Am I allowed to use a sunbed if I am under 18 in Denmark?
Today there is no statutory age limit, but an 18-year limit has been passed and takes effect on 1 January 2027. That is the detail almost everyone misses: the law was passed in 2026, but the age limit itself only applies from 1 January 2027, so the industry can adapt. Until then only the Health Authority's recommendation applies that young people should not use sunbeds — a tanning centre that lets a 15-year-old in today breaks no law. The limit comes as part of Cancer Plan V and is paired with a requirement for an age-control system; unstaffed centres must use digital checks. From 2027 it costs the centre a fine of 15,000 kr — not the young user, who cannot be punished for lying down on the bed.
📋 The rules
- 18-year limit passed, in force 1 January 2027
- Requirement for an age-control system from 2027
- Today only the Health Authority's recommendation
- From 2027: a 15,000 kr fine for the centre
- The fine hits the owner, not the young user
🔓 Exceptions
- Until 1 January 2027 there is no legally enforced age limit
- Unstaffed tanning centres must use digital age control from 2027
- The 15,000 kr fine hits the operator, not the under-18
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Until 1 January 2027 there is no penalty: a tanning centre that gives a 15-year-old access today breaks no law, only a recommendation from the Health Authority. From 2027 the picture flips. A centre that gives access to an under-18, or that has no age-control system at all, can be fined 15,000 kr for a first offence, and the Safety Authority supervises. The fine hits the operator, not the young user — there is no sanction against the person lying on the bed. Unstaffed centres are the most exposed, because they must be able to document digital age control.
📎 Official sources
- Ministry of the Interior and Health · Sunbed age limit →
- Hearing portal · Sunbeds Act →
- Health Authority · Sunbeds →
❓ Frequently asked
Can I use a sunbed if I am under 18?
Today yes in practice, because there is not yet a statutory age limit. An 18-year limit has been passed and takes effect on 1 January 2027, and after that the centre may not let you in — the fine hits the centre, not you.
Is there an age limit now?
No, not a statutory one. Until 1 January 2027 only the Health Authority's recommendation applies that young people should not use sunbeds, and a recommendation cannot be enforced with a fine. That changes in 2027.
When does the age limit take effect?
1 January 2027. The law was passed in 2026 as part of Cancer Plan V, but the age limit itself was delayed so tanning centres can get age control in place. Until then only the recommendation applies.
How must age be checked?
From 2027 tanning centres must have an age-control system, and unstaffed centres must use digital verification. Nobody may get access without their age being checked — not even in a centre with no staff.
What is the penalty from 2027?
A fine of 15,000 kr for the tanning centre for giving access to an under-18 or for lacking age control. The fine hits the operator and not the young user, and the Safety Authority supervises.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “can I use a sunbed under 18 denmark”
- “sunbed age limit 18 2027”
- “sunbed recommendation health authority”
- “tanning centre age control”
- “sunbed fine 15000”
- “cancer plan sunbed”