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LIFE IN DENMARK

Emergency in Denmark: Who to call and what to say

We hope you will never need these, but if you do have an emergency while you are in Denmark, these are the numbers you will need to call, and the kind of situations which might apply.

Published: 9 September 2019 17:31 CEST
Emergency in Denmark: Who to call and what to say
File photo: Mads Claus Rasmussen / Ritzau Scanpix

Knowing the right number to call will ensure a faster response in a situation where time is critical.

Who to call in emergency situations?

112 is the national telephone number which must be used to contact police, fire services or ambulance services in emergencies.

The number can be used in situations where there has been an accident, serious crime or if a fire has broken out. Break-ins are considered an emergency if the perpetrator/s are still inside the premises.

Imminent danger to life, buildings or other immediate surroundings are all situations in which the emergency number would be called, requiring immediate response from police, fire services or an ambulance to be dispatched.

When you get through to the emergency switchboard, you should have the following information ready:

  • What you need (police, ambulance, fire services)
  • What has happened
  • Where it happened
  • How many people may be injured

Some handy phrases:

Der har været et trafikuheld. There has been a car accident.

Der er brand. There’s a fire.

Jeg tror, der har været indbrud. I think there’s a break-in (going on).

Han/hun er kommet alvorligt til skade. He (she) is seriously injured.

112 works in all EU countries and is free to call from mobiles and landlines. Denmark also has an official 112 app, which enables you to initiate a 112 call while simultaneously sending GPS coordinates to the emergency switchboard, so help can arrive faster.

After you have made an emergency call, it is important to stay at the scene (whilst ensuring your own safety) and by your telephone, so you can provide further information if needed.

In non-emergency situations

114 is the service number for the police if you:

  • Want to report a crime but do not require immediate police response
  • Need information, help or advice, for example in relation to police permissions
  • Have information or a lead you think might be relevant to pass on to the police

Some handy phrases:

Jeg vil gerne anmelde hærværk. I want to report vandalism.

Jeg har information vedrørende… I have information relating to…

Who to call about a critical medical emergency?

You can call 1813 if you have been hurt or fallen ill outside of normal doctors’ working hours. Operators on this number can provide you with an appointment at an emergency ward or acute clinic, advise you on what to do until you can contact your doctor, send an on-call doctor to you if necessary, or advise you to go to a hospital, also if necessary.

The number’s switchboard is staffed by experienced nurses who are trained in telephone consultation and advice. You can also speak to a doctor if requested.

If you think you need to attend an accident and emergency ward (Danish: akutmodtagelse or akutklinik, skadestue is an older word which is also still used), you should also call 1813 in advance of your arrival. This will help you to be seen in the right department and keep waiting times down.

The 1813 number can also be called if you need acute psychiatric help or advice or need to talk to someone in this regard.

If you have acute toothache or tooth injury, you can also call 1813 for referral for out-of-hours dental care.

Sources: Region Hovedstaden, Hovedstadens Beredskab

READ ALSO: Readers' tips: These are the best ways to save cash in Denmark

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FEATURE

What changes about life in Denmark in June 2021?

Coronavirus rules, travel restrictions and car registration fees are among the areas set to see announcements, updates or rule changes in Denmark in June.

Published: 31 May 2021 13:28 CEST
What changes about life in Denmark in June 2021?
An electric-powered harbour bus operating in Copenhagen in June 2020. Photo: Claus Bech/Ritzau Scanpix

Changes to coronavirus restrictions

Denmark initially outlined a phased plan to lift its coronavirus restrictions back in March. The plan has been updated (and accelerated) on a number of occasions, with politicians meeting regularly to discuss adjustments based on the status and progression of the epidemic.

Initially, the government said it would lift the majority of restrictions by the end of May, when it expected to have vaccinated everyone over the age of 50 (apart from those who choose not to be vaccinated). Although the vaccination calendar was pushed back, restrictions are still being lifted, with the government citing progress with vaccinations and general good control of the epidemic.

In an agreement reached earlier this month, the government said rules requiring the use of face masks and corona passports will be revoked when all people over 16 in Denmark have been offered vaccination. The end-stage of the vaccination programme is currently scheduled to be reached at the end of August. But more detail on the plans for phased lifting of these rules is expected to surface in June.

READ ALSO: When will Denmark stop requiring corona passports and face masks?

A return to offices and shared workspaces, already set out to occur in three steps, will continue. In the first phase, which began on May 21st, 20 percent capacity were allowed back at physical workplaces. Remaining staff must continue to work from home where possible. This proportion will increase to 50 percent on June 14th (and 100 percent on August 1st).

Public assembly limit to be raised indoors, lifted outdoors

The current phase of reopening, which has been in place since May 21st, limits gatherings indoors to 50 people. This is scheduled to increase to 100 on June 11th.

Outdoors gatherings, currently limited to 100 people, will be completely revoked on June 11th.

August 11th will see the end of any form of assembly limit, indoors or outdoors, according to the scheduled reopening.

Unfortunately, this does not mean festivals such as Roskilde Festival – which would normally start at the end of June – can go ahead. Large scale events are still significantly restricted, meaning Roskilde and the majority of Denmark’s other summer festivals have already been cancelled.

Eased travel restrictions could be extended to non-EU countries

Earlier this month, Denmark moved into the third phase of lifting travel restrictions , meaning tourists from the EU and Schengen countries can enter the country.

The current rules mean that foreigners resident in EU and Schengen countries rated orange on the country’s traffic light classification (yellow, orange and red) for Covid-19 levels in the relevant countries, will no longer need a worthy purpose to enter Denmark, opening the way for tourists to come to Denmark from across the region.

Denmark raised the threshold for qualifying as a yellow country from 20-30 to 50-60 cases per 100,000 people over the past week.  

However, the lower threshold only applies to EU and Schengen countries, which means that, for example, the UK does not qualify as a yellow country despite falling within the incidence threshold.

READ ALSO:

But the 27 member states of the European Union recently announced they had agreed to allow fully vaccinated travellers to enter the bloc.

A Ministry of Justice text which sets out the plan for Denmark’s phased easing of travel restrictions suggests that the fourth phase, scheduled to take effect on June 26th, will see Denmark adopt the EU’s common rules on entry for persons from outside the bloc, meaning non-EU countries could qualify for the more lenient rules for yellow regions.

New car registration fees come into effect

New rules for registration fees for new vehicles, adopted in February, take effect on June 1st.

The laws, which will be applied retroactively from December 18th 2020, mean that different criteria will be used to calculate the registrations fees applied to cars based on their carbon dioxide emissions, replacing the existing rules which used fuel consumption as the main emissions criteria.

New rules will also be introduced offering more advantages for registering electric and hybrid vehicles.

You can find detailed information via the Danish Motor Vehicle Agency.

READ ALSO: Why is it so expensive to buy a car in Denmark?

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