How to become a truck driver in Denmark: C and C/E licence, code 95 and the 2025 rule change

Driving a truck professionally in Denmark takes two things: the right driving licence, and a driver qualification that shows you are trained for professional goods transport. This guide explains both, including the change to the qualification that took effect on 1 October 2025, and what it means if you already drive in another EU country.

The licences

Category	What you can drive	Minimum age	You must already hold
C1	Trucks between 3,500 and 7,500 kg	18	B
C	Trucks over 3,500 kg	21 (18 in a recognised training programme)	B
C/E	A truck with a heavy trailer	21 (18 in a recognised training programme)	C

For each category you take lessons at a driving school and pass a driving test. You also need a medical certificate from your doctor documenting your vision, hearing and other health factors, and a first-aid certificate.

The driver qualification (code 95)

If you drive goods for a living in a C1 or C vehicle, the licence is not enough. You also need the chaufføruddannelsesbevis, the driver qualification certificate, which carries the EU code 95.

There are exemptions, mainly where driving is not your main activity: private transport that is not commercial, for example, or a tradesperson carrying their own tools and equipment rather than goods for others. The exemptions are set out in sections 3 to 5 of the qualification order (bekendtgørelse nr. 412 af 25. april 2025).

Basic qualification: the direct test or the 4-week course

Since 1 October 2025, the basic qualification is obtained through a direct test instead of mandatory training. You can choose between two routes:

• The direct test (grundlæggende kvalifikationsprøve). A four-hour written part and a practical part, with a driving test and partial tests, for example in loading.
• The intensive basic qualification course. Four weeks (140 hours), including at least ten individual driving lessons, ending with a written test. Goods drivers also take a practical test in load securing.

Two rules catch people out:

• The basic test or course must be taken in the country where you have your usual residence.
• If you got your truck licence before 10 September 2009, you do not need the basic qualification, but you still need the periodic training.

Periodic training every five years

The certificate is normally valid for five years. To renew it, you complete at least five days (35 hours) of periodic training (efteruddannelse) at an approved training centre: a compulsory two-day module, a two-day module for your sector and an optional one-day module. The training centre then sends the application for your new certificate to Færdselsstyrelsen digitally.

Coming from another EU country

A driving licence issued in another EU or EEA country is valid in Denmark, and so is a driver qualification with code 95 obtained there. If you already drive professionally elsewhere in the EU, the paperwork for Denmark is mostly about tax and registration, not about qualifying again. See the steps for starting work in Denmark as an EU citizen.

Citizens of countries outside the EU and EEA need a residence and work permit before they can be employed in Denmark.

Tachograph card and driving time

Trucks in goods transport record your driving on a tachograph, and you need your own driver card for it (førerkort, or takografkort). If you have your usual residence in Denmark, you apply on borger.dk with MitID, a photo of your driving licence and a passport photo. The card takes at least five working days to arrive.

The EU driving time rules apply to every shift:

• No more than 9 hours of driving a day, extendable to 10 hours twice a week
• No more than 56 hours of driving a week and 90 hours over two consecutive weeks
• A break of at least 45 minutes after no more than 4.5 hours of driving, which can be split into 15 and then 30 minutes
• A daily rest of at least 11 hours, which can be reduced to 9 hours at most three times between two weekly rests
• A weekly rest of 45 continuous hours, which can be reduced to 24 hours every second week

What it costs

The licence and the qualification are the largest expenses, and driving schools and training centres set their own prices. Ask for the total price including tests, and ask whether the course is run as an AMU course (arbejdsmarkedsuddannelse), since that affects what you pay and whether you can get support while you study.

Finding work

Truck work in Denmark ranges from regional distribution, where you are home every day, to long-distance and international routes. Employers look at your licence categories, your code 95, your experience with loading and load securing and, on some routes, a certificate for dangerous goods (ADR).

How DriverJobs.dk can help

DriverJobs.dk is run by Clever Recruiting, a Danish recruitment agency (CR Recruiting Group ApS, CVR 46664426) that staffs transport companies across the country. Applying is free and takes about two minutes, and we get back to you within 24 hours with routes that fit your licence and your city.

Apply for truck driver jobs