Lycamobile is the local SIM most travelers should reach for in Denmark, because it is a prepaid card that needs no Danish CPR number to buy, it rides the shared Telia and Telenor network for strong nationwide coverage, and its bundles include a generous EU roaming allowance, so the same card keeps working when you cross the Oresund to Sweden. That last point is the crux of buying a SIM in Denmark: the well-known subscriptions from CBB, OiSTER, and the carriers' own brands are locked behind a CPR resident number and a Danish payment card, leaving prepaid Lycamobile and Lebara as the only realistic tourist options. Lebara works too, but its data has historically been weaker for EU roaming, so Lyca is the safer pick for a trip that leaves Denmark. Plenty of visitors skip the shop entirely and use a travel eSIM instead. See our Denmark eSIM guide to compare, or let the eSIM Finder match you to a plan.
What This Guide Covers
Jump to the section most relevant to you
How Denmark's Networks and SIMs Actually Work
Denmark is served by four consumer brands running on three physical networks. TDC (its consumer arm is Nuuday) owns the largest and widest-reaching network. Telia and Telenor share a single physical radio network through their long-running joint venture, so their coverage is effectively identical. And 3 (Hi3G) runs the fourth. In a country this compact and densely built, all three networks deliver fast 4G and widespread 5G across Copenhagen, Aarhus, Odense, and the rail corridors, so raw coverage almost never decides a traveler's choice here.
What decides it is the buying rules. Denmark's headline subscriptions, from carrier brands to popular value operators like CBB (on Telenor) and OiSTER (on 3), are built for residents: they need a CPR personal identity number and usually a Danish payment card to sign up, which a visitor simply does not have. That leaves prepaid as the tourist lane, and in practice that means Lycamobile and Lebara, the two MVNOs sold on convenience-store racks that you can activate with a passport, or with no registration at all in Lyca's case.
The CPR catch tourists hit
Almost every attractive Danish mobile plan you will read about is a monthly subscription that requires a CPR number, the identity number issued to residents, plus a local card for the recurring payment. Tourists cannot get one, so the glossy CBB and OiSTER deals are off the table for a short visit. Prepaid Lycamobile and Lebara are the workaround, and a travel eSIM sidesteps the whole question by needing nothing more than an app and a QR code.
Lycamobile
Lycamobile: The Tourist-Friendly Prepaid Pick
No CPR needed, strong coverage, and a real EU roaming allowance for an Oresund hop
If you want one physical SIM for a Denmark trip, make it Lycamobile. It is prepaid, so there is no CPR hurdle, and travelers consistently report its EU roaming as the more reliable of the two convenience-store brands, which matters the moment you take the short train over to Malmo or continue elsewhere in Europe. It rides the shared Telia and Telenor network, giving you the coverage of a major carrier rather than a budget fallback, and the 49 kroner All-in-One bundle with 30 GB of Danish data plus a healthy EU allowance is strong value for a week or two.
You top up a Lyca line online or with vouchers sold wherever the starter packs are, so extending a plan on the road is easy. The one thing to check is that the bundle you buy actually includes the EU roaming portion, since the cheapest entry offers are Denmark-weighted; the All-in-One tiers are the ones with the cross-border allowance you want.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Lebara
Lebara: The Other Prepaid Option
Easy to find and cheap, but weaker for roaming once you leave Denmark
Lebara is the second prepaid brand you will see on the same 7-Eleven and supermarket racks, and it is perfectly fine for a Denmark-only stay: it uses the same shared Telia and Telenor network, needs only a passport to activate, and sells generous data bundles cheaply. The catch that trips up travelers is roaming. Lebara's Danish data has historically been valid inside Denmark only rather than across the EU, so if your trip includes a Malmo day trip or an onward European leg, the card can leave you offline the moment you cross the border. For a visit that never leaves Denmark it is a good-value choice, but for anything cross-border, Lyca or an eSIM is the safer bet.
