Mental Health Licensing & Regulation in Denmark: 2025 Guide

Denmark changed how it regulates psychologists on 1 January 2026. This guide sets out who now holds a state licence in mental-health care, and who does not.

By Team TherapyRoute, current as of the 1 January 2026 reform.

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The short answer: who is regulated, and who is not

Since the reform, only a person with "autorisation" (a state licence) from "Styrelsen for Patientsikkerhed" (the Danish Patient Safety Authority) may call themselves a "psykolog"¹ (psychologist). One transitional rule qualifies that. People entitled to the title at the end of 2025 may keep it without "autorisation" until 31 December 2028.

Psychiatrists are authorised doctors under the same system. "Psykoterapeut" (psychotherapist) and "terapeut" (therapist), by contrast, are not named in the title-protection provisions, so neither is a protected title.

The table below sets out each role.

What changed on 1 January 2026

Older guides describe a different system, so the history matters. Before 2026, the title "psykolog" required only a passed "kandidateksamen i psykologi", or an examination treated as its equal,⁷ (a master's-level university degree in psychology).

Under the repealed "Lov om psykologer m.v.", an "autoriseret psykolog" was authorised by "Psykolognævnet" after a supplementary two-year practical education.⁷

On 1 January 2026 that scheme was replaced. Lov nr. 716 af 20. juni 2025, the 2025 authorisation reform, repealed the old Act and moved "autorisation" of a "psykolog" to "Styrelsen for Patientsikkerhed".²

A grace period applies. Anyone entitled to call themselves "psykolog" at the end of 2025 may keep the title, without "autorisation", until 31 December 2028.²

Existing authorisations carried over. Psychologists already authorised before the reform were transferred automatically to the new register,³ and they also gain the right to use the title "Psychologist with practice training".

Psychologists who are not authorised can apply to "Styrelsen for Patientsikkerhed" for "autorisation" from January 2026.³

The old two-tier distinction changed shape: where the repealed Act had "psykolog" and "autoriseret psykolog" as separate titles, the new Act grants one "autorisation" as a "psykolog", with a separate permission needed to use "psykolog med praksisuddannelse (klinisk psykolog)".

The law that now licenses psychologists

Under the authorisation act ("autorisationsloven"), "Styrelsen for Patientsikkerhed" grants "autorisation" and keeps the registers of "autoriserede sundhedspersoner"⁴ (authorised health professionals).

The same act also limits who may hold one: an "autorisation" cannot be granted to someone who meets the conditions for "fratagelse af autorisation" (withdrawal).⁴

From 1 January 2026 psychologists became part of the Danish healthcare authorisation scheme, so an authorised psychologist carries the same rights and responsibilities as any other authorised health professional in Denmark, title protection included.

Clinical psychologists, specialists, and the training route

The reform created a further protected designation. "Psykolog med praksisuddannelse (klinisk psykolog)" is reserved for those the authority has permitted.¹

A psychologist earns it through a "praksisuddannelse" (a clinical practice training). "Psychologist with practice training" is the English name for this same designation, and psychologists already authorised at the end of 2025 received it too. The Act lets the minister set rules under which a "psykolog med praksisuddannelse" (klinisk psykolog) can train further to a "specialpsykolog"¹ (specialist psychologist).

The Danish Health Authority, which is not the same body as "Styrelsen for Patientsikkerhed", establishes that practice-training programme.³ The minister sets the rules for the training itself.

"Autorisation" as a "psykolog" begins from a passed Danish psychology examination ("dansk psykologeksamen"),¹ or an equivalent foreign one.

Why "psykoterapeut" and "terapeut" are not protected

Danish law licenses only named roles. A "psykolog" holds "autorisation" under one part of the law, and a doctor holds "autorisation" as a "læge" under another.

"Psykoterapeut" and "terapeut" appear in no such part. The title-protection provisions cited here name "psykolog" and "læge"; neither names "psykoterapeut" or "terapeut".

Some psykoterapeuter are well trained. The title itself tells you nothing about their training or oversight.

If you are checking a named practitioner, the check is short and the steps are set out below.

