Denmark charges 25 per cent VAT on almost everything you can buy, from a silver bowl on Amagertorv to a pair of Danish rain trousers, and unlike most of Europe it has no reduced rate for anything. If you live outside the European Union, you can claim a good part of it back on the things you take home. That makes the VAT refund Denmark offers non-EU visitors one of the more valuable in Europe, provided you understand the one thing almost every shop assistant forgets to mention: you will not get 25 per cent back.
This guide explains who qualifies, why the real refund is closer to 13 to 19 per cent, how to shop tax-free step by step, where to get your forms stamped and paid at Copenhagen Airport, and the traps that cost people their refund. The rules come from the Danish authorities and Copenhagen Airport and were checked in October 2026.
The VAT Refund at a Glance
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Who qualifies | People resident outside the EU, taking the goods out of the EU |
| Minimum spend | Over 300 DKK in one shop |
| Residents of Norway | At least 1,200 DKK per item |
| Deadline | Goods must leave the EU by the end of the third month after the month of purchase |
| Danish VAT rate | 25%, which is 20% of the price on the shelf |
| What you actually get back | Typically 13–19% of the price, after the refund company’s fee |
| Where to get the stamp | Copenhagen Airport, Terminal 3: Global Blue or Planet, or Customs outside their hours |
| Where to collect | Forex by the B gates and Prosegur, both past security in Terminal 3, 05:00–22:00 |
| Not covered | Hotels, restaurant meals, services and anything you use up before you leave |
Who Can Claim, and Who Cannot
The test is where you live, not your passport. If your permanent home is outside the EU, whether that is the United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Australia or Norway, you can claim, as long as you are taking the goods home with you out of the EU. A Danish or German citizen who lives in New York qualifies; an American who lives in Berlin does not. Expect to show your passport in the shop and again at the airport.
Two groups get caught out. Residents of Norway face a much higher bar, at least 1,200 DKK for each individual item rather than 300 DKK per shop, a rule that exists because Norwegians are only a short ferry or flight away. And anyone whose trip continues into another EU country needs to read the section on traps below, because where you leave the EU matters more than where you shopped.
Why the 25% Refund Is Really 13–19%
This is the part that disappoints people at the airport. Danish VAT is 25 per cent of the price before tax, which means it makes up 20 per cent of the price you actually pay. A 1,000 DKK jumper contains 800 DKK of jumper and 200 DKK of VAT. Then the refund company, which does the paperwork and pays you, takes its fee out of that 200, so what reaches your card or wallet is typically 13 to 19 per cent of the price.
| You pay | VAT inside the price | Typical refund (13–19%) |
|---|---|---|
| 400 DKK | 80 DKK | About 52–76 DKK |
| 1,000 DKK | 200 DKK | About 130–190 DKK |
| 5,000 DKK | 1,000 DKK | About 650–950 DKK |
As a rule, the percentage improves on bigger purchases, and it is lower if you take your refund in cash at the airport rather than to a card. It is still real money: on a serious design purchase it can pay for a very good dinner. But plan around the lower figure, and never buy something in Copenhagen just because it is “25 per cent off” after the refund. It is not.
How to Shop Tax-Free, Step by Step
- Shop where you see a Tax Free sign, or simply ask. Not every shop takes part, so check before you buy. Our guide to Strøget covers where to shop.
- Spend over 300 DKK in a single shop. Several smaller purchases in the same shop can count together if they go on the same tax-free form; purchases in different shops cannot be added up.
- Ask for the tax-free form at the till and show your passport. The shop fills in the form, or issues a digital one, linked to your purchase. Check that your name, address and passport number are right.
- Keep the goods unused, with the receipts and forms together. You may be asked to show the items at the airport, so do not wear the new coat on the plane with the tags cut off.
- Get the form stamped as you leave the EU, then claim your money from the refund company, either at the airport or afterwards to a card.
Department stores make it easiest, because one form can cover purchases from several departments. Our guides to ILLUM and Magasin du Nord cover what each sells, and our Copenhagen shopping guide maps out the rest.
At Copenhagen Airport: Stamp First, Then Collect
Everything happens in Terminal 3. The process has two stages, and the order matters.
First, get the stamp. Your tax-free forms must be validated before you leave. At Copenhagen Airport, Global Blue validates its own forms, including Swedish, Finnish and Norwegian Global Blue forms if you shopped across the region, and Planet stamps its Danish and Norwegian forms at the Forex counter. Outside their opening hours, the Customs office in Terminal 3 stamps all tax-free documents. If the goods are in a suitcase you intend to check in, get the stamp before you drop the bag, because the officer may ask to see what you bought. If everything is in your hand luggage, that is less of a worry, but do not leave it until boarding is called.
Then, collect the money. Once a form is stamped, you can claim the refund in cash or to a card. The refund counters are past security in Terminal 3: Forex, by the B gates, and Prosegur, both open daily from 05:00 to 22:00. If you would rather have the money on your card, which usually pays a little better, post the stamped form in the refund company’s box or envelope, or follow the instructions on a digital form.
