The bridge between Copenhagen and Malmö is easy to cross and easy to overpay for. The two things that matter are how you pay the toll and which ID you carry. Toll prices changed on 14 September 2026, and the train operator changed on 14 December 2025.
When you need this
You’re driving into Sweden from Denmark or Germany, or popping over from Malmö to Copenhagen. You’ve landed at Copenhagen Airport and your destination is in southern Sweden. Or you’re weighing the bridge against the Helsingør–Helsingborg ferry and want to know what each really costs, in money and in hassle.
The bridge in one minute
The Öresund link (Öresundsbron, Danish Øresundsbroen) opened on 1 July 2000 and runs 15.9 km. It is three structures in a row:
| Section | Length | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Tunnel | 4,050 m | From the Danish coast, under the Drogden shipping channel |
| Peberholm | 4,055 m | An artificial island in the middle of the strait |
| Bridge | 7,845 m | The road-and-rail bridge, landing at Lernacken south of Malmö |
It carries both a motorway and the railway used by the Öresundståg regional trains. The road is a toll motorway run by Øresundsbro Konsortiet, a Danish–Swedish company. The tunnel exists so that neither Copenhagen Airport’s air traffic nor large ships are disrupted. The speed limit is 110 km/h on the bridge and Peberholm and 90 km/h in the tunnel, because the tunnel has no emergency lane.
What the toll costs
You pay per single crossing, and the price depends on vehicle type and length. There is one toll station, at Lernacken on the Swedish side, so you pass it whichever direction you drive.
The classes that catch visitors are the length breaks. A car up to 6 m is the base rate. Add a caravan or trailer and you pay double, and past 15 m combined, more again. Motorhomes and vans are classed by length too. Measure before you buy, bike rack included: a ticket for the wrong class doesn’t cover you.
Current amounts for each class and each way of paying are in the practical information table below, from Øresundsbron’s price list valid from 14 September 2026.
Booth, online ticket or ØresundGO
There are three ways to pay, and the gap between them is large.
- At the booth. The full price, by card or cash. No planning needed, but it costs the most.
- Online ticket. Cheaper than the booth, bought in advance on Øresundsbron’s site as a single or a return, valid for 30 days. Plate recognition opens the barrier, so you don’t stop to pay.
- ØresundGO. The operator’s discount agreement, tied to your number plate. You pay an annual fee, then a per-crossing price that is well under half the booth rate for a standard car.
The operator’s own line is that ØresundGO earns its annual fee back on the first round trip. The arithmetic bears that out: two crossings at the booth cost more than the fee plus two discounted crossings. So:
| Your trip | Cheapest option |
|---|---|
| One crossing, one way | Online ticket |
| A return trip | ØresundGO |
| Several crossings within 12 months | ØresundGO, clearly |
| Driving on to Germany by ferry | Consider the combi ticket (below) — unless you already have ØresundGO |
At the toll station
Lernacken uses colored lanes, and the signs change dynamically:
| Lane color | For |
|---|---|
| Green | Online ticket, ØresundGO plate reading, or a bizz tag |
| Blue | Payment card (or plate reading) |
| Yellow | Cash, or when you need staff help |
| Orange | Motorcycles, when open |
| Red, “Pendler only” | Commuter customers at rush hour — not for visitors |
Cash is accepted in Danish and Swedish kroner only; “most standard card types” work. The speed limit through the toll station is 30 km/h. If you end up in the wrong lane, do not reverse — reversing on the motorway is prohibited, and staff will help you through.
The border check
This is the part that can actually stop your trip. Sweden has run temporary internal border controls for a decade, and the current government decision covers 12 May to 11 November 2026. The police decide where and how to check. On the Öresund crossing, that means:
- By car: Swedish police check Sweden-bound traffic at the Lernacken toll station. Have ID out as you approach.
- By train: checks happen on the Hyllie platform or on board while the train stands at Hyllie, the first Swedish station.
- Toward Denmark: Swedish police check only rarely.
What to carry. EU and EEA citizens need a valid passport or national ID card. A driving licence is not a travel document for them. Non-EU visitors need their passport. Nordic citizens are usually accepted with a Nordic driving licence, but both the Swedish police and the bridge operator say the safest document is a passport. Nordic children traveling with a guardian who has valid documents do not, in practice, need their own ID at this control. Our passport and ID rules for Sweden cover document validity in depth.
This is an identity check, not an EES registration. The crossing is inside Schengen, so the EU’s biometric Entry/Exit System plays no part — see EES border checks. If you bring a dog or cat from Denmark, you must notify Swedish Customs at the crossing.
After 11 November 2026, whether checks continue depends on a new government decision. If you travel after that date, recheck.
Crossing by train
For most visitors without a car at the Swedish end, the train is simpler than driving. The station at Copenhagen Airport sits under Terminal 3, and Öresundståg trains run from it to Malmö in about 20 minutes.
Two things are new or easy to miss:
- VR Sverige has operated Öresundståg since 14 December 2025. Guides naming Transdev or SJ as the operator are out of date. Tickets are Skånetrafiken’s.
- Buy and activate before boarding. Use the Skånetrafiken app, where you must activate the ticket before you board, or a machine: they stand at Copenhagen Airport, Copenhagen Central and every Skåne station.
Traveling together helps. A joint ticket to Denmark for two or more people gets 20% off, and children aged 7–15 travel at half price on single and 24-hour tickets. Keep your ID on you, not in a suitcase on the rack, because Hyllie comes quickly. For the airport as a gateway, see Copenhagen Airport to Sweden.
