Apply for access to information about yourself
Apply for access to information about yourself
You can apply for access to information about yourself held by the Danish National Archives (Rigsarkivet). You can obtain the information free of charge.
Right of access – not everything is preserved
You have the right to access your personal data once it has been transferred to a public archive. This means that you can obtain access to the information recorded about you in a case. However, not all documentation has been preserved and you do not necessarily have the right to access the entire case if it contains sensitive personal data about others.
It is free of charge to receive the material.
Your information may be held in different archives
You have the right to access information about yourself once it has been transferred to a public archive. Historical documents are preserved either in the Danish National Archives or in municipal archives.
The Danish National Archives store records from all state and regional authorities and from half of the country’s municipalities. The Danish National Archives also contain material from institutions, organisations, private companies, and individuals.
The Danish National Archives store records from all state and regional authorities and from half of the country’s municipalities.
Examples include:
- Parish registers
- Civil registration cards with addresses before 1978
- Adoption cases
- Midwife protocols with times of birth
- Cases concerning placement of children and young people outside the home
- Documentation of education and exams
- Cases concerning paternity, biological parents, and child support
- Cases concerning marriage, divorce, and custody
- Documentation from police and courts about offenses, penalties, and judgments
- Patient records from hospital treatments
- Case processing in agencies, ministries, and other state authorities
- Documentation from the Danish Defence
- Information about income and taxes
- Public registers
- Some information from private archives from institutions, organisations, companies, and individuals
Some municipalities have their own archives, often called city archives. Others have transferred their documents and digital data to the Danish National Archives.
Municipal archives might hold documents about:
- Residence and address information (civil registration cards)
- Municipal schools
- Placement of children and young people into care
- Hospital treatments
- Income and taxes
- Social cases
- Other information from the municipal administration
Applying for your diploma or records of education?
If you wish to apply for documentation of your education and exam please use another application form:
Prepare for your application
When applying for access to your own information via the Danish National Archives’ form, you will be asked to provide details about yourself and the information you are requesting. Here is what we need to locate your records:
About your request
About you
Your former full name and address at the time.
Where in Denmark?
In which region did you live, or where was the authority that handled the case located?
What are you requesting?
Provide specific information about what you want. We cannot process applications such as “Everything about myself” or “All information”.
When and where?
Which date or period does the information cover, and where did it take place?
Involved parties
Were other people involved in the case, and which authorities handled it?
Other relevant information
Do you know a case number or other details that can help us locate the information?
Submit your application
Applying on behalf of someone else?
If you are applying for information on behalf of another person, you must attach a signed power of attorney. Print and complete the power of attorney form:
Delivery methods
In the application form, you must specify how you wish to receive your documents. Read about the available delivery methods here.
If you have a Danish CPR number, you will as standard receive your documents via Digital Post from the Danish National Archives.
About Digital Post
To access Digital Post, you need MitID, Denmark’s digital ID for public online services. You can access your Digital Post on the following platforms:
- lifeindenmark.dk
- the Digital Post app
- e-Boks
- mit.dk
If you choose to receive your documents by email, you will receive an email from the Danish National Archives with an encrypted link to Filkassen. You will also receive a text message (SMS) with two codes. You will need one code to access Filkassen and the other code to open the file containing your documents.
The link in your e-mail is active for 30 days.
About Filkassen
Filkassen is a secure file-sharing solution provided by the Danish Agency for Governmental IT Services (Statens IT) and used by public authorities. You can access Filkassen through all modern web browsers.
If you choose to receive your documents by letter, you must ensure that your address details are complete and correct. Delivery times may vary depending on the destination country. You are responsible for providing accurate address information, as we cannot guarantee delivery in case of errors.
You will receive a digital copy with redactions
You will receive your information as a scanned copy of the documents. You cannot receive the original papers.
You do not have the right to see sensitive information about others – even if it appears in documents concerning you. This means your copy will typically contain anonymized or redacted sections where sensitive information about others appears.
If you represent another person, you must provide a power of attorney from that person to be allowed to access the required information.
Legislation
Your right to access personal data about yourself held in public archives is set out in Sections 39a and 39b of the Danish Archives Act.
Related content
Looking for Danish ancestors
Read about how to begin as a new genealogist. From the necessary preparation to using the collections of the Danish National Archives to find your ancestors.
Purchase an archive search, scan or transcription
For a fee, the Danish National Archives can help you obtain information, find documents in our collections, scan material or transcribe text.
Apply for your diploma and records of education in Denmark
If you cannot find your education certificate, diploma or exam records from your school or on Min Kompetencemappe, the Danish National Archives may be able to help you.