Moving to Denmark is a worthwhile pursuit, almost anyone who’s taken the plunge will agree. But that doesn’t mean it’s simple; after all, nothing worth having comes easy (so we’ve been told…). Thankfully, there are plenty of websites that can make your life in Denmark easier.
But what about making sure your phone is doing as much work as your desktop? Yes, there are lots of Danish apps to help you survive and thrive in your new home! From ordering taxis (no, there really is no Uber here) to emergency bike rentals, paying securely online to splitting a bill with friends, these apps make everything that bit easier so you can focus on living your best Danish life!d
Here are the most useful apps for life in Denmark, including banking, food delivery, and public transportation tickets.
Banking & Administrative Apps
MobilePay
MobilePay connects your bank account to your phone number, so you can pay and be paid as easily as sending a text. The app lets you send and request money to and from retailers and contacts. It’s the form of payment most commonly used at fleamarkets, and is the easiest way to buy road-side offerings like jam or potatoes when traveling through more rural areas. It also makes paying friends back for a round of drinks, or splitting a meal, much easier! Note: in order to use the MobilePay app, the app requires a Danish phone number and Danish bank account.
Lunar App
Hate traditional banking? You’re not alone! Lunar App offers a totally digital banking experience as well as a debit card. It’s not only a free service; it also helps with things like budgeting.
NemID Nøgleappp
Your NemID corresponds to your personal ID number (CPR) and uses unique number codes to give you access to your personal information across a number of services, including banking, tax, health info, and more. Because it needs a new code every time, it can get a little tiresome.
Enter: the NemID nøgleapp (key app). For the love of god, download this app if you haven’t already! It replaces your code card, switching between payments and logins to seamlessly grant access. An added bonus? It means you’ll never run out of codes.
E-boks
Eboks is a digital mail platform used in Denmark for communication between government institutions and citizens. You’ll receive paychecks, letters from the hospital, and notices from the tax authority through it. By using the app, you’ll have access to these important documents wherever you go. The app is difficult to copy and paste from, so if you require a translation, desktop is best.
Betalingservice
If you’ve had to pay for services in Denmark, you’ve likely come into contact with a betalingskort. This is essentially an electronic invoice that can be paid by bank transfer. Until recently, they could only be paid via direct banking.
The Betalingservice app allows you to pay these quickly on your phone, and you can even use a credit card. It is possible to set up automatic payments. So easy! Be aware that there are some bills that are not payable via the app.
Travel Apps
Scandinavia Standard Travel App
Well this seems like an obvious choice. Love what’s on this website? Then you’ll love the app!
Built for locals and visitors alike, the Scandinavia Standard travel app offers the best restaurants, bars, cafes, parks, cinemas, and so much more in the Scandinavian capitals.
You can save spots and create your own lists and itineraries. There’s also an map feature so you can see what’s open near you, wherever you may be. The app itself is free, with an option to upgrade to unlock all of the recommendations.
DOT Tickets
DOT, or Din Offentlige Transport, is a collaboration between the public transport operators DSB, Movia, and The Copenhagen Metro to create better and more coherent public transport on Zealand, Lolland, Falster and Møn.
The app allows you to easily buy metro, bus, intra-city and inter-city train tickets. This is super-useful if you’re on the run and realize you don’t have any cash on you, or forgot your transport card. If you’re traveling in more rural areas of Denmark, this app will be invaluable, as ticket stands aren’t always readily available. The app lets you buy a variety of tickets like a single journey, commuter card, or city pass, which stays safe on your phone. You can also pay to bring a bike along through DOT.
The best feature for those looking to explore the great Danish countryside is the ability to plot a journey by scrolling around a map with a pin showing your current location. Just tap where you want to go and DOT will find the route for you.
Taxi EU
We’ve all been there: one glass of natural wine too many and loathe to push our bike to the nearest Metro station. Behold, Taxi EU! If you’ve arrived fresh from a country where Uber is rife, navigating the taxis in Copenhagen can be a little perplexing. This app makes it as easy to call a taxi as Carrie Bradshaw whistling one down on Broadway.
The app can be used to pre-book a taxi; great for early flights or busy festive periods. You can request a bike rack or even let your driver know you’ll be bringing an animal. You can also pay through the app or after the ride using cash, MobilePay, or your card.
Donkey Republic
If you find yourself with a flat bike tire, or are just in need of a bike for any reason, then Donkey Republic is a great app to have ready on your phone. The bike-share app lets you pick up bikes all around the city, and return them without having to find a docking station. The bikes themselves are great; bright orange so they’re easy to spot, lighter than the city bikes, all kitted out with lights and baskets, and each with their own unique name. Donkey Republic can be found in a few European cities, so it’s useful for traveling abroad too.
Live like a local and get around Copenhagen by bike! You can rent a Donkey Republic bike via their app – they’re the bright orange ones all over the city – at 10% off with the code SCANDI10. Happy cycling!
Rejseplanen
Getting from point A to point B has never been easier. Rejseplanen (trip planner) shows you the fastest routes to get where you’re going. The app includes metro, bus, and train. It also includes walking time and an additional map in- app, so it literally gets you from door to door. The app can be set to English.
Easy Park
If you’re planning to drive while in Denmark, the Easy Park app is for you. It allows you to pay for parking through the app and also shows you how much time you have on your ticket. The alarm will sound when you’re out of time and you can just re-purchase, making sure you never get a parking ticket again.
DSB
For buying tickets for international trains (e.g. to Sweden), as well as traffic information and anything you need to know about the Danish transport system, this app is a must-have.
