Travelling between Copenhagen and Malmö by train requires no advance booking or reservation. Regional trains cross the Öresund Bridge several times every hour, taking just over half an hour from Copenhagen Central and about 20 minutes from Copenhagen Airport. The rules apply identically in both directions, whether you are making one of the easiest day trips from Copenhagen or continuing further on the Copenhagen to Stockholm train.
The short answer — which train, how often, how long
The trains running between the two cities are the Öresundståg (Øresund trains), a single regional rail system operating across both Sweden and Denmark. DSB states that trains from Copenhagen Central Station (København H) to Malmö depart several times an hour, with the sound crossing taking just over half an hour.
On the Danish side, Öresund trains call at:
- København H (Copenhagen Central)
- Nørreport
- Østerport (where the line terminates)
- Tårnby
- Ørestad
- Copenhagen Airport (Kastrup)
From Copenhagen Airport, the train crosses the Öresund Bridge and takes about 20 minutes to reach Malmö. Since 14 December 2025, VR Sverige has handled the operation and maintenance of the Öresund trains, including providing the drivers and on-board conductors.
Buying a ticket that works on both sides of the bridge
You cannot buy a ticket on board. You must hold a valid ticket before you step onto the train. Öresund train ticket machines are available at every Swedish station the service calls at, as well as at Copenhagen Central Station and Copenhagen Airport. At the airport, Skånetrafiken ticket machines are located in the arrivals hall close to the escalators leading down to the platforms; they accept credit and debit cards.
If you buy your ticket through one of the regional transport mobile apps, you must activate the ticket before the train's original scheduled departure time. An unactivated app ticket is not valid for travel. The Öresundståg website sells tickets to the specific Danish stations served by the line; other domestic tickets within Denmark are sold by DSB.
DSB's price table sets a standard single 2nd class Øresund ticket from Copenhagen or Kastrup (zones F+L) to Malmö (zone A) at 96 Danish kroner. This ticket is valid on local transport in the Copenhagen area but is not valid on SJ trains. You can also use a Danish Rejsekort (electronic travel card) to travel from any station in Denmark to Malmö C, Triangeln, or Hyllie at the same price as the standard Øresund ticket.
Family rules apply on standard Øresund tickets:
- Two children under 7 travel free when accompanied by an adult.
- Children aged 7 to 15, as well as children under 7 travelling alone, require a child ticket.
- An Øresund family ticket covers up to five people, of whom at most two can be adults (the passengers do not need to be related), and costs 20% less than two individual adult tickets.
What the ticket also covers in Copenhagen and Malmö
A single Öresund train ticket to or from Denmark includes public transport connections at both ends of the bridge. On the Danish side, the ticket covers transport in fare zones 1, 3 and 4 (area F+L) for the entire traffic day printed on the ticket, from 00:00 to 23:59. This includes the Copenhagen Metro, S-tog (urban S-trains), Movia city buses, and harbour buses.
When starting from a station in zones F+L, such as Copenhagen Central or the airport, your ticket remains valid on any Öresund train on the same route departing from three hours before to three hours after the booked departure time, requiring no formal rebooking.
On the Swedish side, your Öresund train ticket covers the local city bus to the departure station within one hour before your train leaves, or onward by city bus within one hour of arriving at your destination station.
Passport and ID checks at the border
Active border controls affect everyone crossing the Öresund Bridge into Sweden. Swedish police conduct checks on passengers entering the country. On Öresund trains, this check typically happens at Hyllie, the first station on the Swedish side. Passengers alighting at Hyllie are checked on the platform, while passengers staying on board are checked in the carriages. The Swedish government extended this internal border control regime from 12 May 2026 to 11 November 2026. Always carry valid photo identification.
When travelling in the other direction from Sweden into Denmark, Danish police no longer operate a permanent passport control point at Copenhagen Airport station, a setup discontinued on 12 May 2023. However, officers carry out periodic random identity checks on platforms or on board trains. For these checks:
- Nordic citizens do not require a passport to enter Denmark but must prove their nationality; Danish police recommend carrying a passport, driving licence, or national photo ID card.
- EU and EEA citizens (including children) must present a passport or an approved national identity card.
- Non-EU/EEA nationals must present a passport, along with a Schengen visa or residence permit if their nationality requires one.
On board
Seat reservations are not available on Öresund trains. Free seating applies throughout the train within your ticket's travel class. First class travel requires an extra supplement of 50 SEK for travel within Skåne and 50 SEK for travel in Denmark; you can buy an upgrade on board from the train conductor using a payment card only.
There is no catering, trolley, or food and drink service on board, so buy refreshments at the station before boarding. Carriages are fitted with electrical power outlets at the seats. Be waiting on the platform in advance, as train doors close and lock up to 30 seconds before the scheduled departure time.
Bringing a bike
You can bring an ordinary two-wheeled bicycle if there is available space. Each train has room for a maximum of six bikes, located in the low-floor carriage marked with bicycle symbols. Bicycle space cannot be reserved in advance.
To take a bike across the bridge between Copenhagen and Malmö, you must buy a dedicated bicycle ticket. This bike add-on is not sold on the Öresundståg website; you must buy it via Skånetrafiken's app or ticket machines. A specific restriction has been announced to take effect on 1 November 2026: ordinary bikes will be barred from Öresund trains in Skåne on weekdays between 06:00 and 08:00 and between 15:30 and 17:30, based on the scheduled departure time of the train.
Folding bicycles, folding electric scooters, and micro-bikes count as hand luggage and travel free of charge. Recharging batteries for e-bikes or e-scooters using on-board power sockets is prohibited.
The bridge you cross
The fixed link carrying the railway across the sound is the Øresund link (Øresundsforbindelsen), which spans 15.9 km in total. The route comprises a 4 km immersed tunnel from the Danish coast, the 4 km artificial island of Peberholm, and the Øresund Bridge itself, measuring 7,845 m.
Carrying both a four-lane motorway and a double-track railway, the link opened on 1 July 2000, which also marked the launch date of the cross-border Öresund train service. Regional transport authority Skånetrafiken assumed formal responsibility for organising the cross-sound train operations, including the Danish section, on 11 December 2022. For other travel routes across northern Europe, see the overview of cross-border connections in the Nordics.