Copenhagen Airport confirmed on Thursday that an extraordinary security procedure is forcing all passengers through an additional check, creating massive queues that the airport expects to continue through the weekend.
The airport confirmed the situation to DR Nyheder on Thursday, October 22, 2026. Every departing passenger must go through the extra security check at the central security control. Copenhagen Airport has called in additional staff to handle the workload.
According to DR, the airport expects the extraordinary checks on passengers to continue through the end of the weekend. The airport did not state publicly what prompted the procedure. DR is running a live blog on the situation, and the story is still being updated.
Waiting times passed 45 minutes on Thursday evening
As reported by Ekstra Bladet, waiting times at security exceeded 45 minutes on Thursday evening. The newspaper attributes the queues to increased requirements for additional security procedures at the airport. It also reports that extra personnel were being brought in.
Copenhagen Airport’s communications director, Lise Kürstein, told B.T. that the airport is fully staffed. Per Kürstein, the increased requirements simply demand more personnel than before. B.T. adds that periods of long queues are expected over the following days.
Why the checks started now
Both Ekstra Bladet and B.T. point to the same immediate cause. Increased requirements for additional security procedures were introduced at Copenhagen Airport on October 22, 2026. Neither outlet reports a named authority behind the tightened requirements, and no official statement from a ministry or agency has been published.
What the airport delays mean for internationals traveling from Copenhagen
Security screening at Copenhagen Airport, known in Danish as sikkerhedskontrollen, is handled by the airport itself and applies to all departing passengers regardless of nationality. This check is separate from passport control, which is run by the police and applies when traveling to or from countries outside the Schengen area. According to DR, the extraordinary check covers all passengers, so holding a Danish residence permit or a non-EU passport makes no difference to the queue itself.
For foreign residents flying out of Kastrup this weekend, the practical consequence is time. B.T. reports that the airport expects periods of long queues over the coming days, and Ekstra Bladet measured waits of more than 45 minutes on Thursday evening. Travelers connecting from outside Copenhagen should also factor in their journey from the airport to the city center and back, which runs on metro, train and bus services described in our guide to Copenhagen public transport.
Non-EU residents who need their residence card or visa documents checked at passport control should remember that this is an additional stop beyond security. Rules on residence documents and travel are published by the Danish Immigration Service and SIRI on nyidanmark.dk, and our overview of immigration rules in Denmark explains the main permit types. What is not yet known is how long the extraordinary procedure will remain in place beyond the weekend, because the airport has given no end date.
