If you drive a truck professionally in Denmark, you must complete periodic training (the refresher course) every five years, and it must be done through a training centre approved by the Danish Road Traffic Authority. The full cycle is five days, can be split into shorter modules, and must be finished within 12 months. This guide explains who is covered, how the days are built, what you learn, what proof you get and how to choose a course without risking your right to drive for work.
TL;DR
- Professional drivers in Denmark must complete periodic training every five years, and the cycle must be completed within a 12-month period.
- The cycle is five days: either one five-day block or three modules of 2 + 2 + 1 days.
- Only an education centre approved by the Danish Road Traffic Authority can deliver the training that counts.
- If your certificate expires without the training, you may only return to professional driving after completing the relevant refresher course.
- Van drivers have their own two-day refresher. We run that one at Votra Danmark.
Table of Contents
- What a truck driver refresher course is
- Who needs to take it
- How many days and how they are split
- What you learn on the days
- Choosing an approved course
- Proof of completion: certificate and code 95
- What if you are not yet qualified?
- Van drivers: a different, shorter refresher
- For employers: keeping a fleet compliant
- Our perspective
- Take the next step with Votra
- FAQ
- Sources
What a truck driver refresher course is
A refresher course is the periodic training part of the EU driver qualification system. You first take a basic qualification, and then you renew it by repeating and updating knowledge every five years. The EU framework behind this is Directive 2022/2561, which requires periodic training to update drivers' knowledge, with emphasis on road safety, health and safety at work, and reducing the environmental impact of driving.
Denmark applies the directive through its own qualification order. In the 2020 version of that order, refresher training deepens and repeats some basic-qualification topics so that you can update the knowledge that is essential to your daily work. The Danish Road Traffic Authority's guidance from 26 September 2025 explains the thinking in the same terms: the course should concentrate on what you actually need on the road, especially traffic safety, working environment and limiting environmental impact.
In practice this means the course is not an exam you cram for. It is a set of working days with a mix of theory and practical exercises, and the aim is that you leave with updated rules and habits you can use the next morning.
Who needs to take it
The obligation covers drivers who carry goods professionally and who hold a certificate of basic qualification, or who are listed under the transitional provision in § 13 of the order. The 2020 order states that the first refresher cycle must be completed before the five-year validity of the certificate runs out. Drivers who have not completed the required training must do so before they resume professional transport.
Typical groups:
- Employed truck drivers in distribution, long-haul, construction and waste transport.
- Self-employed drivers and haulage owners who drive themselves. Owning the company does not exempt you from the driver rules.
- Drivers returning to the trade after a break, whose certificate has expired or is about to.
- Drivers who switched employer or sector, since the obligation follows you, not the company.
The guidance dated 26 September 2025 says goods and van drivers must complete refresher training every five years while the driver-training certificate remains valid. If the certificate has expired without the training, you may only resume professional freight or passenger transport after completing the relevant refresher training.
If you are not sure which category you fall under, check the Danish Road Traffic Authority's pages, or ask the training centre before you book. A short email with your licence category and certificate date is usually enough for them to answer.
How many days and how they are split
The Danish Road Traffic Authority describes the structure on its page about periodic training: it can be taken as three modules of 2 + 2 + 1 days, or as one five-day module. The 2020 order sets the minimum at five days, equal to 37 hours, every five years. The cycle may be divided into courses of at least seven hours each.
| Item | What applies |
|---|---|
| Interval | Every five years |
| Total length | At least 5 days (37 hours under the 2020 order) |
| Formats | One 5-day block, or modules of 2 + 2 + 1 days |
| Shortest single course | 7 hours |
| Time limit | Whole cycle completed within 12 months |
| Provider | Education centre approved by the Danish Road Traffic Authority |
The 12-month window matters. If you take the first two days now and wait too long with the rest, the cycle may not count. Plan all modules together before you pay for the first one, and keep the dates in your calendar and in your employer's.
