Addresses, opening hours and guidelines

Opening hours for July and August

Tuesday – Thursday: 9 -16 (guidance 11.00 – 14.30)

After 15:30 it is only possible to use records that you have been provided before 15:30.

2025: July 14 – 18 the reading room is open monday to friday 9 – 16.00

Bank holidays

The reading room is closed:

• Between Christmas and New Year’s Day
• Easter
• Ascension Thursday and the following friday
• Whit Sunday and Whit Monday
• Constitution Day (June 5)

This section will be regularly updated with changes to the opening hours of the reading room in Copenhagen.

You are not allowed to remove borrowed material from the reading room.

The records of the Danish National Archives must be returned when the loan ends or expires. Loans can be extended through Daisy. You can have up to 15 items at a time on loan.

Records ordered for use in the reading room can be picked up at the service desk. Please provide a completed form with your name, order number and seat number.

Once we receive that, readily available records will be placed in the bookcase on a shelf with the same number as your seat number or delivered by cart.

• Records with permission restrictions and the like are handed over at the counter. Records must be returned to the carts under the stairs or the cart by the counter.
• Records handed over at the counter should be returned at the counter.
• Records you wish to use again should be returned on the carts stationed by the tables next to the counter. Remember to enclose a note with your name.

All loans for the reading room in Copenhagen must be ordered in Daisy before your visit to the reading room, as everything is stored in a remote repository.

Normally, the processing time is 2-3 working days.

Orders for Week 29 (14 – 18 July 2025)
To ensure that your orders are ready for use from Monday, 14 July, you must order the records by 7 July. When ordering, you should specify a usage date that is one week before you actually need the records. This way, we have time to process your order even though many of the National Archives staff are on holiday.

Please note that records from other reading rooms (interlibrary loans) must be ordered no later than 26 June.

As soon as the records are ready, you will receive an email notifying you that they are available in the reading room. The materials will not be accessible until you receive this email. It does not matter if the materials are ready before your visit—they will be waiting for you.

The National Archives reading room is in the Research Reading Room in the Black Diamond.

Find practical information about visiting The Black Diamond here

Because the Research Reading Room is shared with the Royal Library, a special set of rules besides the National Archives’ usual rules for reading rooms.

Read the rules for the Research Reading Room in the Black Diamond here

Openings hours July and August

Closed 30 June- 4 July AND 14 July- 4 August

Open 7  -11 July, Monday – Friday: 9-16

Bank holidays

The reading room is closed:

• Between Christmas and New Year’s Day
• Easter
• Ascension Thursday and the following friday
• Whit Sunday and Whit Monday
• Constitution Day (June 5)

This section will be regularly updated with changes to the opening hours of the reading room in

You are not allowed to remove borrowed material from the reading room.

The records of the Danish National Archives must be returned when the loan ends or expires. Loans can be extended through Daisy. You can have up to 15 items at a time on loan.

Records ordered for use in the reading room are generally placed in the bookcase in the reading room. They will be marked with your last name.

Interlibrary loans, records which have permission restrictions, etc. are handed over at the counter. Simply provide your name and order number. Records you have picked up from the shelf should be returned at the cart by the shelf. If you wish to continue using the records, you should put it back on the shelf.

Records handed over at the counter should be returned at the counter. You can let the staff at the counter know whether you would like to keep the records on the reservation shelf.

Local repository service time

During the reading room’s opening hours, orders are usually serviced at the following times:

• 10:30 (orders approved before 10:00)
• 12:30 (orders approved before 12:00)
• 14:30 (orders approved before 14:00)

Service time from repository

Service time up to 7 days.

7  – 11 July – please note!

To ensure that your orders are ready for use from Monday, July 7, you must order the archival materials by June 30. When ordering, you must state a date of use that is one week before you need the archival materials. This way, we can process your orders, even if many of the National Archives’ employees are on summer vacation.
Please note that archival materials from the other reading rooms (interlibrary loans) must be ordered by June 26 at the latest.

Cloakroom

The cloakroom is on the ground floor. In the cloakroom and on the 2nd floor, there are lockers for briefcases, bags, etc. which are not permitted beyond the entrance to the reading room.

Lunchroom

There is a lunch room on the 2nd floor where visitors can eat their packed lunches. Free beverages are available from the hot beverage vending machine.

Public transport

The archive is located about 15 minutes’ walk from Viborg Train Station. There are several bus stops within a short walking distance of the archive.

Parking

Driving from Rødevej and Reberbanen, there is a driveway to the large parking lot (Garnisonspladsen) behind the archive. There are also public parking spaces at Fælledvej and Tingvej. None of the spots have a time limit.

