Denmark barely bites. Ticks on Bornholm and in North Zealand are the exception.
A Copenhagen city break or a drive up the Jutland coast needs little more than a small spray for calm evenings. Tick-borne encephalitis is rare in Denmark, and it clusters on Bornholm and in Tisvilde Hegn, the forest on the North Zealand coast.
Yes, but they're a small part of a Danish trip. Copenhagen and the coasts bring few bites, with local swarms near still water on calm evenings, and Denmark has no mosquito-borne disease. The one bite-borne illness to know is tick-borne encephalitis, which is rare and clusters on Bornholm and in the Tisvilde Hegn forest in North Zealand.
Calm evenings in Copenhagen and on the coast
Mosquitoes in Copenhagen tend to turn up on calm midsummer evenings in the parks and by the water, and they gather wherever there's standing water or woodland. On a windy day you may not see one. Bornholm is much the same, with swarms that stay close to standing water. The open beaches and dunes of the Jutland coast up to Skagen tend to be lighter still, since wind keeps biting insects down. Put a small picaridin or DEET spray in your day bag for an evening by a lake, a forest walk or dinner outdoors, and close the windows at dusk if your room has no screens.
There's no mosquito-borne disease to plan around. Denmark has never reported locally acquired dengue or chikungunya, the tiger mosquito is not established there, and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) lists no West Nile in people or animals in 2024, 2025 or 2026. CDC recommends no malaria medicine for Denmark, and the yellow fever vaccine is neither recommended nor required.
Ticks on Bornholm and in North Zealand
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is rare in Denmark. ECDC counted 4 to 7 confirmed cases a year from 2018 to 2022. The recognized risk areas are Bornholm and Tisvilde Hegn, the coastal forest at Tisvilde in North Zealand. After three local residents were hospitalized, researchers found a small focus of the virus around a playground in Tisvilde Hegn, the journal Eurosurveillance reported in 2019.
CDC's Denmark page recommends the TBE vaccine for people with extensive tick exposure based on their planned outdoor activities and itinerary. If you'll spend days hiking or camping in the forests of Bornholm or North Zealand, take those plans to a travel clinic 4–6 weeks before you fly. On forest and dune walks, use a repellent with 20% or more DEET, which CDC advises for protection from both ticks and mosquitoes, and check your whole body for ticks afterward.
June to September is the whole bite season, and a gentle one. Mosquitoes tend to be fewer in May and by late September, while ticks stay active into fall, so an autumn walk in Tisvilde Hegn still ends with a tick check.
Where you're going
How the main stops compare for a June–September trip.
Copenhagen
No mosquito-borne disease and only a few bites, mostly on calm evenings in the parks or by the water. A small spray covers it, and a room with closed or screened windows keeps the odd one out at night.
North Zealand: Tisvilde, Hornbæk & Helsingør
Easy day trips from Copenhagen with light bites. Tisvilde Hegn forest holds a known TBE focus, so check for ticks after forest and dune walks.
Bornholm
Denmark's classic TBE area. Mosquitoes tend to stay local to standing water, so the habit to bring is a tick check after hikes and bike rides through the woods.
The Jutland coast & Skagen
Windy beaches and dunes tend to keep biting insects down, and there is no mosquito-borne disease. Keep the spray for the odd calm evening.
Crossing the Øresund? Our Sweden briefing covers Stockholm's archipelago ticks and Lapland in July, and our Norway briefing covers the fjords. Going south instead, our Netherlands briefing covers Dutch bedroom mosquitoes and a 2026 West Nile season.
The Denmark kit
- Picaridin 20% travel sprays for calm evenings by lakes, woods and the harbor. The 3.4 oz size rides in a carry-on, and one bottle covers about a week of daily use for one person.
- Permethrin for hiking clothes: treat pants and socks at home 48 hours before you fly. It goes on clothing, never on skin.
What travelers report
Paraphrased from a TripAdvisor thread and a hotel review and linked so you can read them in full. Neither is dated, and a calm evening by still water bites more than a breezy one.
- Bornholm
A reply said mosquitoes are not a general problem on Bornholm, though standing water can bring local swarms. TripAdvisor ↗
- Copenhagen Island hotel, Copenhagen
A reviewer complained of mosquitoes and spiders at the hotel and told others who dislike them not to stay there. TripAdvisor ↗
As on any trip, a fever during or after it means a doctor visit, and you tell them you were in Denmark, including any forest time on Bornholm or in North Zealand.
Traveler questions
Are there mosquitoes in Copenhagen?
A few. Bites in Copenhagen tend to be occasional, mostly on calm summer evenings near standing water, trees and parks. Denmark has no mosquito-borne disease, so a small picaridin or DEET spray for evenings outdoors is the whole job. If your room has no screens, close the windows at dusk.
Do I need the TBE vaccine for Denmark?
It depends on your plans. CDC's Denmark page recommends the tick-borne encephalitis vaccine for people who will have extensive tick exposure based on their planned outdoor activities and itinerary, and says it may be considered for people who might do outdoor activities where ticks are likely. TBE is rare in Denmark and limited to Bornholm and parts of North Zealand, such as Tisvilde Hegn. If you'll spend days hiking or camping in those forests, ask a travel clinic 4–6 weeks before departure. A Copenhagen city break keeps you mostly away from ticks.
Where in Denmark should I check for ticks?
Anywhere you walk through forest, long grass or dunes, and above all on Bornholm and in North Zealand's Tisvilde Hegn, the two recognized TBE areas. Use a repellent with 20% or more DEET, which CDC advises for protection from both ticks and mosquitoes, and check your whole body when you come in. Permethrin-treated pants and socks add a layer for longer hikes.
Is there West Nile or dengue in Denmark?
No. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control lists no West Nile in people or animals in Denmark for 2024, 2025 or 2026. Denmark has never reported a locally acquired case of dengue or chikungunya, and the tiger mosquito that can spread them is not established there.
Sources
Health authorities, surveillance reports and news coverage of official bulletins used for this briefing, last checked October 2026. Traveler reports are linked where they appear. This page summarizes public-health guidance and is not medical advice.
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
- CDC destination page for travelers
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
- World Health Organization
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
- en.ssi.dk
- en.ssi.dk
- videnskab.dk
- Peer-reviewed study (PubMed Central)
- Peer-reviewed study (PubMed Central)
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control