Danish abortion law change ends cross-border travel to Sweden

Danish women no longer travel to Sweden for late-term abortions following a change in Denmark’s abortion laws, according to a Swedish midwife responsible for abortion services in southern Sweden.

Roxana Leyton, a midwife overseeing abortion care at Skåne University Hospital—covering clinics in Malmö and Lund—told Danish broadcaster DR that Danish patients have not sought late abortions in Sweden since Denmark extended its legal limit from 12 to 18 weeks last summer.

“We no longer see Danish women coming to Sweden for late-term abortions,” Leyton said. The last Danish patient at her clinic was in May 2025.

Sweden has permitted abortions up to 18 weeks since 1975, and since 2008, Danish women could legally obtain abortions in Sweden after 12 weeks—the previous Danish limit. Around 20 Danish women annually traveled to Sweden for the procedure, typically paying approximately 16,000 Swedish kronor (about €1,400). Many did so after being denied approval by Denmark’s Abortion Council or to avoid its review process.

Denmark’s new 18-week limit, aligned with Sweden’s, has eliminated the need for cross-border travel. Other European countries vary widely: the UK and the Netherlands allow abortions up to 24 weeks, while Iceland’s limit is 22 weeks. Malta bans abortion entirely, and Poland restricts it to cases of rape, incest, or threats to the mother’s life or health.