Published 26-02-2026
A bill to ban marriages between cousins and other relatives has now been presented
On 26 February 2026, the Minister for Social Affairs and Housing presented a bill prohibiting the conclusion and recognition of marriages between cousins and other relatives, prohibiting religious marriages without civil validity and other marriage-like relationships for the same group of persons, extending the presumption rule of the Aliens Act to the area of family reunification, etc.
On 18 December 2025, a draft of the bill was sent for consultation to authorities, organisations, etc. In this connection, SIRI and the Danish Immigration Service provided information about the content of the draft bill and its significance for the rules in the area of immigration.
Read previous news about the proposal
Since the bill has been in consultation, an additional element has been added prohibiting religious marriages without civil validity and other marriage-like relationships for relatives.
If the bill is passed, in addition to the changes outlined in the news item of 18 December 2025, there will be a tightening of the rules on spousal reunification, the rules on permanent residence permits and the rules on the expulsion of religious preachers.
The changes will mean that being convicted, and in certain cases charged or prosecuted, for conducting or participating in a religious marriage without civil validity or another marriage-like relationship between relatives may have consequences for residence rights.
According to the 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 Folketing or later, and which have not been processed by the date of entry into force of the Act.
Similarly, applications for first-time residence permits as a spouse or cohabiting partner of a person with Danish/Nordic citizenship, permanent residence permit or residence permit as a refugee, accompanying spouse or 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 date on which the bill is presented to the Folketing or later, and which have not been processed by the date of entry into force of the Act, will be processed under the new rules.
SIRI and the Danish Immigration Service will provide further information once the bill has been passed by the Folketing.
Read the bill as presented (in Danish only) (opens in new tab)
