Best SIM Cards and Mobile Plans in Denmark

Get a Danish phone number within your first 24 hours in Denmark — ideally before you leave the airport. A Danish mobile number is not optional convenience. Your bank requires it. MobilePay requires it. MitID — Denmark's national digital identity system — sends authentication codes to it. Borgerservice sends appointment confirmations to it. Without a Danish number, you will be locked out of systems you depend on daily.

The good news: SIM cards are cheap, widely available, and you do not need a CPR number to buy one.

Why You Need a Danish Number Immediately

Here's the practical reality of what breaks without a Danish number:

• MobilePay — Danes pay for almost everything via MobilePay, including splitting restaurant bills, paying at markets, and peer-to-peer transfers. It requires a Danish mobile number and a Danish bank account.
• MitID — Denmark's national digital identity system (replaced NemID in 2023). Required for accessing public services, signing contracts, and logging into government websites including skat.dk, borger.dk, and e-Boks. MitID registration requires a Danish phone number.
• Banking — Most Danish banks send 2FA codes via SMS to your registered Danish mobile.
• Borgerservice — CPR registration and appointment confirmations come via text.
• Many Danish websites require phone number verification with a +45 number.

Cheapest Options: Budget Carriers

All Danish mobile networks (budget or premium) operate on the same underlying 4G/5G infrastructure. Budget carriers buy wholesale access from TDC, Telenor, or Telia — the coverage difference is minimal in cities. Outside cities in rural areas, TDC's own network has marginally better coverage.

Carrier	Starting From	Network	Notes
Lebara	DKK 29/month	TDC	Good for international calls, EU roaming included
Oister	DKK 49/month	Telenor	Solid mid-range option
Telmore	DKK 39/month	TDC	Popular, reliable, easy online management
CBB Mobil	DKK 39/month	Telenor	Competitive data packages
Lycamobile	DKK 29/month	TDC	Good international calling rates

Lebara is popular with expats because their international calling rates are low — useful if you're calling family in India, the UK, or elsewhere regularly. Plans start at DKK 29/month for 3GB data and unlimited Danish calls, rising to DKK 79/month for 20GB.

Telmore is owned by TDC (the main Danish network) which means you get TDC's full network coverage on a budget. DKK 39/month gets you 5GB data. Top-up is easy via their app or online.

Oister (pronounced "oyster") runs on Telenor and has become popular for its simple pricing and no-contract plans. DKK 49/month for 10GB.

Mainstream Carriers: Better Service, Higher Cost

Carrier	Starting From	Notes
TDC	DKK 149/month	Best rural coverage, full customer support
Telenor	DKK 129/month	Strong network, good app
Telia	DKK 149/month	Swedish-owned, solid coverage

These are worth it if your job involves regular travel outside major cities or you need Danish-language customer support. For most Copenhagen-based expats, a budget carrier is perfectly sufficient.

Getting a SIM Without a CPR Number

You do not need a CPR number to buy a prepaid SIM. The following options work from day one:

• 7-Eleven — sells Lebara, Telmore, CBB prepaid SIMs. Available 24/7. You can be set up in minutes.
• Netto and other supermarkets — often stock Lebara and Telmore SIMs near the checkout.
• Online — most carriers let you order a SIM to any Danish address. If you're in temporary accommodation, use the address.

Once you have a CPR number, you can convert to a postpaid (monthly invoice) plan, which is slightly cheaper and gives you a credit limit for roaming.

eSIM Options

eSIM is available in Denmark and works well as a bridging option — use your home country physical SIM plus a Danish eSIM while you wait for your permanent setup.

• Lebara offers eSIM on their standard plans — activate online
• Telmore and CBB both offer eSIM for their regular plans
• Airalo and Holafly offer short-term Danish eSIMs (DKK 100–200 for 7–14 days) — useful for your first weeks before you've sorted a permanent plan

For your first few days, an eSIM from Airalo (available before you leave your home country) means you have data from the moment you land.

EU Roaming

All Danish mobile plans are required by EU law to include roaming at domestic rates across the EU and EEA. This means your Danish plan works in Germany, Sweden, France, Italy and 27 other countries for the same price as at home — up to fair use limits, which are high enough that most travellers never hit them.

Non-EU countries (UK, US, Australia) are not covered by roaming rules. Budget carriers often have poor non-EU roaming rates. If you travel frequently outside the EU, check the roaming policy before committing.

Switching Plans

There is no lock-in requirement in Denmark for prepaid plans. Monthly postpaid plans typically have a 1-month notice period. Switching is as simple as getting a PAC code (porter your number) from your current carrier and giving it to the new one. Number porting takes 24–48 hours and your number is preserved.

Practical Setup Checklist

1. Buy a Lebara or Telmore SIM from 7-Eleven on arrival day
2. Register the SIM online (they'll ask for a name and email — no CPR needed for prepaid)
3. Download MobilePay from the App Store / Google Play — you'll need to link it to a Danish bank account once you have one, but you can register the number now
4. Once you have CPR and a bank account, switch to a postpaid plan for better rates
5. Consider setting up number porting once you've found the plan that suits your usage

Danish phone numbers are 8 digits starting with various prefixes — mobile numbers typically start with 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9. Country code is +45.