Psychiatrists: doctor and specialist titles, and independent practice

A psychiatrist is a licensed medical doctor. Only a person with "autorisation" as a "læge" (doctor) may use that title and practise medicine; the "autorisation" is granted by "Styrelsen for Patientsikkerhed".⁶

The "speciallæge" (specialist) title needs a further permission, granted by "Styrelsen for Patientsikkerhed".⁶

Working independently as a doctor needs a permission of its own. The authority grants it to a doctor who has completed the "turnusuddannelse" (the further training the Act sets out for doctors), or training that can be equated with it. A doctor without that permission may work in a subordinate hospital post, or as an assistant to or temporary deputy for a general practitioner. For a reader choosing a psychiatrist, that is the practical point: a doctor in independent practice holds this permission.

How to check a psychologist is authorised

You can verify a named practitioner yourself.

1. Open the register of "autoriserede sundhedspersoner" held by "Styrelsen for Patientsikkerhed",⁵ called "Autorisationsregistret", and search it at autregweb.stps.dk.
2. Search the person's name, and confirm they hold "autorisation" as a "psykolog".
3. Allow for the grace period: some may lawfully use "psykolog" without "autorisation" until 31 December 2028.²

Older guides may still describe the pre-2026 scheme, in which "Psykolognævnet" granted authorisation. Use the "Styrelsen for Patientsikkerhed" register to confirm a "psykolog" instead.

Worth asking before you book: where you trained and in what, whether you hold authorisation, how much experience you have with this kind of concern, what the sessions will cost, and what your complaints procedure is.

Some things should stop you. A practitioner who suggests you come off prescribed psychiatric medication without speaking to the doctor who prescribed it. Guarantees about the outcome of therapy. A refusal to show qualifications. Requests for personal information that has nothing to do with the work.

If something goes wrong, keep your own record of what happened. Raise it first with the practitioner or the clinic, whose complaints procedure you can ask for at the outset. Authorisation itself is supervised by Styrelsen for Patientsikkerhed. Where you suspect criminal conduct, that is a matter for the police.

Choosing an accountable practitioner, and how to find one

Prefer an authorised "psykolog" or an authorised psychiatrist.

Verify the authorisation on the register before your first session. If a practitioner cannot show "autorisation", you may fairly ask why.

A psykoterapeut may practise skilfully, but only authorised practitioners appear on the register.

If you are looking for a practitioner in Denmark, the TherapyRoute directory for Denmark filters by language and fee. On choosing between them, this may help: how to find the right therapist.

Frequently asked questions

Is authorisation now required to call yourself a psychologist?

Yes, with a grace period. From 2026 you need "autorisation"; those entitled before may keep "psykolog" until 31 December 2028.

What is the difference between a psykolog and a psykoterapeut?

A "psykolog" holds a state "autorisation" and is recorded on the register of "autoriserede sundhedspersoner", though under the transitional rule some may still use the title without "autorisation" until 31 December 2028. A "psykoterapeut" uses an unprotected title with no legally required training.

How do I verify a practitioner?

Search the register of "autoriserede sundhedspersoner" kept by "Styrelsen for Patientsikkerhed" at autregweb.stps.dk.

This guide is general information, not legal or clinical advice. Confirm current status on the official register, and consult a qualified professional about your care.

References

1. [1] Lov nr. 716 af 20. juni 2025 om ændring af lov om autorisation af sundhedspersoner (Sundhedsfaglig autorisation af psykologer), Indenrigs- og Sundhedsministeriet, Danmark retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2025/716.
2. [2] Lov nr. 716 af 20. juni 2025, §§ 8-10 (ophævelse af psykologloven, ikrafttræden og overgangsordning), Indenrigs- og Sundhedsministeriet, Danmark retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2025/716.
3. [3] FAQ: Authorization of psychologists, The Danish Patient Safety Authority (Styrelsen for Patientsikkerhed), Denmark, last updated 19 December 2025 stps.dk.
4. [4] Bekendtgørelse af lov om autorisation af sundhedspersoner og om sundhedsfaglig virksomhed (autorisationsloven), § 2, Indenrigs- og Sundhedsministeriet, Danmark retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2023/122.
5. [5] Styrelsen for Patientsikkerhed — Autorisationsregistret stps.dk.
6. [6] Autorisationsloven, §§ 27-30 (Læger; autorisation som læge og speciallæge), Indenrigs- og Sundhedsministeriet, Danmark retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2023/122.
7. [7] Bekendtgørelse af lov om psykologer m.v. (psykologloven, ophævet 1. januar 2026 ved lov nr. 716 af 20. juni 2025), LBK nr. 1534 af 1. juli 2021, Social- og Boligministeriet, Danmark retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2021/1534.