A practical tip: do not leave the cycle to the last month before expiry. Course dates fill up, a sick day can push a module past your deadline, and a driver who is mid-cycle with an expired certificate is in a weaker position than one who started early.
What you learn on the days
The content is set by the order and by the approved programme of the training centre. Based on the 2020 order, the module for freight drivers included updates on traffic, working-time and driving and rest-time rules, plus road safety, defensive and energy-efficient driving, new technology, and accident prevention including right-turn accidents. It also included a four-hour first-aid update on cardiac arrest.
The freight-specific part had to cover load securing, both the current rules and practical securing. The last day was a freely chosen course from the approved list of refresher courses, which means you can often pick a subject that fits your own work, such as a crane, a tail lift or a particular type of cargo.
The rules are amended from time to time, so treat the list above as the shape of the course rather than a fixed syllabus. The current text is on Retsinformation, and the training centre will give you the programme for your dates.
Theory, practice and simulators
EU rules allow classroom teaching, practical training and, where available, ICT tools or advanced simulators. A good course uses all of them. Expect case discussions about real incidents, exercises in securing a load, and time in or around a vehicle, rather than eight hours of slides.
Choosing an approved course
The training must be taken at a centre approved by the Danish Road Traffic Authority. The Authority's page on approval of training centres lists periodic training as an approved qualification programme and names freight-driver modules such as load securing, driving technique, accident prevention and sector-specific updating.
Before you book, ask these questions:
- Is the centre approved for periodic training for goods drivers? Ask for this in writing, not as a sales line.
- Which modules fit my split? Check whether you can do 2 + 2 + 1 days or only a five-day block.
- Which days can I choose freely? The elective day is where you can tailor the cycle to your job.
- What language is the teaching in? If Danish is not your strongest language, ask early whether any module is offered in another language.
- How does the centre register my completion? You want it recorded properly so your certificate is renewed without delay.
- Is the equipment current? The 2025 order requires that training equipment is up to date and reflects normal industry standards, and that instructors have pedagogical qualifications and current transport experience.
If an employer pays, agree on dates, the elective day and who handles registration before the first module. A cycle split across three modules and two employers is where paperwork usually breaks down.
Proof of completion: certificate and code 95
The Danish Road Traffic Authority issues the driver qualification certificate. Under the 2025 order, drivers from third countries may document their qualifications with a driver attestation bearing EU code 95. For EU drivers, code 95 is entered on the driving licence or on a driver qualification card, and the card is recognized by all Member States.
That last point is useful if you drive abroad: the proof you earn in Denmark is meant to be valid across the EU. Keep the certificate or card with you when you drive, and keep a copy of your course confirmations at home in case there is a question about the cycle later.
The EU summary also makes clear that the directive sets minimum training standards, requiring both an initial qualification and periodic training to improve road and driver safety. Danish rules sit on top of that minimum, so always read the Danish text for what is required locally.
What if you are not yet qualified?
Refresher training only makes sense once you have a base to refresh. Before you can hold a basic qualification, you need a truck licence. The Danish Road Traffic Authority lists a driving licence, a medical certificate, ordinary residence in Denmark, a first-aid course, driving lessons and a passed driving test as the requirements. Only then does the five-year clock for periodic training start.
If your plan is to run your own haulage business, the driver qualification is only half of it. You also need the haulier education. Our haulier course for trucks covers that route, and the page Vognmand til Lastbil lists a published price of 14,900 to 16,900 DKK. This is a separate qualification from the driver's periodic training, so do not confuse the two when you plan your calendar.
Van drivers: a different, shorter refresher
Many readers who search for a refresher course drive vans, not trucks, and the rules differ. According to the Danish Road Traffic Authority, the separate van-driver certificate applies when you carry goods for hire or reward in a van or combination with a permitted total weight from 2,500 kg to 3,500 kg, where each packaged item weighs more than 11 kg. The certificate is generally valid for five years, and renewal requires a two-day refresher course.