Strengths
Weaknesses
TDC, Telia, Telenor, and 3: The Networks Behind the SIMs
The Four Danish Networks
Excellent coverage all round, but their own-brand plans are for residents
It is worth understanding the networks even though you probably will not buy directly from them. TDC has the deepest coverage and the widest 5G, Telia and Telenor split most of the speed awards while sharing a single set of masts, and 3 wins the availability score and underpins a lot of the cheap deals. The value brands Danes actually recommend to each other, CBB on Telenor and OiSTER on 3, are excellent, but they are contract products that require a CPR resident number and a Danish payment method, which puts them out of reach for a visitor. That is the whole reason the tourist conversation collapses to prepaid Lycamobile and Lebara, or to a travel eSIM. Your Lyca or Lebara card is already riding the strong Telia and Telenor network, so you are not missing out on coverage by skipping the big brands.
Denmark SIM Plans Compared
| Option | Sample Plan | Price | EU Roaming | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lycamobile | All-in-One, 30 GB DK + 9 GB EU, 30 days | ~49 kroner (~7 USD) | Yes, included | Most tourists, especially with a Sweden day trip |
| Lebara | Data bundle up to ~40 GB, 30 days | ~49 kroner (~7 USD) | Limited, Denmark-weighted | Denmark-only stays |
| CBB / OiSTER | Monthly subscription, big data | From ~19 kroner/month | Yes, but CPR required | Residents only, not tourists |
| Travel eSIM | Europe 10 GB covering Denmark + EU | ~$23 | Yes, across the EU | Multi-country trips, zero-hassle setup |
Kroner prices above reflect typical 2026 starter-pack and bundle rates, with the krone hovering near 7 per US dollar. The pure Danish data on a Lyca or Lebara card is genuinely cheap, cheaper per gigabyte than most eSIMs, which is the honest case for buying local if your trip stays inside Denmark. The moment a border enters the picture, the comparison shifts toward Lyca's EU allowance or a Europe eSIM, since Lebara's Denmark-only data becomes a liability.
Where to Buy a SIM in Denmark
7-Eleven Stores (Including Copenhagen Airport)
The most reliable place to grab a tourist SIM is a 7-Eleven, which stocks both Lycamobile and Lebara starter packs. The chain is all over central Copenhagen and inside Kastrup airport in Terminals 2 and 3, with the arrivals-hall store open 24 hours, so you can buy the moment you land if you did not sort an eSIM first.
Supermarkets: Netto and Fotex
Danish supermarket chains like Netto and Fotex sell Lyca and Lebara starter packs at the checkout, usually a touch cheaper than the airport. If you are settling in for a few days, picking one up on your first grocery run is an easy, low-fuss option.
Top Up Online or with Vouchers
Once your line is active, you extend it by buying credit online through the provider's site or app, or with top-up vouchers sold at the same shops. This is simple in a city, though a foreign card can occasionally stumble on the online payment, so keep a little cash for a voucher as a backup.
Test the Data Before You Leave the Shop
Whichever card you buy, put it in and load a map or a website before you walk out, and confirm the bundle includes the EU roaming portion if you plan to cross into Sweden. Keep the receipt. A minute of checking beats discovering a Denmark-only plan halfway across the Oresund Bridge.
eSIM or Local SIM for Denmark?
| Factor | Travel eSIM | Local SIM |
|---|---|---|
| Setup time | A few minutes, done before your flight | A shop visit and activation on arrival |
| Registration | None | Passport for Lyca/Lebara; CPR for the big brands |
| Cross-border use | Europe plan roams across the whole EU | Lyca roams in the EU; Lebara is Denmark-weighted |
| Price (Denmark data) | ~$4 to $23 depending on data and region | ~49 kroner for a big Danish bundle, cheap per GB |
| Best for | Multi-country trips and travelers who want zero hassle | Denmark-only stays or wanting a local number |
Here is the honest split. For a trip that stays inside Denmark, a Lycamobile card is cheap and perfectly good, and the Danish per-gigabyte price beats most eSIMs. The case for an eSIM is strongest when your itinerary touches a neighbour, which many Copenhagen trips do: a Europe eSIM installs before you fly, connects on arrival with no CPR or passport step, and roams straight across the Oresund to Sweden or on to any EU country. Where a local SIM still earns its place is a Denmark-only stay, a long visit where you want a Danish number, or simply preferring a physical card you buy in a shop.