Bikes, pedestrians and the ferry
You cannot walk or cycle across. The bridge, Peberholm and the tunnel are closed to pedestrians except for rare organised events, such as the Bridge Run on 15 June 2025, and there is no cycle path. Your options:
- Öresundståg with a bicycle ticket. A separate bike ticket is needed for the cross-border journey, valid to and from Østerport in Copenhagen.
- The Helsingør–Helsingborg ferry. A 20-minute crossing with no booking, carrying foot passengers, cars and bicycles. It’s also the calmer choice if you’re not in a hurry — see ferries from Denmark.
Coming from Germany
If you drive up from Germany, the land route runs through Denmark: Scandlines’ Puttgarden–Rødby ferry takes 45 minutes, or Rostock–Gedser about two hours, then Danish motorways to the bridge. Øresundsbron sells a combi ticket through Scandlines that covers the bridge and one of those ferries. It cannot be stacked with other discounts or turned into ØresundGO afterward, so skip it if you already have an agreement.
Whether that beats a direct ferry to Sweden depends on where you start and where you are going. Ferries from Germany to Sweden compares the direct routes, and driving to Sweden from Germany covers the whole drive.
Practical information
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Car up to 6 m, single crossing | 470 DKK at the booth · 420 DKK online · 182 DKK with ØresundGO |
| ØresundGO annual fee | 370 DKK |
| Car + trailer up to 15 m; motorhome 6–10 m; van 6–9 m | 940 · 840 · 364 DKK |
| Car + trailer over 15 m; motorhome over 10 m; van over 9 m | 1,655 · 1,485 · 725 DKK |
| Motorcycle | 240 · 215 · 94 DKK |
| Prices | Per single trip, incl. 25% VAT, valid from 14 September 2026 (checked 2026-09-24) |
| Online ticket | Single or return, valid 30 days, plate recognition |
| Payment at the booth | Most standard cards; cash in DKK or SEK |
| Toll station | Lernacken, Swedish side — one station, both directions |
| Speed limits | 110 km/h bridge and Peberholm · 90 km/h tunnel · 30 km/h toll station |
| Border control | Toward Sweden, 12 May – 11 November 2026: Lernacken (road), Hyllie (train) |
| Documents | Passport or national ID card; passport safest for everyone |
| Train | Öresundståg, operated by VR Sverige since 14 Dec 2025; Skånetrafiken tickets |
| Airport–Malmö | About 20 minutes from the station under Terminal 3 |
| Walking or cycling across | Not possible — train with bike ticket, or Helsingør–Helsingborg ferry |
FAQ
How much does it cost to drive over the Øresund Bridge?
From 14 September 2026, a car up to 6 meters pays 470 DKK per crossing at the toll station, 420 DKK with an online ticket, or 182 DKK with an ØresundGO agreement, which carries a 370 DKK annual fee. Prices include VAT and rise with vehicle length, so a car towing a caravan pays double. Check Øresundsbron’s price page before you go.
Where do you pay the Øresund Bridge toll?
At the single toll station at Lernacken on the Swedish side, so you pass it whichever way you travel. Pick a lane by color: green for an online ticket, ØresundGO plate reading or a bizz tag; blue for card; yellow for cash in Danish or Swedish kroner. Never reverse if you choose the wrong one — staff will help.
Is ØresundGO worth it for tourists?
Usually yes, if you cross more than once. The bridge operator says the annual fee is earned back on the first round trip: two crossings at the booth cost 940 DKK, while the fee plus two discounted trips comes to 734 DKK. For a single one-way crossing, an online ticket is the cheaper choice.
Is there a border check on the Øresund Bridge?
Yes, toward Sweden. Sweden’s temporary internal border control runs from 12 May to 11 November 2026, and Swedish police check cars at the Lernacken toll station and train passengers at Hyllie. Checks toward Denmark are rare. It is an identity check, not an EES biometric registration, because the crossing is inside Schengen.
What ID do I need to cross from Copenhagen to Malmö?
A valid passport or national ID card; for non-EU visitors, the passport. A driving licence is not a travel document for non-Nordic EU citizens. Nordic citizens are usually accepted with a Nordic driving licence, but both the Swedish police and the bridge operator say the safest document is a passport. Keep it on you, not in your luggage.
How do I get from Copenhagen Airport to Malmö?
Take the Öresundståg train from the station under Terminal 3; it reaches Malmö in about 20 minutes. Buy a Skånetrafiken ticket at a machine in the airport or in the app, and activate it before boarding. The train stops at Hyllie, the first Swedish station, where police carry out the ID check.
Can you walk or cycle across the Øresund Bridge?
No. The bridge, the artificial island of Peberholm and the tunnel are closed to pedestrians except during rare organised events such as the 2025 Bridge Run, and there is no cycle path. Take your bike on Öresundståg with a separate bicycle ticket, or use the 20-minute Helsingør–Helsingborg ferry, which carries bicycles and needs no booking.
Related guides
- Every route into Sweden compared — the bridge against flying, ferries and the night train
- Ferries from Germany to Sweden — the direct alternative to driving through Denmark
- Passport and ID rules for Sweden — what the Hyllie and Lernacken checks accept
- Driving in Sweden — the rules once you’re across
- Copenhagen Airport to Sweden — using Kastrup as a Swedish gateway
Facts verified 2026-09-24. Sources: Øresundsbron (Øresundsbro Konsortiet), Regeringen, Polismyndigheten, Öresunddirekt, Skånetrafiken, Öresundståg, VR Sverige — full register in this topic’s source file. Toll prices are Øresundsbron’s list valid from 14 September 2026; border controls are decided to 11 November 2026. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.