The Media Council (Medierådet for børn og unge) classifies theatrically released movies and home media for release in Denmark, as well as titles on local Danish television channels and streaming/VOD services (international TV channels and streaming/VOD services available in Denmark are legally exempted, as are certain other programs).
Variants[]
Standard variant[]
2021 variant[]
Ratings[]
- A: Approved for all ages. Equivalent to G for movies, and TV-Y or TV-G for television.
- 7: Approved for all ages, but not recommended for children under the age of 7. Equivalent to PG for movies, and TV-Y7 or TV-PG for television.
- 11: Approved for audiences over the age of 11. Equivalent to PG-13 for movies and TV-14 for TV. In movie theaters, audiences under the age of 7 are not permitted to watch 11-rated movies, while ones between the ages of 7 and 10 must be accompanied by an adult who is at least 18 years old.
- 15: Approved for audiences over the age of 15. Equivalent to R, NC-17 or no rating for movies; and TV-MA for TV. In movie theaters, audiences under the age of 7 are not permitted to watch 15-rated movies, while ones between the ages of 7 and 14 must be accompanied by an adult who is at least 18 years old.
- F: Exempt from classification. Only used on home video products (mostly documentaries, Danish stand-up shows and educational material).
The Danish Media Council recommends that children do not watch movies in theaters before they are at least 4 years old, though this is not legally enforced.
The A and 7 ratings are purely advisory and are not legally enforceable, while the 11 and 15 ratings are only legally enforceable in movie theaters. Consequently, it is the responsibility of parents to ensure that their children do not watch violent and hardcore pornographic films.
Films do not have to be classified by the Media Council in order to be released in Denmark, but consequently must be labeled 15 (approved for audiences over the age of 15) if left unclassified, no matter the content of the film.
In movie theaters, films rated 11 or 15 are legally restricted. Attendees must either be at least 11 or 15 years old, or, if at least 7 years old but under the age of 11 or 15, accompanied by an adult who is at least 18 years old.
History[]
The Danish Film Censor (Statens Filmcensur) was founded on July 5, 1913. It had two classification certificates:
- Approved for general exhibition (now A)
- Forbidden for children under 16 years
A film not submitted to the censors was forbidden for children under 16 years regardless of content.
In 1969, a "12" classification was introduced (after adult film censorship was abolished), followed by an advisory "not recommended under 7" classification in 1980. In 1997, the "12" and "16" ratings were replaced by "11" and "15" respectively. In 1998, the Danish Film Censors were abolished and replaced by the Media Council.
Source: IMDb
In Fall 2020, the Media Council made it mandatory for Danish television channels and streaming/VOD services to assign Danish ratings to all available titles. This only applies to television channels and streaming/VOD services that are based in Denmark (e.g. DR channels, DR TV, TV 2 channels, TV 2 Play, etc.); all foreign/international television channels and streaming/VOD services available in Denmark (including the streaming services Disney+, Netflix, Max and SkyShowtime) are legally exempted from this rule completely.[1][2] The ratings are purely advisory.
The following types of programming are legally exempted from classification on Danish TV channels and streaming/VOD services:
- News and current affairs programmes
- Teaching and research programs
- Information programs about non-profit, political or religious activities
- Music programs
- Sports programs
- Hobby, instructional and leisure programs
- Live broadcasts
- Introduction of programs