Denmark Connectivity Tips
Practical Advice for Staying Online in Denmark
Pick Lyca over Lebara if you leave Denmark: Lycamobile bundles carry a proper EU roaming allowance, while Lebara's data has been Denmark-only, which bites the moment you cross to Malmo.
Skip the resident-only deals: The cheap CBB and OiSTER subscriptions Danes love need a CPR number and a Danish card, so they are not an option on a tourist visit however tempting the price looks.
Load transit apps early: Copenhagen's tickets live in apps like DOT Tickets and Rejsebillet that need data, so having a working SIM or eSIM before you reach the platform saves hunting for a machine.
Coverage is not the deciding factor: Denmark is so densely covered that TDC, Telia, Telenor, and 3 are all excellent where visitors go; choose on price, roaming, and hassle rather than signal.
Keep a little cash for top-up vouchers: A foreign card sometimes fails on the online recharge page, and a voucher from a 7-Eleven or supermarket is a quick fallback.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a tourist buy a prepaid SIM in Denmark without a CPR number?
Yes, but only Lycamobile and Lebara. Those two prepaid brands can be bought and activated with a passport, and Lyca often needs no registration at all as of 2026. The catch is that nearly every other Danish plan, including the well-priced CBB and OiSTER deals, is a subscription that requires a CPR resident identity number and a Danish payment card, which visitors do not have. So the tourist choice is Lyca, Lebara, or a travel eSIM that needs none of it.
Which Danish network has the best coverage for travelers?
TDC has the widest reach and the broadest 5G, and it took the coverage awards, but the practical answer is that it barely matters. Denmark is compact and densely built, so TDC, Telia, Telenor, and 3 all deliver fast 4G and 5G everywhere a visitor goes, from Copenhagen to Aarhus and along the rail lines. Telia and Telenor even share one physical network. Your Lyca or Lebara card already rides that strong shared network, so coverage is not what should decide your pick here.
Will a Danish SIM card work when I take the train to Malmo in Sweden?
It depends which card. A Lycamobile bundle with its EU roaming allowance keeps working when you cross the Oresund into Sweden, which is why it is the tourist pick. Lebara's data has historically been valid in Denmark only, so it can leave you offline the moment the train clears the bridge. If a Malmo day trip or any wider European travel is on your plan, choose Lyca or a Europe eSIM, both of which roam across the border without a surcharge.
How much does a tourist SIM cost in Denmark right now?
Not much. Lycamobile and Lebara starter packs run from about 19 to 49 kroner, and a 49 kroner Lyca All-in-One bundle includes 30 GB of Danish data, a 9 GB EU allowance, and talk time for 30 days. At roughly 7 kroner per US dollar, that is around 7 dollars for a generous plan, so the pure Danish data is genuinely cheap, cheaper per gigabyte than many eSIMs, though it comes with the shop visit and the roaming caveats.
For a Copenhagen city break, should I get a local SIM or an eSIM?
For a Denmark-only city break, a Lycamobile card is cheap and works well, so a local SIM is a fair call. For the many trips that pair Copenhagen with a Malmo day trip or an onward European hop, an eSIM is easier: a Europe plan installs before you fly, connects on arrival with no passport or CPR step, and roams seamlessly across the Oresund and the rest of the EU. Match your choice to whether your trip stays inside Denmark or crosses a border.