This is where we can help directly. Votra Danmark ApS offers the van refresher as VB EU, also described on our page about the van driver refresher course. If you do not have the van certificate yet, the starting point is the van driver qualification (VB GU). We have not published a price for either course, so ask us for a current quote.
For employers: keeping a fleet compliant
If you manage drivers, the five-year clock is a deadline you must track for every person, and each person's dates are different. A few habits make it manageable:
- Keep one list with each driver's certificate expiry date, the date the first module must start and the date the 12-month window closes.
- Book all modules at once, so a missed day does not push a driver out of the window.
- Rotate the elective day: one driver takes a load-securing course, another a course tied to a crane or special cargo.
- Store course confirmations with the driver file, not only in the driver's own wallet.
Tracking this by hand across ten or thirty drivers is where companies slip. Our sister company Votra Business ApS works as an external operations and finance department for haulage firms, including administrative fleet management and monitoring of driver documents and deadlines. Details are on the Votra Business page. The training itself and the administration are two separate companies, each with its own services.
Our perspective
We meet drivers who find out about the five-year deadline only a few months before it matters. The rule itself is simple. The trouble is that the training, the certificate date and the employer's schedule are three separate things that nobody owns.
Our advice is to treat the refresher as a project with a start date, not as a favour to the authorities. Write down the expiry date today, count back twelve months for the window, and book the modules in one go. Choose the elective day for your real job, because that is the day you will remember.
At Votra we build courses around Danish regulatory requirements, offer online self-paced study where the rules allow it, and work with live exam slots and digital certificates. We also see that many drivers who start as employees later want their own haulage business. That is why we keep training and company administration close, as two companies that know the same industry.
The best refresher is the one that is approved, finished on time and registered correctly. Everything else is a bonus.
Jamal Mahjoub
Take the next step with Votra
Votra Danmark ApS provides officially recognized transport training in Denmark, including the van driver refresher (VB EU), the van driver qualification (VB GU), taxi driver training, haulier courses for trucks and vans, and flex traffic and evacuation chair courses. For truck drivers who want their own company, we combine the haulier course with startup help from Votra Business.
See all courses on our course overview, or go straight to the van refresher course if you drive goods in a van. If you plan to start a haulage company, read about company formation and startup.
FAQ
How often must a truck driver take a refresher course in Denmark?
Every five years. The Danish Road Traffic Authority states that current and prospective professional drivers must complete periodic training at that interval, and the whole cycle must be completed within a 12-month period. Start in good time before your certificate expires.
Can I split the training into shorter parts?
Yes. The five days can be taken as three modules of 2 + 2 + 1 days, or as one five-day module. Under the 2020 order, each separate course must be at least seven hours. Remember that all parts must fall inside the 12-month window.
What happens if my certificate has expired?
You may not drive professionally until the relevant refresher training is completed. The Danish Road Traffic Authority's guidance says a driver whose certificate expired without the required training may resume professional freight or passenger transport only after completing it. Contact an approved centre quickly and ask what is needed in your case.
Does the refresher course count in other EU countries?
The qualification is based on an EU directive, and code 95 is entered on the licence or the driver qualification card, which Member States recognize. Always check the rules of each country you drive in, because national details can differ.
Do van drivers take the same course?
No. Van drivers who carry goods for hire or reward within the weight and package limits have a separate certificate that is renewed with a two-day refresher course. We offer this as VB EU.
Sources
- Efteruddannelse, Danish Road Traffic Authority
- Qualification order, 2020 version, Retsinformation
- Qualification order, 2025, Retsinformation
- Guidance on the qualification order, 26 September 2025
- Directive 2022/2561, EUR-Lex
- Summary: qualification and training of drivers, EUR-Lex
- Godkendelse af uddannelsessted, Danish Road Traffic Authority
- Kørekort til lastbil, Danish Road Traffic Authority
- Varebilsuddannelser, Danish Road Traffic Authority