Zimmer frame or wheelchair users can enter the reading room via a disability lift at the main entrance. From the cloakroom on the ground floor, there is a lift to the reading room and the visitors’ lunchroom on the top floor.

The reading room is designed so that wheelchair and Zimmer frame users can get around. Work tables are easily accessible. There is also a wide variety of archival aids, copies of registries and handbooks placed at a height accessible to wheelchair users.

Restrooms

Adjacent to the reading room are two accessible restrooms.

Parking

Behind the grey building of the archive is a parking space reserved for users with disability vehicles. There are also two parking spaces for disabled users in the big parking lot (Garnisonspladsen) east of the archive building.

Opening hours for July

2025: 30 june – 4 july: Monday – Friday 10-15

The reading room is closed in from July 7 to August 4.

Bank holidays

The reading room is closed:

• Between Christmas and New Year’s Day
• Easter
• Ascension Thursday and the following friday
• Whit Sunday and Whit Monday
• Constitution Day (June 5)

This section will be regularly updated with changes to the opening hours of the reading room.

You are not allowed to remove borrowed material from the reading room.

The records of the Danish National Archives must be returned when the loan ends or expires. Loans can be extended through Daisy. You can have up to 15 items at a time on loan.

Records ordered for use in the reading room are handed over at the counter. Please provide your order number when you check in to the reading room. When you leave the reading room for the rest of the day, please let us know at the counter if the records should be returned to storage or if you would like them to remain on the reservation shelf.

Local repository service time

Wednesday and Thursday: 10-12 and 13-14:30

Service time from remote archive

Turnaround time 1-2 working days

30 june – 4 july – please note!

To ensure that your orders are ready for use from Monday, June 30, you must order the records by June 23. When ordering, you must state a date of use that is one week before you need the archival materials. This way, we can process your orders, even if many of the National Archives’ employees are on summer vacation.

Please note that records from the other reading rooms (interlibrary loans) must be ordered by June 19 at the latest if you want to use them from June 30.

Cloakroom

The cloakroom is located immediately to the left of the entrance adjacent to the stairwell. The cloakroom has restrooms and lockers for bags.

Lunchroom

The lunchroom is on the 1st floor. Access is by stairs. The lunchroom has a self-service beverage vending machine.

In special cases, groups can book the meeting room on the 1st floor adjacent to the lunchroom.

Transport and parking

The easiest way to find the archive is to orient yourself in relation to the Odense Railway Station Center. When you step out of the station, turn right (along Kongens Have), after which Jernbanegade will be the first road on your left.

Parking

Free parking is available for archive visitors at the 20 parking spaces behind the building.

Entrance

The archive has parking spaces close to the entrance. At the main entrance, please press the button at the door if you want the archive staff to help you inside.

Reading room

The archive’s reading room is located on the ground floor. The layout of the reading room allows wheelchair and Zimmer frame users to move about freely. Desks are easily accessible.

The registries in the reading room are placed on shelves. If you find it difficult to reach the material you want, the local staff can assist.

Restrooms

The archive has an accessible restroom, which is located on the 1st floor. You can use the elevator in the cloakroom from the ground floor to reach the 1st floor. The elevator is not freely accessible, but the archive staff can give you access to use it.

Other facilities

You can use both the archive’s lunchroom and the library on the 1st floor. The archive staff can help you use the elevator.

Opening hours in July

July 7 – August 5: Closed

Bank holidays

The reading room is closed:

• Between Christmas and New Year’s Day
• Easter
• Ascension Thursday and the following friday
• Whit Sunday and Whit Monday
• Constitution Day (June 5)

This section will be regularly updated with changes to the opening hours of the reading room

You are not allowed to remove borrowed material from the reading room.

Local repository service time

Tuesday and Wednesday: 10-14:30

Service time from remote archive

Service time up to 14 days.

30 june – 4 july – please note!

To ensure that your orders are ready for use from Monday, June 30, you must order the records by June 23. When ordering, you must state a date of use that is one week before you need the records. This way, we can process your orders, even if many of the National Archives’ employees are on summer vacation.

Please note that archival materials from the other reading rooms (interlibrary loans) must be ordered by June 19 at the latest if you want to use them from June 30.

Cloakroom

You must leave your outerwear, briefcase, bag, etc. in the cloakroom, as such items are not allowed in the reading room. The cloakroom has lockers that you can store your items in. Restrooms are located next to the cloakroom.

Lunchroom

Visitors can eat their packed lunches in the foyer and in the archive’s lunchroom (reserved for the staff between 12:00-12:30 and 14:00-14:15).

A vending machine with hot beverages can be found in the foyer.

Public transport

The archive is located on Haderslevvej 45 in Aabenraa, approximately 20 minutes’ walk from Aabenraa bus station. Bus line 23 runs directly from the bus station to the bus stop at the archive.

