Copenhagen Airport to Malmö and Sweden

Copenhagen Airport doubles as the airport for southern Sweden. Öresund trains leave from the station under Terminal 3, cross the bridge, and arrive at Malmö Central in about 20 minutes, which makes the crossing shorter than many airport-to-city runs. Below: the trains, the ID checks, and which side of the water to sleep on.

The trains

Öresundståg and SJ services share the route, with departures every 15 to 20 minutes through most of the day and dozens of trains daily. The trains carry luggage space, power sockets and toilets, and continue beyond Malmö toward Lund and Gothenburg. Buy tickets in the operators’ apps or at machines; the airport station is two minutes below check-in, so a landing-to-Malmö time under an hour is realistic with hand luggage.

By road, Malmö is about 30 kilometres over the Øresund bridge, with a toll for cars; the Best Western Plus notes the drive as an easy add-on for guests with a rental car.

The border checks

Travel between Denmark and Sweden crosses an internal Schengen border where identity checks operate. In practice: carry a passport or, for EU and Schengen-country citizens, a national identity card, and expect the possibility of a check at the platform or on board. The checks add minutes, not hours, but they are the reason not to book a razor-thin same-day connection from a Malmö morning to a CPH departure gate.

Which side to sleep on

The rule that falls out of the timetable: sleep on the side your morning belongs to. Flying out early means the Clarion, two minutes from Terminal 3 above the very station the trains leave from, or another of the walk-to hotels; no bridge, no checks, no timetable before coffee. Landing late and continuing into Sweden reverses it, and a Malmö bed spares the double crossing. For a layover with six or more hours, Malmö itself is a plausible day trip, 20 minutes each way plus the check margin.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get from Copenhagen Airport to Malmö?

Take an Öresund train from the station under Terminal 3. Trains run every 15 to 20 minutes for most of the day and reach Malmö Central in about 20 minutes, crossing the Øresund bridge.

Do I need my passport to cross to Malmö?

Carry ID. Checks are carried out for travel between Denmark and Sweden, and while EU and Schengen-country citizens can use a national identity card rather than a passport, non-EU travellers should carry theirs. Build a few minutes into the connection.

Should I stay on the Danish or Swedish side before a CPH flight?

For early departures, the Danish side wins: a hotel by the terminals removes the bridge, the checks and the timetable from the morning entirely. Malmö hotels make sense for evening arrivals heading into Sweden anyway.

Information last verified: August 29, 2026