CPR number in Denmark – how to register, what the digits mean and when the yellow card comes
Last updated 25 September 2026Rules checked every MondayOfficial sourcesSources & methodology →
Your salary, bank account, lease and doctor all run through one ten-digit number. Here is who needs a CPR number in Denmark, how to register in person and what to bring, and what happens next with the yellow health insurance card.
Your CPR-nummer (personal identification number) is the number Danish authorities use in almost every contact with you, especially on tax and social security. CPR stands for Central Person Register. You need a CPR number to be paid a salary, transfer money, get a place to live, open a bank account, take out insurance and see a doctor.
One 2026 change affects what comes with it. Once you are registered, official letters arrive as Digital Post, and from 9 July 2026 the Digital Post app no longer works on older Android phones that cannot upgrade to HyperOS. You can still read your post through Life in Denmark or e-Boks.
What is a CPR number – and what do the ten digits mean?
The number has ten digits. The first six are your date of birth – day, month and year – and the last four are unique to you. The final digit also shows your registered gender: even for women, odd for men. In the example used by Skattestyrelsen (the Danish Tax Agency), 010185-1234, the digits 010185 give the birth date, and the even final digit marks a woman.
A personal tax number looks exactly the same. If you first come for a short stay and get a tax number, it becomes your CPR number when you later register a Danish address for a longer stay, and the digits stay valid for life. Forgotten the last four digits? Folkeregistret (the Civil Registration Office) can give them to you.
Who needs a CPR number in Denmark, and when?
It depends on your citizenship and how long you stay. You can only get a CPR number after you arrive, and only once you have a place where you actually live.
| You are | You must register if staying | Before you register |
|---|---|---|
| An EU, EEA or Swiss citizen | 6 months or more | Get your EU residence document from SIRI (the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration) – needed for stays over 3 months |
| A Nordic citizen | 6 months or more | No permit; bring your social security number if you move from another Nordic country |
| Any other citizen | 3 months or more | Hold your residence and work permit |
| Here to work for a shorter time | No CPR registration | Get a personal tax number from Skattestyrelsen instead |
Source: Life in Denmark, Skattestyrelsen and New to Denmark, read 23 September 2026.
As an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, you can stay up to three months without registering at all. Beyond that the order is fixed: the municipality issues your CPR number only when you show your EU residence document, and jobseekers must apply for that document within six months of arriving. Part 2 explains the residence rules.
How do I register for a CPR number?
Registration happens in person, at a Borgerservice (Citizen Service) or an International Citizen Service (ICS) centre. There are ICS centres in Copenhagen, Aarhus, Odense, Aalborg, Esbjerg and Sønderborg.
First, make sure your address counts. The minimum period you must live somewhere for it to count as a permanent address varies between municipalities, but is usually 1 to 3 months. The City of Copenhagen advises checking that your landlord allows you to register at the address you rent.
| Document | Who needs it |
|---|---|
| Passport or personal ID | Everyone |
| Proof of your Danish address, such as a rental contract | Everyone |
| EU residence document | EU, EEA and Swiss citizens |
| Residence and work permit | Citizens of countries outside the EU/EEA, the Nordic region and Switzerland |
| Social security number from your previous country | People moving from another Nordic country |
| Marriage, birth or name-change certificates, custody papers | Where they apply – for example if you are unmarried with children |
Source: Life in Denmark, read 23 September 2026.
In the capital, International House Copenhagen (ICS East) at Nyropsgade 1 registers international citizens living in Copenhagen and 37 partner municipalities. It is open Monday 09:00–15:00, Wednesday 11:00–17:00, Thursday 09:00–15:00 and Friday 09:00–14:00, closed on Tuesdays; the phone number is 33 66 10 00. You can apply for MitID, the national eID, at the same appointment.
When does the yellow health insurance card arrive?
Your yellow sundhedskort (health insurance card) is issued when you register and posted to your Danish address. The sources disagree on the timing: Life in Denmark says about 2 to 3 weeks, International House Copenhagen says 4 weeks. Plan for up to a month.
The card shows your name, address and CPR number, plus the name and address of your GP (family doctor). Carry it with you: you need it to see a doctor or dentist, go to hospital or borrow library books. The Sundhedskortet app is a digital version with the same benefits, and you can switch it to English.
Once registered, you are entitled to choose a GP. Your health insurance group decides how you use the system:
| Group 1 | Group 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Who is in it | The large majority of residents | The rest |
| Your doctor | Registered with one GP | Not tied to one GP |
| Referral | Needed for a specialist, physiotherapist, chiropodist or psychologist – not for an ear, nose and throat or eye doctor, dentist or chiropractor | Not needed for specialists |
| Cost | Seeing your GP is free | You pay the difference if the price is higher than the public subsidy |
Source: Denmark's public citizen portal and Life in Denmark, read 23 September 2026.
Hospital treatment is free with a referral. For adults, dental care is only partly publicly funded, while children and young people under 18 are treated free. Part 8 covers healthcare.
Live in another EU or EEA country or Switzerland but work in Denmark? You may qualify for a special health card instead. It is issued for up to 2 years at a time and is normally free; a replacement for a lost card costs DKK 40 (2026).
What else does the CPR number unlock?
Registration sets off a chain. Digital Post starts automatically, and from the age of 15 reading it is an obligation. You need the CPR number to register a NemKonto, the bank account where public authorities pay you. And with a health card showing your CPR number, a registered address and MitID, you can generate your own skattekort (tax card) in TastSelv (E-tax), Skattestyrelsen's self-service system. Parts 4 and 7 go through these steps.
What to do now
| Step | What | When |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | EU/EEA/Swiss: get your EU residence document from SIRI | Before the CPR appointment |
| 2 | Rent a home where the landlord lets you register | Before you book |
| 3 | Book Borgerservice or your ICS centre and gather the documents | As soon as you live at the address |
| 4 | Register, choose a GP and ask about MitID | At the appointment |
| 5 | Watch for the yellow card in your post box | 2 to 4 weeks after registering |
| 6 | Generate your tax card and designate your NemKonto | Once you have the card and MitID |
Source: Life in Denmark and International House Copenhagen, read 23 September 2026.
Official sources
The official pages this guide is based on, read 23 September 2026. Links open the authority’s own website.
- Life in Denmark · lifeindenmark.borger.dk
- International House Copenhagen (City of Copenhagen) · international.kk.dk
- Skattestyrelsen · skat.dk
- New to Denmark (Udlændingestyrelsen / SIRI) · nyidanmark.dk
- International House Copenhagen (City of Copenhagen) · international.kk.dk
- Life in Denmark · lifeindenmark.borger.dk
Relocate in Europe provides general information, not legal or financial advice for your individual situation. Check with the authority named above before you act – rules change, and your case may differ.