Allow an extra thirty to forty-five minutes on top of your normal airport time, more on summer weekends, when the queues at the counters can be long. Our guide to arriving in Copenhagen covers the airport, and the same trains and metro bring you back to it.
The Traps: Sweden, Connecting Flights, Ferries and Cruises
The rule behind every one of these is the same: the stamp is given where the goods leave the EU, and only then.
- A day trip to Malmö does not count. Sweden is in the EU, so crossing the bridge is not leaving it. Your refund still depends on how you eventually leave. Our guide to getting from Copenhagen to Malmö covers the trip itself.
- Flying home via another EU airport usually means getting the stamp at the last EU airport rather than in Copenhagen. The exception is when the goods are in a bag checked through to your final destination, in which case validate in Copenhagen before you check in. If in doubt, ask the refund desk before you drop your bag.
- Leaving by ferry to Norway, which is outside the EU, can qualify, but ask the ferry operator and customs at the port where the forms are stamped before you sail.
- On a cruise, it depends on the itinerary. If your ship calls at other EU ports after Copenhagen, the goods have not left the EU yet. Ask the ship’s guest services how and where they handle tax-free forms.
- Missing the deadline ends the claim. Goods must leave the EU by the end of the third month after the month you bought them.
What You Cannot Claim
The refund only covers goods you take out of the EU. You cannot reclaim VAT on your hotel, restaurant meals, tours, transport, a sauna session or anything else that is a service, nor on things you eat, drink or use up during your stay. That is a large part of a typical Copenhagen budget, which is why the city still feels expensive even for those who claim; our guide to whether Copenhagen is expensive breaks down where the money goes.
Is It Worth the Effort?
For small purchases, honestly, not always. A 350 DKK souvenir will return somewhere between 45 and 65 DKK, and that can disappear in a cash-refund fee or half an hour in an airport queue. For anything substantial it is clearly worth doing. The obvious candidates in Copenhagen are porcelain, silverware and jewellery, design furniture and lighting, good outdoor clothing, watches and the larger LEGO sets from the LEGO flagship store.
One alternative is often better than the refund for big items: ask the shop to ship them. When a shop sends goods directly to an address outside the EU, it can usually sell them without Danish VAT, so you avoid the fee and the airport paperwork entirely, though you will pay shipping and possibly import taxes at home. Our guide to Danish design shops lists the places worth asking, and the best souvenirs from Copenhagen covers the smaller things that rarely justify the form.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can tourists get a VAT refund in Denmark?
Yes, if they live outside the EU and take the goods out of the EU. They must spend over 300 DKK in one shop, or at least 1,200 DKK per item for residents of Norway, and export the goods within three months of the end of the month of purchase.
How much VAT do you get back in Denmark?
Typically 13 to 19 per cent of the purchase price. Danish VAT is 25 per cent of the pre-tax price, or 20 per cent of the price you pay, and the refund company deducts a fee.
What is the minimum purchase for tax-free shopping in Denmark?
Over 300 DKK in a single shop. For residents of Norway, the minimum is 1,200 DKK per item.
Where do I claim my VAT refund at Copenhagen Airport?
Get your forms stamped in Terminal 3 by Global Blue or Planet, or by Customs outside their hours, then collect the refund at Forex by the B gates or at Prosegur, both past security and open 05:00–22:00.
Can UK residents claim a VAT refund in Denmark?
Yes. Since the UK left the EU, UK residents qualify like any other non-EU visitor, as long as they take the goods home.
Can I get a VAT refund if I travel on to Sweden?
Not for the trip to Sweden itself, because Sweden is in the EU. What counts is where the goods finally leave the EU.
Can I claim VAT back on hotels and restaurants?
No. The refund only applies to goods taken out of the EU, not to services, meals or accommodation.
Related Reading
- Money tips for Copenhagen including cards, cash and fees.
- What a trip to Copenhagen costs so you can see where a refund makes a difference.
- A day trip to Malmö and why it does not count as leaving the EU.
- Copenhagen Airport to the city centre for the journey at either end of your trip.
Photo Credits
- Amagertorv and Stroget from above, with the ILLUM department store, luxury shops and the Stork Fountain: photo by Johan Wessman / News Oresund, 20180626 Illum Kopenhamn 0126 (43019935352).jpg, CC BY 2.0
- Shoppers on Amagertorv seen from an upper window of Illums Bolighus, with the green spire of Nikolaj behind: photo by Lars Plougmann from United States, View from Illums Bolighus.jpg, CC BY-SA 2.0
Final Thoughts
The tax-free system rewards people who plan a little and shop seriously. Spend in one or two good shops rather than ten small ones, keep the forms with the goods, give yourself time at the airport, and get the stamp before the bag disappears down the belt.
Then treat whatever comes back as a pleasant surprise rather than a discount you were promised. In a city where the VAT is on everything, getting even part of it back on the things you carry home is worth half an hour.
Last verified: October 2026. Thresholds and procedures from the Danish authorities and Copenhagen Airport; refund percentages vary by operator and by how you are paid. Check the instructions on your own form.