Airbnb
Need to find a place to stay quickly? The Airbnb app makes it easy. Hotels in Denmark can be expensive, so Airbnb offers an alternative, and the homes are often much cosier than any hotel. Looking for a great Airbnb in Copenhagen? Check out our list of the best ones in each neighborhood.
Google Maps
You probably already have this one on your phone, and it’s the one we recommend you use for directions anywhere in Denmark. Find out about biking routes, driving routes, walking routes, traffic information, and public transport all in one place.
Food Delivery and Discount Apps
Wolt
All your favorite restaurants and takeaways in one handy place. The Wolt app splits food into categories like cuisine types or places that are close to you and offers contactless delivery directly to your door. Once you’ve entered your details, it’s super easy to order any time you like!
There’s a huge selection to choose from, from greasy takeaway to Michelin-star fine dining. If you need some help choosing, check out our guide to the best Wolt spots in Copenhagen.
To get 25 DKK off your first Wolt purchase, use the code SCANDIEATS. This also gives us a credit commission, so we can all get some tasty food. Enjoy!
Too Good To Go
Want to be part of the effort to create less food waste? Too Good To Go is an excellent app that allows you to buy, at a steep discount, food that would otherwise be thrown away at the end of the day. There are categories like “bakery” as well as featured spots that have a current offer on. What a great way to make sure all food gets consumed rather than thrown away!
Coop
Coop, the grocery store group that includes Superbrugsen, Fakta, Irma, and Kvickly, has put everything in one place. Find out about deals, sign up for points, and shop online. Groceries made easy!
Weather Apps
YR
A joint effort by the NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Company) and Norwegian Meteorological Institute, this weather app is easy to use and, most important of all, accurate. See what the next week will look like, what’s going on in cities near you, and precipitation graphs. The “sky” tab not only tells you the current weather, but beautifully illustrates it too.
Rainspotter
Rainspotter is a must-have app for anyone living in a city with transient weather. With its interactive radar map and handy rain graph, you can see exactly when and where the rain will hit. Plus, with notifications alerting you to incoming showers, you’ll never be caught off guard. No more wishing that you’d left 20 minutes earlier or later; this app is your trusty companion for staying ahead of the rain game!
Language Apps
Duolingo
DuolingoDanish lessons are (currently) free if you live in Denmark with a CPR number and are over the age of 18. They’re an incredible resource and really help with making Denmark a home – you’ll often learn as much about Danish culture as you will the language.
If you want something to help you practice, however, or keep your Danish fresh during a break, Duolingo is a brilliant app. It’s free to use (though you can pay for an ad-free version), user-friendly, and helps expand your vocabulary. Be warned, once you start using it, it WILL send you endless guilt-inducing notifications such as, “Don’t you have five minutes to learn? We miss you!” if you stop using it regularly.
Babbel
In the great debate of Babbel vs. Duolingo, which side do you come down on? Unlike Duolingo, Babbel is not free, so is it worth it? Babbel’s claim is that it not only helps with learning vocabulary and grammar of a new language, but also enables the student to engage in conversation of their new language. Reviews are fairly split; some people have found Babbel to be incredibly useful, while others think it’s no better than Duolingo and therefore not worth the subscription. If you want to give it a try, download the app and go through the first ten basic language lessons in the language of your choice; these first lessons are free! Enjoy it? Then you can subscribe. Not a fan? Well, now at least you know.
Google Translate
When you first move to Denmark, the Google Translate app will get a lot of airtime. While it’s great to have on desktop, it’s also useful to have on your phone for when you need to decipher an email or text quickly. The app version is easy to use and quite accurate (at least you’ll get the gist!).
News & Entertainment Apps
Politiken
The newspaper of note in Denmark, Politiken is considered fairly center-left in its reporting and is acclaimed for everything from its news to its culture and food sections. This newspaper is only available in Danish and the app has a paywall.
DR News and DR Radio
DR is the Danish national station; think of them as the BBC of Denmark. They have both a television and radio app; both cover news, cultural programs, and more. DR Radio includes the station’s podcasts. Everything is in Danish.
TV2 Play
TV2 is also a Danish-government owned entity, but unlike DR they do not receive government funding. Instead, they are funded through commercials. The TV2 Play app includes Danish shows, international shows (even reality television), and sports. This is a paid app.
Shopping Apps
Reshopper
Need some rain boots for your toddle, maternity clothes, or bikes for the kids? Reshopper is a secondhand marketplace for families, so the focus is on things for kids, from babies onwards. There’s also plenty of furniture and home goods. The app is in Danish, but you can message sellers in English if you see something you like.
DBA
Similar to Craigslist in the US or Gumtree in the UK, DBA (Den Blå Avis – the Blue Paper) is a classifieds platform for pretty much any and everything. If you’re into vintage furniture, for example, keep an eye on DBA for some of your wishlist items and you may just find them at incredible prices!
Health Apps
Smittestop
This is Denmark’s contact tracing app for COVID-19. If you’ve been exposed to, or tested positive for, COVID-19, this app can help you get the message out to those who you may have been in contact with. Apps like this are essential to stopping the spread of the virus.
MinSundhed
This app is the portal for all your health information in Denmark. Since the system is centralized based on your personal ID number, you’ll get everything from test results to notes about appointments. Both the app and the desktop version of this platform are…not the easiest to navigate. But it’s well worth having, particularly for receiving test results.
Adent
Hate going to the dentist but know you need to take care of your teeth? Adent is a great solution in-between visits. You can track any symptoms, have digital consultations, and organize dental information for your whole family. Adent app that takes something for which most people procrastinate and makes it easy!
Check out the best websites for surviving and thriving in Denmark!
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