How to open a bank account in Denmark

Who has the right to an account

Danish law does not leave the decision entirely to the bank. The act on payment accounts (lov om betalingskonti og basale erhvervskonti, LBK nr. 1462 of 18 November 2025) says a bank must offer a consumer a basic payment account in Danish kroner. The right covers consumers with legal residence in a country of the European Union or the EEA, and people without a residence permit who cannot be deported. The EU directive behind the act, 2014/92/EU, adds that the right applies irrespective of where in the Union the consumer lives.

A basic payment account is an ordinary working account. It must let you deposit money, withdraw cash at the counter and from ATMs, pay by card including online, receive and send transfers and set up direct debits. The bank must offer these services free of charge or for a reasonable fee. The law sets no amount in kroner for what counts as reasonable. The Danish detail is on our page about the basic payment account rules.

Since 1 January 2026 a further rule applies: a bank may not treat consumers with legal residence in the EU differently because of their nationality or place of residence when they apply for, or use, a payment account.

Which documents a Danish bank asks for

Lifeindenmark, the public portal for newcomers, lists the documents most banks ask for: proof of identity, for example a passport, driving licence or health insurance card; an employment contract or an invitation letter; a tax card, which it marks as not obligatory; and, for US citizens only, a social security card. It adds that documentation requirements may vary depending on the bank.

The reason for the questions is the money-laundering act. Hvidvaskloven § 11 requires a bank to record a personal customer's name and CPR number and to check identity against a reliable, independent source, such as an electronic ID. The bank must keep a copy of the documents for at least 5 years after the customer relationship ends. If it cannot complete these checks, the law says it must not open the relationship.

Do you need a tax card?

Ask your bank: requirements vary, and lifeindenmark lists the tax card both as required and as optional. The lifeindenmark page for new arrivals says you can only open an account with a Danish bank once you have your tax card, and that banks will ask for your passport, tax card, contract of employment and payslip. The lifeindenmark NemKonto page, updated 12 June 2026, lists the tax card as not obligatory. Neither text is wrong about what some banks do. Bring it to the meeting if you already have it.

Opening an account without a CPR number

A CPR number makes everything easier, and many banks ask for one. The law still allows a bank to identify you without it: hvidvaskloven § 11 says that if a customer has no CPR number, the identity data must include the date of birth instead. Whether a particular bank opens accounts on that basis is its own decision, within the rules on basic payment accounts.

Online banking is the next hurdle. MitID normally needs a Danish CPR number, but lifeindenmark explains that a person without one uses an 8-digit P code in the MitID app, together with a valid passport or an ID card with a chip. If you expect to stay, registering for a CPR number first is usually the shorter route. Our page on registering for a CPR number explains who can register and where.

A worked example: counting the bank's deadline

The 10-working-day limit runs from the day the bank receives a complete application. Missing documents stop the clock, because the application is not complete until they arrive. The table under this text counts the limit for an application completed on Monday 2 November 2026, assuming no public holidays fall in the period.

The law says "as soon as possible and at the latest" 10 working days, so a quicker answer is normal. Finanstilsynet has called the deadline absolute.

If the bank says no

The act lists the grounds for refusing a basic payment account. A bank may refuse if you cannot show a genuine interest in the account, if you already hold a Danish payment account with the same services (unless you have been told it will close), if you have committed crimes against the bank, or if you have behaved offensively towards staff or customers. A breach of the money-laundering rules is also a ground. Finanstilsynet has told banks that this list is exhaustive and that a missing fixed address is not a valid reason.

A refusal must be given free of charge, on paper or another durable medium, with the reason. It must also tell you that you can complain to Det finansielle ankenævn and contact Finanstilsynet. How to take a case to the complaints board is on our Danish page about complaining about a bank.

After the account is open

Three things are worth doing in the first week. First, read the fee information document the bank must give you when you sign, so you know what cards, transfers and cash withdrawals cost. Second, find your registration number, account number and IBAN, which you will need for your salary and for transfers from abroad; our page on reading a Danish account number shows where they come from. Third, make the account your NemKonto so public payments reach you. You can ask the bank to report it, or do it yourself; see the Danish NemKonto rules or our English summary of NemKonto for newcomers.

Pitfalls to avoid

• Arriving without the papers. An incomplete application does not start the 10-day clock.
• Accepting extra products as a condition. A basic payment account may not be tied to buying other services, apart from shares that every customer of that bank must hold.
• Letting the account go quiet. A bank may close a basic payment account after more than 24 months in a row without transactions, with at least 2 months' notice.
• Using a private account for business. Business use is one of the listed grounds for closing a basic payment account.
• Forgetting to compare. Finans Danmark finances Basalbetalingskonto.dk, which shows each bank's price for opening a basic payment account and its yearly costs.

For the wider picture of CPR, MitID and the krone, go back to our newcomer's guide to Danish banking. The Danish overview of account types lists the other accounts a bank may offer.