Denmark’s digital Kørekort app is still no substitute for a driving licence for German drivers. Even after recent changes by the Danish authorities, cross-border commuters and holidaymakers from Germany must carry Denmark their German photocard driving licence and a valid identity document when subject to checks in Denmark. This is clear from guidance issued by the Digitaliseringsstyrelsen, the Federal Foreign Office and the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (as at 10 November 2026).
The Kørekort app displays digital driving licence details in Denmark and is accepted by the police there when the proof has been set up correctly. According to the Digitaliseringsstyrelsen, the app was further developed in 2026; since then, registration has also been possible using certain foreign identity documents. However, this technical opening does not change its legal recognition: it primarily applies to driving licences issued in Denmark or to people registered there.
For German nationals, the driving licence issued in the country of issue remains the relevant document. The Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport points out that digital solutions from other countries are not automatically considered equivalent substitutes. The Federal Foreign Office also recommends that travellers always carry an identity card or passport in addition to their driving licence. An international driving permit is required only in specific circumstances, for example outside the European Union.
At European level, work is under way on European Union the foundations for digital driving licences and their interoperable use. The process of harmonisation is gradual; for the time being, national apps remain proprietary and are not consistently recognised outside the country that issued them. An EU-wide coordinated digital format has been announced for Germany. Any specific changes to the mutual recognition of existing national solutions will only follow once they have been implemented in law and practice.
In practice, this means that anyone travelling from Schleswig-Holstein Germany to Jutland for work or a holiday in Denmark should not rely on the Danish app. The physical German driving licence remains the relevant document. Before travelling, it is worth checking the latest guidance from the responsible authorities, since the app’s technical features and questions of legal recognition should be considered separately. Statements by the Danish authorities about the Kørekort app’s functionality do not automatically make it equivalent to the German document for German driving licence holders.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).