Tobacco — Denmark

Indoor smoking is banned across Denmark's public spaces. Under the Smoke-free Environments Act (lov om røgfri miljøer, LBK nr. 1632 af 18/06/2021, which consolidates LBK nr. 581 af 26/03/2021 with the amendments made by Act no. 2071 of 21 December 2020), smoking is not permitted indoors in premises to which the public has access (§ 18), in public transport and taxis (§ 20), or indoors at serving places -- any premises serving food or drink for consumption on or at the point of sale (§ 21). Designated smoking rooms and smoking cabins may be set up in all three settings, and in a serving place no food or drink may be served or brought into them, except that the place may allow guests to bring their own drinks. Two exceptions matter to a visitor: a hotel room, cabin or similar room let to overnight guests on a commercial basis may be designated as one where guests may smoke (§ 19); and a small traditional bar may permit indoor smoking only if it holds an alcohol licence, serves no real food, has a serving area under 40 square metres, and has tables and chairs in that serving area (§ 22). The Act does not apply to the Faroe Islands or Greenland (§ 34).

The Act's fine falls on the venue, not on the individual smoker: an employer, owner, restaurateur, manager or leaseholder who permits smoking contrary to the Act is punished by a fine (lov om røgfri miljøer § 26, stk. 2), and legal persons can be held criminally liable under Chapter 5 of the Criminal Code (§ 26, stk. 3). A fine also applies to anyone who breaches the written-workplace-policy duty in § 5 or an order issued under the Working Environment Act, the Act on Safety at Sea, the Aviation Act or the Offshore Safety Act (§ 26, stk. 1). An employee who breaches the workplace smoking ban is dealt with under the rules governing that employee's own employment relationship rather than by fine (§ 25). The retail age limit for tobacco is set by a separate Act that was not read for this entry.

Verified Oct 9, 2026