Parking

If you are arriving by car, there is ample parking in the parking lot next to the archive.

The reading room in Aabenraa is accessible for disabled persons and persons with impaired mobility. The spaces in the archive’s reading room are designed to accommodate wheelchair and Zimmer frame users. If you are a wheelchair user or otherwise unable to move around the reading room, the local staff will be happy to assist with retrieving records for you to the extent they are able.

Restroom

There is an accessible restroom located by the cloakroom.

Parking

There are two parking spaces close to the archive entrance, which are reserved for disabled users.

• You are allowed to bring your computer and tablet, but not bags or covers.
• You may only bring pencils. Pens and the like are prohibited.
• You may bring a handheld mobile phone, but it must be set on silent mode. Visitors are not allowed to have conversations or speak on the phone in the reading room.
• You are allowed to bring a handheld camera, but not a bag/case. (Read more under “Photos and scans”)
• Up to 20 loose sheets of paper.
• You are allowed to bring an eyewear case and vital medicine.

The permitted items above can be brought into the reading room provided they can fit in a transparent carrier bag.

However, you are not permitted to:

• bring outerwear, umbrellas, bags, pencil cases, pens, computer covers or the like.
• bring a scanner.
• bring beverages, food, sweets, creams or the like.
• bring original documents (you may bring copies)

The staff has the right to reject material/objects and activities that are deemed incompatible with the use or protection of the reading room materials.

Remember your health insurance card and photo ID

All visitors to the Danish National Archives’ reading rooms must be registered electronically. To be registered as a user in the Danish National Archives’ reading rooms, you must bring a form of photo ID and your health insurance card. Following that, you must register your visit with your health insurance card every time you visit a reading room.

Registering with photo ID

Before you can register your visit to a reading room, you need to electronically register yourself as a user.

This requires that you bring a photo ID to the reading room, e.g. your passport or driver’s licence, along with your Danish health insurance card.

You cannot register as a user without a photo ID.

Don’t have a Danish health insurance card?

Visitors who do not have a Danish health insurance card can be issued a temporary access card. You will still need to provide a photo ID to receive a temporary access card.

Registration with health insurance card/temporary access card

Once you have been registered as a user of the Danish National Archives’ reading rooms, you must register future visits by scanning your Danish health insurance card/temporary access card and entering your code upon arrival at the reading room. You select the code during the registration process.

Note that you should not scan your card when stepping outside for a break. In some cases, however, you may be asked to scan your card again when returning from a break.

Important: Forgot your code, lost your health insurance card or temporary access card expired

If you forget your code, are waiting on a new health insurance card or your temporary access card has expired, you must bring a photo ID to register yourself as a user again.

The records are unique historical documents that cannot be replaced if they become damaged or lost. You are accordingly expected to treat them safely and carefully. The Danish National Archives has a number of security rules to that end:

You may photograph records with your own handheld camera (without sound and flash) and use the reading room’s scanners if there is no photo and scanning ban. Such a ban will be indicated on the access permit. You may also be notified of a photo and scanning ban upon receipt of the records.

Do not use hand scanners, table scanners, scanning pens and similar equipment that requires heavy-handed physical contact between the scanning equipment and records.

Reading room staff may at any time stop or prohibit photography or scanning to maintain a quiet working environment, the condition of the records, security considerations etc.

You should be aware of applicable legislation, including the Danish Archives Act, the Copyright Act and the Data Protection Act.

You are responsible for referring correctly and unambiguously to the records and referring to the fact that the records are located in the collections of the Danish National Archives.

Borrow photo equipment

We provide photography equipment in the reading rooms. There are photo stands in all four reading rooms. In the reading rooms in Copenhagen and Viborg, lamps are at the users’ disposal as well. Ask the staff in the reading room for the equipment. We have also created instructions to allow you to get started quickly. Borrow the instructions in the reading room.

Use the equipment at your own risk.

Scans

A book scanner is available in the reading rooms. It can make digital copies of the records. Bring your own USB stick to store the copies on. Using the book scanner is currently free.

You may scan records if there is no photo and scanning ban. Such a ban will be indicated on the access permit. You may also be notified of a photo and scanning ban upon receipt of the records.

Records that may not be scanned:

• Records with seals
• Parchments
• Records larger than the surface of the scanner – e.g. maps and drawings
• Original censuses and levying rolls
• Records whose state of preservation does not allow copying

Using photocopiers

There is no photocopier in the reading rooms

You can order copies and scans of records, e.g. the records you are not allowed to scan yourself, provided there are no photo and scanning bans in place.

Buy scan of physical material

Always contact the National Archives first to inquire about the possibility of recording at our locations (Danish)