Working as an appointed building expert

The estate inspection scheme is a voluntary scheme for private consumers buying and selling housing for personal use (single-family houses and owner-occupied flats). Its purpose is to minimize disputes concerning real estate. When using the scheme the seller avoids being liable for physical defects or hidden damages with the estate. Otherwise the seller would be responsible for the next 10 years for any physical defects or hidden damages that were present at the time of the sale.

The requirements for falling within the scheme are:

1. An inspection of the buildings
2. An inspection of the electrical installations
3. An offer for an insurance covering transfer of ownership.

The inspection of the buildings is carried out by appointed building experts. The inspection itself is reported in a central IT system on a common form in order to create uniformity across the different inspections. The form contains different kinds of information mainly a list of defects and damages with the buildings. Each defect is assigned a grade by the appointed building expert. In the report the seller is also require to account for certain circumstances, mainly information about conditions that the seller has knowledge of due to having lived in the house, but which can be hard for an outsider to discover due to having only been in the house briefly. The report must be completed in Danish so that the seller and the buyer can understand the defects and the damages in the building.

The first time you wish to carry out the profession of appointed building expert on a temporary or occasional basis you must report the following information to the Danish Safety Technology Authority:

• insurance agreement or other forms of personal or collective protection in connection with professional liability
• documentation for your nationality
• the certification from the home country that provides that you are operating legally in the home country and that you have not been forbidden to exercise business as an appointed building expert
• documentation for occupational skills
• documentation that you have been operating as an appointed building expert for a minimum period of 1 year within the past 10 years.

Once the Authority has received the correct documentation the Authority will provide you with a login to the database in which all building inspections must be reported.

Please note that the above-mentioned documentation has to be reported to the Danish Safety Technology Authority every year in case you wish to continue carrying out the profession of appointed building expert on a temporary or occasional basis.

Requirements for non-EU citizens and businesses

The same requirements apply as for EU citizens and businesses.

In order to establish a permanent business as an appointed building expert you must first apply to the Danish Safety Technology Authority. With the application you must supply the following documentation:

• Documentation of nationality
• copies of your certificates of professional competence or of the evidence of formal qualifications giving access to pursue the profession as an appointed building expert, or other relevant attestations of professional competence and evidence of formal qualifications
• documentation of any professional experience as an appointed building expert, or equivalent profession for at least one year on a full-time basis or equivalent duration on a part-time basis during the ten years prior to the application in EU countries where the profession or the education and training leading to the profession is not regulated
• documentation certifying that you are not prevented from practicing your profession as an appointed building expert, or equivalent profession in your home country or the country from which you come, even temporarily
• documentation certifying that you are of legal age, are not under guardianship and manage your own affairs.

Once the Authority has approved your application, the Authority will provide you with a login to the database in which all building inspections must be reported.

Requirements for non-EU citizens and businesses

The same requirements apply as for EU citizens and businesses.

Processing fees are payable when a person is applying for appointment as a building expert working permanently in Denmark. There is no processing fee for notification of temporary pursuit of profession for individuals.

The fee is DKK 1,345 (2024 and 2025).

Upon application, you will receive an invoice for payment of the fee. The invoice will contain any relevant information on payment methods.

The decision on whether or not to issue an appointment as a building expert will be made as soon as possible after the application and complete documentation is received.

• Temporary pursuit of profession: If you have not heard from the Danish Safety Technology Authority within 1 month from we have received your notification and complete documentation, you may continue your profession in Denmark on a temporary basis for up to 1 year following this notification.
• Working permanently: The Danish Safety Technology Authority has to give you a reasoned response to your application within 3 months from we have received your application and complete documentation. This deadline may be extended by 1 month if difficulties arise that may lead to a delay.

• A register searchable by zipcode, city or name of the appointed building experts can be found here (in Danish)

If the Danish Safety Technology Authority decides to reject your application for appointment as a building expert, the authority will send you a reasoned decision. 

You cannot appeal this decision to other authorities.

The Danish Safety Technical Authority
Esbjerg Brygge 30
DK-6700 Esbjerg
Phone: +45 33 73 20 00
Email: Sik@sik.dk

Legal basis in Danish law

• Law no. 1532 of 21 December 2010 on appointed building experts et cetera (in Danish)
• Executive order no. 1587 of 10 November 2020 on appointment of building experts and composition of home condition reports (in Danish)
• Executive order no. 438 of 12 April 2019 on pursuit of profession as appointed building expert based on foreign professional qualifications (in Danish)

Legal basis in EU directive(s) on the mutual recognition of professional qualifications

• Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 September 2005 on the recognition of professional qualifications (in Danish)