- Abortion legal status
- Legal
- Emergency contraception
- Over the counter
- Emergency number
- 112
Updated July 2026 · Sources cited: cphpost.dk, jessieonajourney.com
Good to know
Good to Know
- Emergency contraception (the morning-after pill) is sold over the counter in Danish pharmacies with no prescription and no age restriction — you can just ask the pharmacist, even as a tourist.
- The ulipristal acetate pill (ellaOne) works longer (up to 5 days after unprotected sex) but is kept behind the counter, so you need to specifically ask the pharmacist for it rather than picking it off a shelf.
- Regular birth control pills, IUDs, and implants all require a doctor's prescription in Denmark — as a short-term visitor without a Danish health card (CPR), plan to pay privately for the doctor visit and the device/prescription.
- If you're sexually assaulted in Copenhagen, the Centre for Victims of Sexual Assault at Rigshospitalet is open 24/7 with no appointment needed, and you don't have to decide about reporting to police before going — call the nurse line first if you can.
- Danner's hotline offers support specifically in English, which can be reassuring if you're not comfortable navigating Danish-language services after a traumatic event.
- To preserve possible forensic evidence, avoid washing and try to bring the clothes worn during the incident (plus a change of clothes) if you go to a specialist center.
- Denmark raised its elective abortion limit from 12 to 18 weeks on 1 June 2025, one of the more liberal cutoffs in Europe.
- Public abortion care is free for residents but is structured around CPR registration; nomads without Danish residency should expect to use (and pay for) a private clinic instead of the free public pathway.
- Private gynaecology clinics in central Copenhagen (e.g. Gyndoktor, Metropol Gyn Clinic) are commonly used by expats specifically to skip public-system wait times, though many require phone booking rather than online booking.
- English is very widely spoken among Danish medical staff, so language is rarely a barrier even in the public system.
Street, Night and Taxi Safety
Street Harassment
Multiple safety guides describe catcalling and verbal harassment in Copenhagen as rare compared with other European capitals, and overall sexual-harassment risk for women is rated as low. That said, a 2024 Copenhagen Post feature on gender and safety noted real incidents do occur, including unwanted touching on the street or metro, and that local analysts believe harassment against women is under-reported.
Walking Alone at Night
Central, well-populated areas (Indre By, Vesterbro, Frederiksberg, Østerbro) are widely described as comfortable for women walking alone even late at night, thanks to good street lighting and people out until late. Guides still advise extra caution on quiet weeknights and in outer, less-populated parts of the city where fewer people are around after dark.
Areas with a Different Reputation After Dark
Most of Copenhagen's tourist-frequented core is considered safe, but a few residential pockets outside the usual visitor routes - such as Tingbjerg and parts of Nørrebro and Vesterbro away from the main streets - are sometimes flagged by local safety write-ups as areas to be more cautious in after dark, largely due to occasional social unrest rather than targeted crime against women specifically.
Public Transport at Night
Copenhagen's metro is new, well-lit and under video surveillance, and runs around the clock, which is one reason it's consistently rated a safe way for women to get around after dark without driving or walking long distances.
Practical Precautions
The main practical risk flagged for women (and travelers generally) is petty theft and pickpocketing in crowded tourist spots like Strøget, Central Station, and Tivoli Gardens, rather than violent crime. Guides also recommend standard common-sense habits: staying aware of surroundings rather than wearing headphones late at night, keeping an eye on drinks in bars, and watching for fast-moving cyclists when crossing bike lanes, since cycling is the dominant mode of transport in the city.
Abortion Law And OB-GYN
- Law Summary
- Abortion was fully legalized in Denmark on 1 October 1973, and the country operates a public, largely free abortion service integrated into the national health system.
- Legal Status
- Fully legal and regulated
- Minors And Consent
- Since June 2025, minors aged 15 to 17 can consent to and obtain an abortion without parental approval, aligning abortion consent with Denmark's general medical age of consent (15) and its age of sexual consent. Those under 15 still require parental consent, or in special cases, approval from the national board without informing parents.
