Registration duty and purchase costs 2026: what the deal costs on top of the price
On top of the purchase price you typically pay 25,000-50,000+ kr in purchase costs. Registering the deed (skoede) costs 1.850 kr + 0,6 %, the mortgage charge (pant) 1.825 kr + 1,25 % (cut from 1,45 % as of 1 Jan 2026), and a property lawyer 4.450-10.000 kr. The estate agent is paid by the seller. Here is the whole calculation, so you know exactly what to have ready in the account before you bid.
Updated: 2026-06-22
On top of the purchase price you should reckon with typically 25,000-50,000+ kr in purchase costs on an ordinary owner-occupied home. The two big items are the state’s registration duty (tinglysningsafgift) on your ownership document and on your loan, plus the fee for your property lawyer (boligadvokat). The exact amount depends on the purchase price and on how big your loan is, but you can work it out almost to the krone in advance. The most important thing to know right away: the agent is paid by the seller, so that expense should not be in your own budget.
The two registration duties you pay yourself
Registration (tinglysning) is the official entry in the land register (Tingbogen) recording that you now own the home, and that the bank holds a mortgage charge in it. There are two separate duties, and they are calculated independently.
When your deed (skoede) (the document that makes you the owner) is registered, you pay a fixed charge of 1.850 kr plus 0,6 % of the purchase price (2026 rate). If you buy for 3.000.000 kr, that comes to 1.850 + 18.000 = 19.850 kr.
When your loan is registered as a mortgage charge (pant) in the home, you pay 1.825 kr plus 1,25 % of the loan principal. The variable rate was cut from 1,45 % to 1,25 % as of 1 January 2026, so the mortgage charge has become cheaper to register in 2026. If you borrow 2.400.000 kr (80 % of the price), that comes to 1.825 + 30.000 = 31.825 kr.
| Item | Fixed charge | Variable rate | Example (home 3 million, loan 2.4 million) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration of deed (skoede) | 1.850 kr | 0,6 % of purchase price | 19.850 kr |
| Registration of mortgage charge (loan) | 1.825 kr | 1,25 % of principal | 31.825 kr |
| Registration total | 51.675 kr |
Note that the mortgage-charge duty only hits what you actually borrow. If you put down a larger down payment (udbetaling), the mortgage-charge duty becomes lower. If you later change bank without taking out a new mortgage loan, an existing mortgage security can sometimes be reused, so you save a new duty, but that is a matter for your adviser.
Property lawyer or estate agent: who pays what
A property lawyer (boligadvokat) typically costs 4.450-10.000 kr and reviews the deal for you: purchase agreement, easements, owner costs and the technical reports. It is your only adviser in the deal who works solely for you as the buyer. You can also choose a buyer’s agent, but a property lawyer is the usual and cheaper solution for most first-time buyers.
The estate agent in the listing is the seller’s agent and is paid by the seller. The agent’s job is to sell the home for the seller at the best possible price. That is neither hidden nor anything to be afraid of, but it is the reason you need an independent review of your own. Write a lawyer reservation (advokatforbehold) into the purchase agreement so you can withdraw free of charge if your lawyer finds something. The lawyer reservation is not standard and has to be actively written in.
The smaller items that also count
Beyond registration and the lawyer, there are some smaller expenses you should have in the budget:
- Condition report and electrical-installation report: paid by the seller as part of the house inspection, so normally not your expense when buying. Read them carefully anyway.
- Owner-change insurance (ejerskifteforsikring): the seller must pay at least half of the cheapest premium, but if you want better cover, you pay the difference yourself. The insurance covers for at least 5 years (up to 10).
- Bank fees and rate hedging: smaller fees in connection with your mortgage loan (realkreditlaan) and rate hedging of the loan.
- Insurance and moving: home insurance from the takeover date and the move itself.
A realistic total calculation
To give you an honest picture, here are two typical deals. The figures build on the fixed rates above and an ordinary lawyer fee.
| Home | Loan (80 %) | Deed duty | Mortgage-charge duty | Property lawyer | Purchase costs total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.500.000 kr | 2.000.000 kr | 16.850 kr | 26.825 kr | ~6.000 kr | ~49.675 kr |
| 3.500.000 kr | 2.800.000 kr | 22.850 kr | 36.825 kr | ~7.000 kr | ~66.675 kr |
The figures sit a little above the frequently cited rule of thumb, because the mortgage charge on a large loan is the heaviest item. The point is simple: the bigger the loan, the bigger the mortgage-charge duty. If you put down a larger down payment, both your loan-to-value ratio (belaaningsgrad) and your mortgage-charge duty fall.
When the money has to be ready
The purchase costs fall due around the closing of the deal, not at the time of bidding. You have to be able to add them on top of your down payment, so they belong with the cash savings you plan for. A good rule is to have the down payment plus the purchase costs plus a buffer in place before you go into bidding (budgivning). Remember the right of withdrawal (fortrydelsesret) too: you have 6 working days to withdraw against compensation of 1 % of the purchase price to the seller, if you have not taken a lawyer reservation.
At Heimer we count the purchase costs in when we show what a home really requires of you. So you see the full cash expense before you bid, instead of being surprised at signing. If you instead buy a housing cooperative share (andelsbolig), the calculation looks different, because you do not get a deed registered on real property in the same way. We cover that in the separate guide on housing cooperative shares.
Terms to know
Common questions
What does it cost to buy a home on top of the price?
You should typically reckon with 25,000-50,000+ kr in purchase costs on top of the purchase price. The largest items are registration of the deed (skoede) (1.850 kr + 0,6 % of the purchase price) and registration of the mortgage charge (pant) on your loan (1.825 kr + 1,25 % of the loan principal), plus a property lawyer (boligadvokat) at roughly 4.450-10.000 kr. The estate agent is paid by the seller, so that expense is not yours.
How much is the registration duty on a deed in 2026?
The registration duty on a deed is a fixed charge of 1.850 kr plus 0,6 % of the purchase price in 2026. If you buy for 3.000.000 kr, you pay 1.850 + 18.000 = 19.850 kr. The duty is paid to the state when it is registered that you are the new owner.
Has the registration duty on the mortgage charge been cut in 2026?
Yes. The variable registration duty on a mortgage charge (pant) in real property was cut from 1,45 % to 1,25 % of the loan principal as of 1 January 2026. The fixed part is unchanged at 1.825 kr. So the mortgage charge has become cheaper to register in 2026.
Who pays the estate agent in a home purchase?
The seller pays the estate agent. The agent in the listing is the seller's agent and works for the seller. As a buyer you instead pay for your own advice, typically a property lawyer (boligadvokat) at roughly 4.450-10.000 kr, who reviews the deal for you.
What does a property lawyer cost?
A property lawyer (boligadvokat) typically costs between 4.450 and 10.000 kr. The lawyer reviews the purchase agreement, easements, owner costs and the technical reports for you as the buyer. Write a lawyer reservation (advokatforbehold) into the purchase agreement so you can withdraw free of charge if the lawyer finds problems.
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