Words and terms – Personregistrering.dk - EN

Here you will find typical words and terms associated with personal registration.

The words and terms are presented in Danish followed by an explanation in English.

Askedeling - Dividing the ashes

> Read the article on dividing the ashes in relation to death and funeral

Askespredning - Scattering the ashes

> Read the article on scattering the ashes in relation to death and funeral

Anmelder - Notifier

The person who gives notice of a funeral. The person must be related to the deceased.

Begravelse/Bisættelse – Funeral/cremation

The common term for the ceremony after death.

> Read about funerals/cremation

Begravelsesmyndighed - Funeral authority

The parish who registers the funeral or burial of the deceased is either the parish where the deceased used to live in Denmark or the parish of event if the deceased did not live in Denmark.

Bopælssogn - Parish of residence

The parish of residence is the parish where you live. This parish is responsible for conducting civil registration, e.g., information related to birth, or name for people who are born outside the Southern part of Jutland.

Bopælskommune – Municipality of residence

The municipality of residence is the municipality who is responsible for conducting civil registration, e.g., information related to birth, name for people who are born in the Southern part of Jutland.

The southern part of Jutland consists of the following municipalities: Tønder, Aabenraa, Haderslev, Vejen, Sønderborg and the southern part of Esbjerg and Kolding.

CPR - Central Register

The CPR, also called the Central Register contains information about citizens in Denmark.

CPR-nummer/personnummer - Central registration number

“CPR-nummer” or “personnummer” – in English “CPR-number” or “central registration number”, is a number that is given to all people living in Denmark or born in Denmark to register civil data, - and since 2004 to register the ecclesiastical events people might have had.

Folkekirken - The Danish National Church

The Danish National Church is Evangelical-Lutheran.

Folkeregistret - The Danish National Register/Civil Service Center

The Danish National Register (of Personal data) is located at the municipality also called the Civil Service Center (in Danish Borgerservice). The Danish National Register is the authority who registers different civil data such as a persons address among other relevant data. See also the sections below on "Indrejse" and "Udrejse".

Hændelsessogn - Parish of event

Some registrations must be made in the parish where the event takes place, e.g., a wedding or a death/funeral of a person without a Danish CPR-number.

Indrejse – Entry (registration when you move to Denmark)

“Indrejse” means when you move to Denmark, gain a CPR-number by the municipality and your address is registered in the National Register of Personal data.

Jordpåkastelse - Graveside ceremony

“Jordpåkastelse” is part of the funeral. The priest throws 3 small shovelfuls of earth on the coffin and says '(the name of the deceased), “Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust” - in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life.

Jordfæstelse - Burial

> Read about funerals/cremation

Kirkebogsførende præst - Priest responsible for registering personal data in the parish

Each parish has a priest, who has the overall responsibility for ensuring correct processing and registration of peoples data in the CPR. In many parishes, the priest, however, delegates the registration to a registrar (in Danish "Kordegn").

Kordegn – Registrar

Usually, the parish has a registrar who works for the church responsible for numerous assignments among others taking care of the main registrations in the CPR. You will find information on the registrar by visiting the website sogn.dk

Ligpas - Mortuary passport

The mortuary passport is a letter that must follow the coffin of the deceased in case of burial abroad. The mortuary passport is provided by the Danish Patient Safety Authority. To retrieve a Mortuary passport a certificate of the deceased is necessary, in Danish called a “Personattest” delivered by the funeral authority.

Nærmeste pårørende – Notifier of death and funeral

The notifier is a person who are familiar with the death wishes of a deceased and as such plays an important role of being a notifier of the death and funeral. The person is not necessarily a family member but can also be a friend or acquaintance of the deceased. If there are no such person, the municipality in which the deceased lived or died will be the notifier of the death and funeral.

Personregisterfører - Registrar

The person who conducts the registration of births, names, deaths, funerals etc. in the CPR. The registrar is usually in Danish called "Kordegn", however also the priest is sometimes the registrar.

Udrejse - Exit

When you leave Denmark to move to another country you must be deregistered from the National Register of Persons (“Folkeregistret”) by contacting the municipality where you used to live in Denmark.

Skifteretten - the Probate Court

Stift - Diocese

> Find the Dioceses in Denmark and read more about them on stift.dk/