The Danish Health Care System
Denmark has a comprehensive public health care system, including doctors, medical specialists, hospitals, health service, home care, health visitor services, paediatric dental care and more. The Danish health care system is based on the principle of equal access to the health care system's services for all citizens.
Municipality or Region?
The municipalities are responsible for preventative health care programmes for children, home nursing, health visitor services, paediatric dental care and in-school health services. The municipalities issue health insurance cards and administer citizens' choice of doctor (GP) and health insurance scheme group. The five regions are responsible for operating the hospitals and psychiatric treatment in the regions.
Public Health Insurance
You are automatically entitled to public health services once you have registered in Denmark and received your CPR number and yellow health insurance card. Please be aware that the Public Health Insurance does not necessarily cover all your health care wishes or needs.
The health insurance card is sent to you by your municipal authority and is proof that you are entitled to public health treatment. The card states your name, address and CPR number and the name and address of your GP.
You must take your health insurance card with you when you visit the GP, dentist, hospital emergency or in the event of hospitalisation, as well as when you travel outside Denmark. The health insurance card provides cover if you fall ill or have an accident while travelling in Europe as long as the trip is for pleasure and you are away for less than a month.´
For more information: www.sundhed.dk (only in Danish)
Selecting a Doctor
When you register with the national register in your municipal authority, you can choose which GP you want; whether you prefer a male or female doctor, for example. The doctor’s name, address and telephone will appear on your health insurance card.
Access to the public health service is through your GP. Your GP can treat some health problems immediately. Others may require a referral for further examination or treatment by a specialist or at a hospital.
Search for GP (praktiserende læge) or specialist near you (only in Danish).
Hospitals
In Denmark, you can freely choose which hospital you want to be admitted to. However, note that all hospitals do not offer all specialised departments.
Some are located in particular hospitals around the country, also in smaller towns, so please consult your GP about your choice of hospital.
A list of hospitals in Denmark can be found here.
Dental Care
Free dental care from 0 to 18
All children in Denmark are entitled to free dental health care up until the age of 18. They attend regular dental check-ups approximately every half year. Here, they learn how to look after their teeth, and their teeth are treated and adjusted where necessary.
School dental care
When your child begins school, it will automatically be called for a dental check-up, sometimes located at the school. Dental healthcare workers also visit schools to teach children how to look after their teeth.
Adult dental care
Adults over 18 must find their own private dentist, for example, by looking in the local telephone directory or searching the Internet for dentist located near you. You have to pay for check-ups and treatment, but the state pays around 40% of the costs. However, for adults between the ages of 18-25, the statuary health insurance will generally pay 65% of the costs. This amount is automatically deducted from your bill. If you want to save costs you can go to a dentistry school where you are treated by advanced dental students under close supervision.
If you have private health insurance, you can get extra financial assistance to pay for regular and special treatment or major dental operations.
Useful Links
"Tandlægevagt" - Emergency Dental Service
Should you be in need of dental service outside opening hours (8am-4pm), a list is available at The Danish Dentist Association website (only in Danish). You may find the emergency dentists, listed by region, by clicking here.
Medicine
Some types of medicine can only be bought with a medical prescription. Others can be bought without. Medicine requiring a doctor's prescription can only be bought at a pharmacy (“Apotek”). General medicine without a prescription can also be bought in supermarkets, at grocery stores and at some petrol stations or 7-Eleven.
Medicine which requires a prescription is usually expensive. The Danish National Health Service therefore subsidizes medicine in most cases. As a consumer, you automatically receive a reimbursement once you buy medicine eligible for reimbursement for more than DKK 850 a year. The more money you spend on medicine, the more reimbursement you get.
Pharmacies
Pharmacies are typically open from 9.30 - 17.30 on weekdays and 9.30 – 12.00 or 14.00 on Saturdays. For a complete list of pharmacies in Denmark click here.
24-hour and on-call pharmacies
The National Board of Health determines which pharmacies are to be on duty 24 hours. There are 11 of these in the country. Some pharmacies are on part-time duty, a couple of hours after closing and during weekends and holidays. Other pharmacies are on call at certain hours after closing. All pharmacies will have a sign in their window referring to the nearest on duty pharmacy, outside opening hours.
Please refer to the list of pharmacies, arranged by regions, to find the pharmacy on duty nearest you, by clicking here.
Children’s Examinations and Vaccinations
In Denmark, every child will through the age five weeks to nine years receive nine preventive health examinations by your GP. The examinations follow a set programme as to thoroughly monitor the child’s development and well-being. You must make an appointment with your GP for these examinations.
All children will as well be vaccinated for several different diseases. The vaccinations will be given by your GP which you will have to make an appointment with. The vaccinations include diphtheria(Di), tetanus(Te), whooping cough(Ki), polio(Pol), measles, mumps, German measles(MFR) and meningitis(Hib).
Emergency (112)
In case of emergency and/or if someone needs immediate medical treatment, you can call the emergency call centre at 112. When you have dialled 112, you will hear the following message (in Danish): "De har kaldt alarmcentralen 112. Brandvæsen, politi og ambulance. Vent roligt her" (Translated: You have called the emergency call centre 112. Fire service, police and ambulance. Please wait). After ca. 10 seconds your call will be answered. The staff speaks English, and will ask what has happened, where it happened, and how many are injured. The call centre will then make sure that an ambulance or the police or some other form of help is sent immediately.
The emergency number 112 is the same in all of the European Union.
Note: If you need to contact the police, please dial 114.
“Vagtlægen” – Your Emergency Doctor
If you need the doctor after 4 p.m. on weekdays, or around the clock at weekends and public holidays, you must call the emergency doctor service. The telephone number of your emergency doctor service is in your telephone directory. Copenhagen emergency doctor service (incl. Frederiksberg, Tårnby and Dragør) can be reached at 70 13 00 41, Aarhus/Central Jutland emergency doctor service at 70 11 31 31, Zealand emergency doctor service at 70 15 07 00, Northern Jutland emergency doctor service at 70 15 03 00 and Southern Denmark emergency doctor service at 70 11 07 07. For more area specific phone numbers go to http://www.vagtlaegen.dk (only in Danish).
When you call the emergency doctor service, the on-duty doctor will ask you how you are feeling. Or if you are calling on someone else's behalf, they will ask how he or she is feeling. Based on the answers, the doctor will assess whether you should visit your own doctor the next day, whether a doctor should visit you at home, or whether you should drive over to the emergency doctor service or go to hospital emergency. You will also be asked for your own or the patient's personal identification number.