Access Routes
- Public System
- Abortion is provided free of charge through the public healthcare system (via GP referral or direct contact with a hospital gynaecology department), with mandatory pre-procedure counselling offered to inform (not dissuade) the patient.
- Methods Available
- Medical abortion (mifepristone combined with misoprostol) is used in the first trimester. Surgical options include vacuum aspiration for early pregnancies and dilation and evacuation (D&E) for later-stage procedures.
- Practical Note For Nomads
- Free access is tied to the Danish public healthcare system, which residents access via their CPR number and yellow health card. EU/EEA visitors can generally use an EHIC for necessary public care; non-resident/non-EU visitors without CPR registration should expect to arrange care through a private gynaecology clinic and pay out of pocket, as the free-abortion pathway is designed around residents.
Abortion Time Limits
- Beyond Limit
- Abortions after 18 weeks require approval from a national abortion board (replacing the previous five regional boards, and now based in Aarhus). Approval is granted for specific grounds such as risk to the woman's physical or mental health, poor socioeconomic circumstances, risk of fetal birth defects, pregnancy resulting from rape, or other special circumstances.
- Elective On Request
- As of 1 June 2025, women can obtain an abortion on request (no reason required) up to the end of the 18th week of pregnancy. This raised the previous limit of 12 weeks, which had been in place since 1973.
Named OB-GYN Options Copenhagen
Gyndoktor
- Type
- Private gynaecological clinic
- Location
- Central Copenhagen
- Notes
- A private gynaecologist practice in the heart of Copenhagen aimed at patients with health insurance or those wanting to avoid public-system wait times.
Metropol Gyn Clinic (Part of Hovedstadens Kvindeklinik)
- Type
- Private gynaecological clinic
- Location
- Central Copenhagen
- Notes
- A private gynaecology practice describing itself as a leading clinic in the centre of Copenhagen, offering services including hysteroscopy and sonohysterography, serving roughly 5,000 women annually.
Rigshospitalet – Department of Gynaecology (Juliane Marie Centre)
- Type
- Public university hospital department
- Location
- Copenhagen (Region Hovedstaden)
- Notes
- Denmark's largest public hospital gynaecology department, part of Region Hovedstaden's public healthcare system; the route most residents use for publicly funded gynaecological and abortion care.
Assault Resources
- Emergency Number
- 112 (police/ambulance, nationwide)
- Reporting Notes
- There are specialist Rape and Sexual Assault Centres across Denmark, covering nine major cities including Copenhagen, and offering 24/7 support regardless of whether you wish to report to police. All hospitals can provide emergency treatment to victims of rape and sexual assault even outside these specialist centres.
Specialist Centers
Centre for Victims of Sexual Assault (Rigshospitalet)
- Phone
- +45 35 45 50 32 (call the nurse before arriving if possible)
- Hours
- Open 24 hours a day, and you can also access support when months or years have passed.
- Location
- Rigshospitalet, central Copenhagen
- Notes
- To preserve forensic evidence, it is advised not to wash yourself and to bring the clothes worn during the incident, plus a change of clothes.
- Description
- The Center for Victims of Sexual Assault offers in-person, emergency assistance for people who have been subjected to sexual assault or attempted sexual assaults, and appointments are not needed.
Danner Counseling and Crisis Center
- Phone
- Hotline listed via Danner's own site (crisis center number)
- Hours
- 24/7
- Description
- Danner provides a 24/7 hotline offering help and guidance in English for those who have experienced or been exposed to sexual violence.
Lev Uden Vold (Crisis Hotline)
- Phone
- +45 1888 (crisis hotline), +45 3151 4441 (secretary)
- Hours
- 24/7
- Location
- HC Andersens Boulevard 47, Copenhagen
- Description
- Lev uden vold provides the 24/7 crisis hotline for survivors of violence, serving all survivors regardless of sex and gender.
