According to TV 2, a Vietnamese-owned taxi operator plans to deploy up to 600 electric VinFast cars in Copenhagen from 30 July 2026, potentially adding a significant share of the capital region’s taxi capacity while advertising fixed monthly salaries of DKK 29,000 for drivers.
Green SM’s Copenhagen entry could represent one of the largest single-operator taxi launches in Denmark since the 2017 Taxi Act reshaped the market. According to the Danish Vehicle Register, 590 VinFast VF 6 and VF 8 cars were registered to company fleets in June 2026, compared to just 15 of the same models registered to private individuals. If those registration figures are accurate, the overwhelming majority of VinFast vehicles in Denmark appear linked to company fleets rather than private consumers, and are coded for commercial passenger transport. The company pre-positioned its fleet quietly before TV 2 reported on the planned launch on 23 July 2026. Green SM’s entry also appears to be among the first large-scale deployments of VinFast vehicles as taxis within the EU, though no official company or regulatory statement has confirmed this.
A shrinking market meets a large newcomer
The timing is notable. Denmark’s taxi sector has contracted since liberalisation in 2018, with the number of licensed vehicles nationally falling from approximately 5,500 to around 4,550 by early 2024, a decline of roughly 17 percent, according to industry and Statistics Denmark data cited in the research briefing. Copenhagen accounts for much of that decline. Green SM’s reported plan to launch hundreds of electric vehicles into the capital comes as existing operators face post-pandemic demand shifts and rising costs.
Hakon Iversen from Dansk Industri told TV 2 on 23 July 2026 that Denmark is a regulated market and recruiting hundreds of drivers takes time, questioning whether Green SM could find them at all. The concern has a labour-market dimension. Statistics Denmark labour data indicate that close to 46 percent of people employed as taxi and related passenger transport drivers in the Capital Region were foreign-born as of 2023, with non-Western immigrants strongly over-represented compared to other sectors. Any large new operator’s hiring strategy therefore has direct implications for thousands of internationals already working in the sector.
A salary that stands out for taxi drivers
TV 2 and Ingeniøren reported that Green SM advertised a fixed monthly salary of DKK 29,000 plus bonuses. That is roughly DKK 4,000 to 5,000 above typical gross earnings for full-time taxi drivers in Copenhagen, who often report monthly before-tax income in the DKK 23,000 to 25,000 range, according to union and tax data cited in the research briefing. For an expat driver working 45 to 50 hours a week, that salary equates to roughly DKK 168 to 193 per hour before tax, which is competitive with many low-skilled roles but still below skilled-trades earnings.
The offer arrives as unemployment among non-Western immigrants in Denmark remains well above the rate for ethnic Danes, according to Statistics Denmark data. Taxi work is one of the few accessible entry-level jobs requiring limited Danish, and a fixed salary model could attract internationals seeking predictable income, especially those on permits tied to minimum earnings thresholds.
Regulatory complexity and permit requirements
Operating in Denmark is not straightforward for a foreign platform. Under the Taxi Act, Green SM must obtain both taxivognmandstilladelser (operator licences) and individual taxikøretøjstilladelser (vehicle licences), overseen by Trafikstyrelsen and municipalities. According to Taxiloven paragraph 3, section 1, taxi driving may only be performed by companies holding a taxi licence and affiliated to an operator office approved by the Danish Transport Authority. That requirement means Green SM must either create or join an approved dispatch office, known as a kørselskontor, and cannot operate as an unlicensed pure app service.
A quiet rollout with broad implications
According to TV 2’s reporting, Green SM stored its vehicles in the Avedøre industrial area before the planned launch. TV 2 reported that each registered taxi must meet Danish requirements for approved taxameters, driver ID display and safety checks, among other conditions. The company’s launch has drawn attention partly because Copenhagen’s taxi capacity has been relatively stable in recent years, and a fleet of this reported size would represent a notable shift in market structure.
What existing drivers and new hires should know
Internationals considering driving for Green SM, or concerned about impacts on their existing taxi job, can use immigration, labour and advisory services to clarify work permit requirements, employment contracts and income expectations before signing. Non-EU, EEA and Swiss citizens must have a residence and work basis that permits the relevant employment, as many permits are occupation-specific. Driving a taxi under an incorrect permit category can jeopardise residency status.
The Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration, known as SIRI, provides English-language guidance on work permits for third-country nationals, including salary thresholds and sectoral schemes. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens have more flexible access to work but still need a CPR number, tax card and MitID. These can be obtained through International Citizen Service centres in Copenhagen, Aarhus, Odense and Aalborg, which offer services in English and other languages.
Income and tax card adjustments
For those already driving for other taxi companies, unions like 3F Transport and advisory organisations such as International House Copenhagen can provide neutral guidance on switching employers, understanding Danish labour law and ensuring proper insurance coverage. Anyone concerned about income changes due to increased competition should contact SKAT, the Danish Tax Agency, to adjust their tax card and avoid unexpected back-tax bills if earnings shift. Expats unfamiliar with Danish-language contracts should request an English version or seek translation assistance before signing, as signed contracts carry legal weight under Danish law regardless of the signatory’s language proficiency.
John Bergholdt from Dansk PersonTransport told TV 2 on 23 July 2026 that as long as new market entry occurs on equal terms, a new competitor should not pose problems. He added that market conditions will determine who pressures whom. For thousands of foreign-born drivers in Denmark, the question is whether that pressure translates into better employment options or intensified competition for available work.
