Denmark · DK
The Danish VAT number
The VAT number is the CVR number. One number, one register — and that register is available in full through an open distribution service.
Format: DK + 8 digits (the CVR number)
Example: DK28118201 — CVR number 28118201
Issued by: the Danish Business Authority; VAT registration is handled by the Tax Agency.
The format
A Danish VAT number is always ten characters: the country code and eight digits. Domestically the number is often written in pairs, but the spaces disappear in the VAT number.
- DKThe country code.
- 2811820Seven digits of the CVR number.
- 1The check digit.
The check digit is computed modulus 11 with weights 2, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. A remainder of 1 means the number does not exist — that combination cannot be issued.
CVR number, P-number and SE-number
The CVR number is assigned by the Danish Business Authority to every legal entity at registration and never changes. The VAT number is exactly that number with DK in front.
The P-number is ten digits and identifies a production unit — an address, not a company. A business has one CVR number and one P-number per site. It is never a VAT number.
The SE-number is used when a business accounts for VAT separately per unit. It has the same format as a CVR number and can differ from it.
Having a CVR number is not the same as being VAT registered. Every business gets a CVR number, but VAT registration is a separate step with the Tax Agency. A holding company or an association with no economic activity appears in CVR and does not validate in VIES.
Finding the company behind a number
The CVR register
datacvr.virk.dk offers free search by CVR number, name and address, with accounts and history. Because the VAT number is the CVR number, a VAT number leads straight to the right record — which is far from true everywhere.
The distribution service
The Business Authority also exposes the whole register through a distribution service with system access. It is free, but requires an agreement and a username granted on request. That is the route to take if you need the whole register rather than single lookups.
VIES
Denmark discloses both name and address through VIES. The address comes on two lines with the postcode and town on the last one.
Denmark-specific pitfalls
- Remove the spaces. The CVR number is often written
28 11 82 01, but a VAT number never contains spaces. - A CVR number is not a VAT registration. Everyone gets the first; the second requires registering with the Tax Agency.
- The P-number is not a VAT number, even though it looks like one. It has ten digits and points at an address.
- The SE-number can differ from the CVR number when a business accounts for VAT unit by unit.
- The distribution service needs an agreement, free though it is — it cannot simply be downloaded anonymously.
One API for 27 member states
Vatlas turns a European VAT number into a company record: legal name, national identifier, legal form, status and address. Same call, same shape, for Denmark and for the other twenty-six.
curl "https://api.vatlas.dev/v1/vat/DK28118201" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $VATLAS_KEY"Response:
200 OK
{
"data": {
"vatNumber": "DK28118201",
"countryCode": "DK",
"nationalNumber": "28118201",
"nationalId": "28118201",
"name": "VESTAS MEDITERRANEAN A/S",
"legalForm": null,
"status": "active",
"address": {
"line1": "Hedeager 42",
"line2": null,
"postalCode": "8200",
"city": "Aarhus N",
"country": "DK"
}
},
"meta": {
"origin": "vies",
"source": "VIES",
"sourceUpdatedAt": "2026-08-28T10:16:48.747Z",
"checked": ["database", "VIES"]
}
}meta.origin says where the answer came from: database for a register imported locally, source for a national API queried live, vies as a last resort. The shape of the response never changes from one country to the next.
Free to try. An email address creates an account — no credit card, no sales call — with 100 requests a month and a working key in about a minute.
Frequently asked
The Danish VAT number in short
How many digits does a Danish VAT number have?
Eight after the DK country code — ten characters in total.
Are the CVR number and the VAT number the same?
The digits are. The VAT number is the CVR number with DK in front, but it only applies if the business is actually VAT registered.
What is the difference between a CVR number and a P-number?
The CVR number identifies the legal entity and has eight digits. The P-number has ten and identifies a production unit, meaning a place of business. A P-number is never a VAT number.
Why does VIES reject a company that exists in CVR?
Because it is not VAT registered. Holding companies and associations with no economic activity appear in CVR without a valid VAT number.
Can I download the whole CVR register?
Yes, through the Business Authority’s distribution service. Access is free but requires an agreement and an assigned username.
VAT numbers in other countries
Last updated 28 August 2026.