The Joan Sisters (Joan-søstrene)
- Phone
- +45 3314 7484
- Location
- Niels Hemmingsens Gade 8-10, 1153 Copenhagen K
- Description
- The Joan Sisters is a female political organization providing support for women who have been victims of violence, rape, sexual harassment and/or sexual assaults through women-to-women counselling.
LOKK (National Organization of Women's Crisis Centers)
- Phone
- +45 32 95 90 19
- Location
- Lundtoftegade 23, 1., 2200 Copenhagen
- Description
- LOKK represents more than 50 women's crisis centers and can help find the closest available women's shelter, with a 24-hour anonymous hotline.
Victim Support Denmark (Offerrådgivning) – Copenhagen Area
- Phone
- +45 21 20 91 70
- Description
- An independent public service offering free and confidential support; the anonymous helpline for the main Copenhagen area is available 24/7.
Foreningen Sex Og Samfund
- Description
- The Danish equivalent of Planned Parenthood, providing counseling, contraception, STI testing, and more.
Contraception And Emergency Contraception
- Regulatory Status
- Fully legal and regulated
Emergency Contraception
- Reimbursement
- The cost of emergency contraception is not reimbursed or covered by social security in Denmark, so both residents and visitors pay out of pocket.
Levonorgestrel Pill
- Access
- Available over the counter at pharmacies without a prescription, with no age restrictions, and it is on open shelves so it can be taken directly to the checkout.
- Price Estimate
- DKK 195
- Pricing Note
- Estimated from a pan-European source citing roughly €12 for Denmark; not confirmed against a specific Copenhagen pharmacy receipt, so treat as approximate.
Copper Or Hormonal IUD As EC
- Access
- An IUD is included in Danish national policy guidelines as a valid form of emergency contraception, but it requires an appointment with a licensed healthcare practitioner (GP, gynecologist, or clinic) to insert, so it takes longer to arrange than the over-the-counter pill.
- Cost Note
- Cost is not separately confirmed for tourists/short-term visitors; likely bundled with a private gynecology consultation fee plus the device.
Ulipristal Acetate Pill EllaOne
- Access
- Available behind the pharmacy counter without a prescription (must be requested from the pharmacist rather than picked from a shelf); effective for up to 5 days (120 hours) after unprotected sex.
- Price Estimate
- DKK 375
- Pricing Note
- No official Copenhagen-specific price found; this is an estimated range based on typical Nordic pharmacy pricing for ellaOne and should be treated as approximate.
Ongoing Female Contraception
- Who Can Access Free Or Subsidized Care
- All legal residents (citizens, EU residents, people with residence permits, people with student visas) are entitled to free health care services in Denmark, which extends to contraceptive consultations for those enrolled in the public system; short-term visitors without a Danish health card (CPR/yellow card) generally pay privately.
Implant
- Access
- Requires a prescription and a brief in-clinic insertion procedure by a doctor; less commonly discussed than the pill or IUD in Danish public-health materials reviewed.
- Cost Note
- Specific pricing wasn't independently confirmed at the time of research.
Birth Control Pill
- Access
- Requires a prescription from a doctor (GP, gynecologist, or a sexual-health clinic such as Sex & Samfund); once prescribed, pills are purchased at any pharmacy.
- Cost Note
- Specific per-pack pricing wasn't independently confirmed for this report; expect a routine doctor consultation fee for non-residents plus a modest monthly pharmacy cost, with partial public subsidy typically limited to residents under 25 with a Danish health card.
IUD Hormonal Or Copper
- Access
- Requires a prescription and an in-clinic insertion procedure by a licensed healthcare provider; included in national family-planning guidelines.
- Cost Note
- Cost for the device and insertion wasn't independently confirmed at the time of research; residents with a Danish health card typically get subsidized or free access, while non-residents should expect a private clinic consultation and procedure fee.
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this women's health & safety research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Copenhagen
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.