What changes about life in Denmark in July 2021?
Free ferries, bigger festivals and outdoor concerts, and the EU's digital Covid-19 pass. Here are some of the things that change in Denmark in July.
Changes to Coronavirus restrictions
From July 1st, restaurants where customers “essentially sit down” will no longer need to be able to provide two square metres of space per customer, or ensure a two-metre gap between each different party of customers.
The maximum number of people allowed to partake in indoor gatherings will also increase to 250.
The maximum number of people allowed to attend big outdoor cultural events, festivals, and concerts, also to 5,000 people, opening the way for a string of mini-festivals. See our story here.
From July 15th, bars and restaurants will be able to stay open until 2 am, while restrictions on the sale of alcohol will also be relaxed.
Europe's new digital Covid-19 pass comes into effect
On July 1st, the EU's Digital COVID Certificate will come into full use, meaning Danish residents will be able to use their coronapas to travel across the EU and the Schengen region. Denmark already began accepting other EU countries' EU Digital COVID Certificates from June 26th.
Those with medical reasons not to have a coronapas must prove it
From July 1st, people who for medical reasons, or as a result of physical and mental disability, cannot have a Covid-19 test, must be able to present documentation proving their exemption. This documentation must be presented whenever there is a requirement to show a test or coronapas. Here's the announcement of this change.
Covid support packages
Due to the lifting of restrictions and the return of economic activity, the general compensation schemes are all phased out by the end of June 2021.
In accordance with the recent political agreements from May and June 2021 on a summer and business package, the general compensation schemes are exchanged with a narrower set of schemes for companies and self-employed that are still suffering economically from Covid-19.
More specifically, an adjusted compensation scheme for fixed costs and one for self-employed will be in place from the July 1st until the end of September 2021.
Free ferry tickets start to be available
From July 1st, Danish ferry companies will start issuing free tickets to Danish islands to cyclists, pedestrians and cars with disabled badges, with the Danish government footing the bill.
The Molslinjen will be offering free tickets on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday on trips to the islands of Als, Langeland, Samsø, Fanø, and Bornholm. To get the free tickets, just book on the Molslinjen website, and you will be reimbursed the following day.
Denmark's Rejsepas travel comes into force
So this really started on June 26th, but for just 399 Danish kroner you can travel on trains, buses and local trains all over Denmark as much as you like for eight consecutive days, with the last tickets sold on August 1st (and valid until August 8th). There are only 100,000 available, so it is possible that the participating companies, DSB, Arriva and a host of local transport companies, might run out. You can buy one here.
The proper Danish summer holiday begins
For the last two weeks of July many companies in Denmark close down completely, which is either frustrating or a relief depending on your position. It might be possible to make contact with a few of the people you do business with in Denmark for the first two weeks of this month, but everything is already starting to slow down.
The Copenhagen Jazz Festival
The Copenhagen Jazz festival has expanded from ten days to encompass the first three weeks of July, allowing the performances to be less crowded and limited to safe venues and numbers. The pandemic, has, however, meant the festival has an unusually local line-up making it more of a showcase of Scandinavian jazz talent, with pianist Nikolaj Hess, saxophonist Jakob Dinesen, and singer Helle henning some of the big draws.
New rules giving greater oversight over Foreign Direct Investment in Denmark come into force
New rules come into force on July 1st which mean that any investment which directly or indirectly gives the investor 10 percent or more of the shares, voting rights, or equivalent control in a Danish company in the critical sectors such as defence, IT security, or treatment of classified information, potential dual-use products, critical technology, or critical infrastructure is automatically referred to the Danish Business Authority for mandatory screening.
The EU e-commerce package enters Danish law
The EU's e-commerce package will enter Danish law on July 1st, meaning VAT will no longer be waived on goods worth less than 80 Danish kroner imported into Denmark from outside the EU.
In relation to imports from countries outside the EU, then ordinary consumers will find that they have to pay VAT to a larger extent than they do today, because the threshold has been abolished and in some cases lowered," said Mette Christina Juul, a lawyer a the Danish law firm Plesner.
