We often complain about our mail service. Whether our mail arrives late, is opened, or is delivered to a different address, we expect punctuality and accuracy. That is most of the problem of today’s postal service. But that is another story. We should be grateful for the postal service. As of December 30, 2025, Denmark no longer has an official postal service. While you can purchase a variety of postcards, you can no longer mail them.
Mailing Letters
The Danish postal service has been responsible for delivering letters in the country since 1624. Over the last 25 years, letter-sending in Denmark has declined by more than 90%. People send packages or email. But evidence suggests a resurgence in letter-writing among younger people could be underway.
Digitalisation
Announcing the decision earlier this year to stop delivering letters, PostNord, formed in 2009 in a merger of the Swedish and Danish postal services, said it would remove 1,500 red postboxes amid the “increasing digitalisation” of Danish society. However, they will continue to send packages.
The company said the demand for letters had “fallen drastically” while online shopping continued to grow, prompting the decision to focus instead on parcels.
Alternative
Danes can send a letter through DAO. Letter senders must go to a Dao office to mail it, and there is a hefty fee. But it can be done. According to Danish law, the option to send a letter must exist. This means that if Dao were to stop delivering letters, the government would be obliged to appoint somebody else to do it.
Incidentally, Dao said its research had found that 18- to 34-year-olds send two to three times as many letters as other age groups, attributing the rise to young people “looking for a counterbalance to digital oversaturation”.
Mailboxes
Denmark is known for its bright red mailboxes. These have all been removed and within three hours!
Stamps
Stamps can be returned for a refund, for a limited time. However, many people are keeping their stamps as collector items.
