Street vendors in Copenhagen

Vendors who have purchased the required permit all carry an official sticker, identifying them to costumers, City Officials and the police. The sticker allows you to conduct mobile sales in public roads and squares, with stays to service costumers.

Mobile sales (e.g. using coffee-mopeds or bicycles) are called ”mobilt gadesalg” in Danish or sometimes ”omførsel”. Sales from a fixed spot (e.g. hotdog-vendors, fruit tents) are called ”stader”. There is a long waiting-list for fixed spots in the Inner City, but you can usually get a permit for mobile sales within 14 days, provided you have a valid Danish address and CVR number.

Get your permit on www.kk.dk/stader

Anyone conducting sales from bikes, mopeds, etc. in the public roads and squares of Copenhagen, must first apply for a permit from the Technical- and Environmental Administration, according to the law of public roads, § 102.

Conditions for outdoor-sales in Copenhagen

The permit gives the right to do mobile sales from 1 bicycle, moped etc. in the public streets and squares of Copenhagen. In the Inner City (Indre By) it is not allowed on Amagertorv or at Nørreport. Look at map.

The permit must always be brought along and the sticker belonging to the permit must be placed visibly - e.g. on the side of the bicycle. If this is not complied, the Technical & Environmental Administration may withdraw the permit.

The permit is only for mobile sales on public streets and squares. Sales in e.g. supermarket parking lots, private parks, or at Amager Strandpark must be negotiated with the land-owners. In parks owned by the City of Copenhagen, you also have to apply for permission.

Sales in the Inner City incur a yearly fee. The fee is 22.560 Danish kr. per year. The fee is paid for half a year at a time which means that you must apply 2 times a year and pays 11.280 Danish kr. each time.

Location

Sales must only take place at the following locations:

• squares,
• square-like street areas (eg. The Egg Square at Fiolstræde)
• pedestrian areas
• pavement surfaces who is more than 2 meters

It is not allowed to stay at Amagertorv or at Nørreport due to accessibility. Look at map.

Mobile sales must never take place under circumstances

• forcing pedestrians, e.g. people with prams, walkers, wheelchairs etc. out on the roadway or the bicycle path
• that block the traffic areas or be placed where it hampers access to monuments, shops, restaurants or window displays
• that block the marked line of traffic for the blind.

Mobile sales must under no circumstance take place on the roadway or bicycle path.

Mobile sales must not hamper traffic, pedestrians or accessibility. The cart must be flexible in its placement.

You can make mobile sales for maximum one hour at each location. You may not return to the same location twice a day. There has to be at least 100 meters between each location.

Appearance and cleaning

You may not place any signs, umbrellas, chairs, lamps, baskets or other loose objects on the pavement. Umbrellas that are mounted on the cart must be placed so that the lower edge of the umbrella is at least 220 centimeters above ground level. Umbrellas must not be open when the cart is moving but only when it is stationary.

You may not play music or shout.

Street vendors must always clean up after themselves and their customers, including removing garbage and transport it away. It is not allowed to use garbage bins placed by the municipal.

Obligations

Mobile sales may only take place at public events in agreement with the organizer. Street vendors must always move, if an area must be used for other purposes - e.g. public events, outdoor restaurants, fixed spot street-sales (”stader”), road-works, cleaning etc.

Vendors must immediately follow any instructions from the police or Technical and Environmental officials.

The Technical and Environmental administration may change or recall a street vending permit if you breach these conditions, in case of traffic-issues caused by street-trade, or if unforeseen circumstances necessitate it.

Each permit is specific to the applicant, and can include limitations for placement - e.g. due to pedestrian traffic or the shape of the cart.

Breaches of these conditions or sales without a permit will incur eviction, report to the police, and a fine.

You must ensure that all other permits for your business are in order. For instance, the Danish Commerce and Companies Agency (Phone +45 33 30 77 00) have regulations for which kinds of products can be sold via “omførsel”. In general, only a narrowly defined range of non-alcoholic consumables may be sold in this way. Read more at www.eogs.dk.