Before you start

A passport for a prepaid SIM
CPR number and a Danish payment method for a postpaid contract
An unlocked or eSIM-capable handset
Knowledge of the building's existing connection, for broadband

Step-by-step

1
Buy a prepaid SIM on day one
Available in supermarkets and kiosks and usable immediately. This gives you a Danish number for the appointments — CPR, bank, viewings — that all want one, before you have any of the paperwork.
In personWho: YouDay 1
2
Switch to a postpaid plan once you have CPR and a bank account
Postpaid plans are cheaper per gigabyte and are paid by Betalingsservice. Most run on short or no binding periods, so switching later is easy.
OnlineWho: YouMonth 1
3
Ask what is physically installed before ordering broadband
Copenhagen buildings are variously served by fibre, coaxial cable or copper. The provider you can actually use depends on the installation, and a housing association may already have a collective agreement. Ask the landlord or the association before signing up to anything.
Via employerWho: Your landlord or housing association
4
Check whether internet is included in the rent
Many Danish rental buildings and most andelsbolig associations include a collective broadband and TV package in the monthly charge. Ordering a second connection on top is a common and pointless expense.
Via employerWho: Your landlord
5
Keep your number when switching
Number portability is quick and free in Denmark. The new operator handles it — never cancel the old contract first, which releases the number.
OnlineWho: You
6
Understand that Sweden is domestic for roaming purposes
EU roam-like-at-home covers the whole EEA including Sweden, Norway and Iceland. A Danish SIM works in Malmö at Danish rates. The catch is border-hugging: near the coast your phone may latch onto a Swedish mast while you are still in Denmark, which is harmless for data but occasionally confusing for calls.
Mobile appWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Passport for prepaid
CPR number for a postpaid contract
Danish bank details for Betalingsservice
Address confirmation, for broadband installation

Things most newcomers don’t know

A Danish SIM roams free in Sweden, Norway and Iceland — the whole EEA, not just the EU.

EU roam-like-at-home covers the European Economic Area, so Norway and Iceland are included despite not being EU members. For Copenhagen this matters daily: a trip to Malmö, a weekend in Skåne or a commute across the bridge costs nothing extra. Conversely, the UK and Switzerland are outside it, and people assume the reverse in both directions.

Source: Danish Business Authority

The building, not the operator, decides your broadband options.

Danish buildings are wired with fibre, coaxial cable or older copper depending on when and how they were connected, and a housing association may hold a collective contract that you cannot opt out of. Ordering from an operator's website before checking what is in the building is the most common cause of an installation that never happens. Ask the landlord or the association board first, and ask specifically what is in the flat rather than in the basement.

Source: community-reported

Prepaid without a CPR number is the workaround for the first fortnight.

Denmark does not require civil registration to buy a prepaid SIM, so a Danish mobile number is one of the very few things you can get on day one. That matters because CPR appointments, bank appointments and flat viewings all ask for a local number, and the whole chain of Danish administration is easier once you have one. Prepaid first, contract later.

Source: community-reported

Your phone will find Swedish masts near the water, which is normal.

The Øresund is narrow and Swedish networks reach well into Copenhagen's eastern shoreline and Amager. Handsets sometimes register on a Swedish network while you are physically in Denmark. Since both are inside EEA roaming this costs nothing, but it can affect emergency call routing and location-based services, and it is worth knowing rather than assuming your phone has malfunctioned.

Source: community-reported

Common mistakes to avoid

Ordering broadband before establishing what is physically installed in the building.
Paying separately for internet already included in the rent or the association fee.
Cancelling an old contract before the number is ported.
Assuming the UK or Switzerland are covered by EEA roaming — they are not.
Signing a broadband contract with a binding period longer than your lease.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.