Customs Clearance in Denmark
Who Clears Your Goods
Customs administration in Denmark sits with Toldstyrelsen (Danish Customs Agency). The declaration framework is EU Union Customs Code, with declarations classified to CN 8-digit and TARIC 10-digit.
Registration You Need
EU EORI with a DK prefix is required before the first commercial declaration is lodged. EORI is an EU-wide registration, so a number issued in one member state is generally valid across the union, but declarations are lodged against the national system of the country where the goods are presented.
The Declaration Sequence
- Register for EORI before the first shipment
- Classify the goods to the correct TARIC commodity code
- Establish the customs value on a CIF basis
- Lodge the declaration electronically
- Assess and pay duty; account for import VAT
- Goods released to free circulation
Documents Checklist
- Commercial invoice
- Packing list
- Bill of lading or airway bill
- EORI number
- Certificate of origin, where preference is claimed
- Licences or permits for controlled goods
Clearance Points Specific to Denmark
Most China-origin containers bound for Denmark call at Aarhus, frequently with a transhipment at a North European hub such as Rotterdam, Hamburg or Bremerhaven before the final leg into the Kattegat. That hub connection is the single largest variable in Danish transit planning: a direct deep-sea call and a transhipped routing can differ by well over a week on the same trade lane.
Beyond the standard EU sequence, these are the Denmark-specific points that most often decide how smoothly a first shipment clears:
- Danish import VAT at 25% applies to almost all goods because Denmark has no general reduced rate for goods
- Postponed import VAT accounting has been available since 2022 and is a cash-flow mechanism, not an exemption
- ISPM 15 treatment and marking for all wood packaging, including pallets, crates and dunnage
Common Clearance Errors
- Commodity code copied from a similar product rather than classified properly
- Freight and insurance omitted from the customs value
- Invoice values inconsistent with the transport document
- Wood packaging without ISPM 15 treatment and marking
- Missing licences for restricted or controlled goods
Frequently Asked Questions
Customs administration sits with Toldstyrelsen (Danish Customs Agency). Declarations are lodged under EU Union Customs Code, with declarations classified to CN 8-digit and TARIC 10-digit. Businesses importing commercially need EU EORI with a DK prefix in place before the first declaration.
Commercial invoice, packing list, transport document (bill of lading or airway bill), the EORI number, and a certificate of origin where preferential treatment is claimed. Restricted goods require additional licences or permits.
On the transaction value method — the price actually paid or payable — plus freight and insurance to the point of entry into the EU. This CIF figure is the base against which duty and import VAT are calculated.
Incorrect or incomplete commodity classification, under-declared freight and insurance, missing or inconsistent commercial invoice values, non-compliant wood packaging, and missing licences for controlled goods.
It is separate from the ocean or air leg but is part of door-to-door planning. Clearance duration depends on whether the declaration is complete and whether the goods are selected for examination.