As a general rule, you need permission to build new buildings, extend or convert existing buildings, and to change their use. Smaller buildings (sheds, canopies, carports and the like) do not always need planning permission, but they are subject to a number of rules.
In practice, it is the individual municipality that deals with building applications in the municipality and the municipal council that issues building permits and any exemptions.
The municipality deals with building applications in accordance with the Building Regulations, but in certain areas the municipality can lay down rules that are stricter than or different from those prescribed by the Building Regulations, and this is done by adopting a local plan.
There may also be restrictions on what you can do to your house or land. Such restrictions are set out in recorded easements, also called declarations, which appear in a transcript from the land register.
Building permit
You should always apply for planning permission and submit notifications to your local authority. If you have questions about your construction case, you should contact the relevant staff at the municipality.
You must submit your building permit application digitally. If you are not able to make the application yourself online, you can get help at your local Citizen Service centre. Remember to book an appointment.
Other laws and regulations
The Building Act, the Building Regulations and the instructions of the Danish National Building Research Institute (SBi) are the basis for all construction, but other laws and regulations can also have a concrete impact on a construction. This applies, for example, to certain Danish Standards and the Danish Engineering Association’s norms, which have the same validity as the SBi’s instructions, the Heavy Current Regulations, which are the basis for electrical work, and the Planning Act, according to which the country is divided into different zones.
Depending on whether your home is located in an urban zone, a rural zone or a holiday home area, there may be different requirements that need to be met in terms of distances and occupancy.