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Changes to Coronavirus restrictions
From July 1st, restaurants where customers “essentially sit down” will no longer need to be able to provide two square metres of space per customer, or ensure a two-metre gap between each different party of customers.
The maximum number of people allowed to partake in indoor gatherings will also increase to 250.
The maximum number of people allowed to attend big outdoor cultural events, festivals, and concerts, also to 5,000 people, opening the way for a string of mini-festivals. See our story here.
From July 15th, bars and restaurants will be able to stay open until 2 am, while restrictions on the sale of alcohol will also be relaxed.
Europe's new digital Covid-19 pass comes into effect
On July 1st, the EU's Digital COVID Certificate will come into full use, meaning Danish residents will be able to use their coronapas to travel across the EU and the Schengen region. Denmark already began accepting other EU countries' EU Digital COVID Certificates from June 26th.
Those with medical reasons not to have a coronapas must prove it
From July 1st, people who for medical reasons, or as a result of physical and mental disability, cannot have a Covid-19 test, must be able to present documentation proving their exemption. This documentation must be presented whenever there is a requirement to show a test or coronapas. Here's the announcement of this change.
Covid support packages
Due to the lifting of restrictions and the return of economic activity, the general compensation schemes are all phased out by the end of June 2021.
In accordance with the recent political agreements from May and June 2021 on a summer and business package, the general compensation schemes are exchanged with a narrower set of schemes for companies and self-employed that are still suffering economically from Covid-19.
More specifically, an adjusted compensation scheme for fixed costs and one for self-employed will be in place from the July 1st until the end of September 2021.
Free ferry tickets start to be available
From July 1st, Danish ferry companies will start issuing free tickets to Danish islands to cyclists, pedestrians and cars with disabled badges, with the Danish government footing the bill.
The Molslinjen will be offering free tickets on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday on trips to the islands of Als, Langeland, Samsø, Fanø, and Bornholm. To get the free tickets, just book on the Molslinjen website, and you will be reimbursed the following day.
Denmark's Rejsepas travel comes into force
So this really started on June 26th, but for just 399 Danish kroner you can travel on trains, buses and local trains all over Denmark as much as you like for eight consecutive days, with the last tickets sold on August 1st (and valid until August 8th). There are only 100,000 available, so it is possible that the participating companies, DSB, Arriva and a host of local transport companies, might run out. You can buy one here.
The proper Danish summer holiday begins
For the last two weeks of July many companies in Denmark close down completely, which is either frustrating or a relief depending on your position. It might be possible to make contact with a few of the people you do business with in Denmark for the first two weeks of this month, but everything is already starting to slow down.
The Copenhagen Jazz Festival
The Copenhagen Jazz festival has expanded from ten days to encompass the first three weeks of July, allowing the performances to be less crowded and limited to safe venues and numbers. The pandemic, has, however, meant the festival has an unusually local line-up making it more of a showcase of Scandinavian jazz talent, with pianist Nikolaj Hess, saxophonist Jakob Dinesen, and singer Helle henning some of the big draws.
New rules giving greater oversight over Foreign Direct Investment in Denmark come into force
New rules come into force on July 1st which mean that any investment which directly or indirectly gives the investor 10 percent or more of the shares, voting rights, or equivalent control in a Danish company in the critical sectors such as defence, IT security, or treatment of classified information, potential dual-use products, critical technology, or critical infrastructure is automatically referred to the Danish Business Authority for mandatory screening.
The EU e-commerce package enters Danish law
The EU's e-commerce package will enter Danish law on July 1st, meaning VAT will no longer be waived on goods worth less than 80 Danish kroner imported into Denmark from outside the EU.
In relation to imports from countries outside the EU, then ordinary consumers will find that they have to pay VAT to a larger extent than they do today, because the threshold has been abolished and in some cases lowered," said Mette Christina Juul, a lawyer a the Danish law firm Plesner.
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