Published 19-12-2025
Proposal to ban marriages between cousins and other relatives
On 18 December 2025, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Housing sent a draft bill to ban marriages between cousins and other relatives, prohibiting religious marriages without civil validity and other marriage-like relationships for the same group of persons, and extending the presumption rule of the Danish Aliens Act to the area of family reunification, for consultation with authorities, organisations, etc.
The draft bill proposes to introduce a ban on marriages in Denmark between cousins and between uncles, aunts and nephews or nieces. The ban will only apply to genetic kinship.
Furthermore, in line with the national ban, it is proposed to introduce a ban on the recognition of foreign marriages between the above-mentioned groups of persons.
The draft bill also proposes amending the Danish Aliens Act so that, unless there are very special reasons, including consideration for family unity, a residence permit cannot be granted as an accompanying spouse or cohabiting partner to a foreign worker, student or expatriate Dane, if there is doubt as to whether the marriage was entered into or the cohabitation relationship was established of the free will of both parties.
It also proposes to amend the Ukraine-Special Act, so that, unless there are very special reasons, including consideration for family unity, residence permits cannot be granted to spouses or permanent partners if it is considered doubtful whether the marriage was entered into or the cohabitation relationship was established of the free will of both parties.
In addition, the draft bill proposes the introduction of a presumption rule for accompanying spouses and permanent partners of foreign workers, students and Danes living abroad, as well as spouses and permanent partners applying for a residence permit under the Ukraine-Special Act, so that, unless there are very special reasons, including consideration for family unity, to the contrary it will be considered doubtful whether the marriage was entered into or the cohabitation relationship was established of the free will of both parties if the marriage was entered into or the cohabitation relationship was established between close relatives or other closely related persons.
This will correspond to what currently applies to the granting of residence permits for spouses under the general rules in this regard.
According to the draft bill, the new rules will apply to applications for first-time residence permits as an accompanying spouse or cohabiting partner of a foreign worker, student, Danish citizen living abroad or person with a residence permit under the Ukraine-Special Act, submitted from the date on which the bill is presented to the Danish Parliament or later, and which have not been processed by the date of entry into force of the Act.
Similarly, applications for a first-time residence permit as a spouse or cohabiting partner of a person with Danish/Nordic citizenship, a permanent residence permit or a residence permit as a refugee, an accompanying spouse or a cohabiting partner of a foreign worker, student, expatriate Dane, international pensioner or person with a residence permit under the Ukraine-Special Act, submitted from the time the bill is presented to the Danish Parliament or later, and which have not been processed by the time the Act enters into force, will be processed in accordance with the new rules prohibiting the recognition of foreign marriages between the aforementioned groups.
The law is expected to come into effect on 1 July 2026.
SIRI will provide further information when the bill is presented to the Danish Parliament.
