destination country.

What to know about Danish postal codes

Danish postal codes have four digits. The first one or two digits give a broad geographic location, while the remaining digits pinpoint the area:

The main carriers for shipping to Denmark

There are many ways to send a parcel to Denmark. With Sendcloud you can combine carriers flexibly so you always ship as affordably and efficiently as possible.

DHL

With DHL Parcel International you can send small and larger goods to Denmark, with shorter transit times than postal shipping and insurance already included. Maximum dimensions are 120 x 60 x 60 cm and a maximum weight of 31.5 kg. DHL Express is the right service when speed matters most.

DPD

DPD delivers parcels of various sizes reliably and quickly, with XS, S, M, L, and XL services, all up to a maximum weight of 20 kg. Maximum dimensions (shortest plus longest side): XS up to 35 cm, S up to 50 cm, M up to 70 cm, L up to 90 cm, and XL up to 300 cm girth.

UPS

With UPS Standard a parcel reaches your customer in about two days, and UPS is known for precise timing. Express options include UPS Express (delivery by 12:00 the next day), UPS Express Saver (by end of the next day), and UPS Express Freight Midday (by 14:00 the next day). Maximum weight is 70 kg, girth up to 400 cm, and maximum length 274 cm.

GLS

GLS is available for shipping to Denmark too, with its EuroBusinessParcel product on a well-developed European network, and EuroExpressParcel for express. EuroBusinessParcel: up to 40 kg, length 200 cm, height 60 cm, width 80 cm, girth up to 300 cm. EuroExpressParcel is identical, but up to 50 kg.

Tip: selling to Denmark through online marketplaces

Marketplaces are often an efficient, low-investment way to enter a new market. If you're considering selling your products in Denmark through a marketplace, it's worth looking at the most popular online shops and marketplaces there, which include Zalando.dk, Amazon, H&M, Wish, eBay, Coop.dk, Nemlig.com, Bilka.dk, Elgiganten.dk, and Saxo.com. With Sendcloud's integrations you can connect your account to popular marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, and the Sendcloud API opens the door to many more.

How Sendcloud helps you ship to Denmark

Sendcloud supports your shipping to Denmark with flexible carrier options, smart shipping rules, a personalized tracking experience, and your own returns portal. Questions about shipping to Denmark? Get in touch with us.