Am I allowed to have an abortion in Denmark?
Yes — you have a right to free abortion, and since 1 June 2025 the limit runs to week 18. That is an extension from the previous 12-week limit, which still appears in many older guides — believe it, and you may give up weeks you actually have. Girls from 15 can decide on an abortion themselves without parental consent, also new from 1 June 2025, while girls under 15 need the Abortion Board's approval. The abortion is free in the public health system. After week 18 an abortion needs permission from the Abortion Board, the new national board that has replaced the regional abortion councils, and permission is granted only on specific grounds. Foetal reduction needs the board's permission at any stage.
📋 The rules
- Free abortion up to week 18 (since 1 June 2025)
- An extension from the previous 12-week limit
- Girls from 15 decide themselves without parental consent
- The abortion is free in the public system
- After 18 weeks: permission from the Abortion Board
🔓 Exceptions
- After week 18, abortion is granted only on specific grounds via the Abortion Board
- Girls under 15 need the Abortion Board's approval
- Foetal reduction needs the Abortion Board's permission at any stage
⚠️ Penalties & fines
An abortion outside the legal framework remains punishable under the Penal Code — that framework is what bounds the free right; it is not a penalty for seeking an abortion within it. In practice the real risk is time. After week 18 there is no longer free abortion: the case goes to the Abortion Board, which grants permission only on specific grounds, and there is no guarantee of a yes. The widespread trap is the stale limit of 12 weeks, still printed in many places, even though free abortion has run to week 18 since 1 June 2025.
📎 Official sources
❓ Frequently asked
Can I have an abortion in Denmark?
Yes. You have a right to free abortion up to week 18, a limit that has applied since 1 June 2025, and the procedure itself is free in the public health system. After week 18 the Abortion Board must give permission.
What is the free-abortion limit?
Week 18. It is an extension from the previous 12-week limit, in force from 1 June 2025 — but 12 weeks still appears in many older articles and guides, so always check the date on the source you are reading.
Can I decide myself at 15?
Yes. Since 1 June 2025 girls from 15 can decide on an abortion themselves without parental consent. Girls under 15, by contrast, need the Abortion Board's approval however far along they are.
What happens after week 18?
After week 18 there is no longer free abortion. The case goes to the Abortion Board, the new national board that has replaced the regional abortion councils, and permission is granted only on specific grounds.
What about girls under 15?
Girls under 15 need the Abortion Board's approval for an abortion. It is the same board that decides the cases after week 18, and that must also permit foetal reduction, whatever stage the pregnancy is at.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “can I have an abortion denmark”
- “free abortion 18 weeks”
- “abortion 15 decide self”
- “abortion new law 2025”
- “abortion board permission”
- “free abortion denmark”