Europe
Denmark.
The Danish Criminal Code punishes failing to help a person in obvious danger of death when help is possible without special danger or sacrifice. Municipalities are required by the Social Services Act to cooperate with voluntary social organizations and to set aside money each year to support voluntary social work, and first-time driver's license applicants must complete a traffic-related first aid course.
Is there a legal duty to help a stranger?
YesStraffeloven section 253 punishes with a fine or up to 2 years in prison anyone who, although it was possible without special danger or sacrifice to themselves or others, fails to help, according to ability, a person in obvious danger to life, or to take the steps the circumstances require to rescue a seemingly lifeless person or care for people hit by shipwreck or a similar accident. Paragraph 2 provides up to 2 years in prison for breaching paragraph 1 while fleeing a traffic accident in which someone suffered considerable personal injury.
Are people who help protected?
LimitedStraffeloven section 14 says an act that would otherwise be punishable is not punished when it was necessary to avert threatening harm to a person or property and the offense was of relatively minor importance. Under Serviceloven section 18 a, municipalities and regions may take out liability and accident insurance for citizens who volunteer on municipal or regional tasks; it is optional, not a general protection for helpers.
How the government promotes giving and service
Ways to give and volunteer
Denmark has a very high rate of volunteering through associations, local volunteer centers and the Danish Red Cross. Public street and door fundraising needs approval, so knowing who is approved is the first thing to check.
Check a charity before you give
The state body that supervises public fundraising and keeps rules and information on approved collections.
Give your time
Give money, blood or a donation
In an emergency or a crisis
Before you act
- Collectors on the street or at your door should show proof of approval; if unsure, ask for the organization's name and donate through its own website.
- Be careful with MobilePay requests from unknown numbers and with messages that claim to be from a charity but ask for card details.
- Foreign visitors may volunteer with associations, but non-EU residents should check with their host whether their permit allows unpaid work.
This list does not cover small local associations, sports clubs or church groups. Checked 2026-10-28. Listing an organization is not an endorsement, and none of them has endorsed this site. Some official sites block automatic checks, so a link may need a second try.
One thing worth knowing
Danish law ties first aid skills to getting a driver's license: a traffic-related first aid course is a legal precondition for first-time applicants, with limited exceptions in the order.
What this does not mean
The Criminal Code text comes from a consolidation printed as historical (LBK 434 of 2024), so a later consolidation may exist; it should be checked on retsinformation.dk. The Frivilligcharter (a charter on cooperation between voluntary organizations and the public sector) could not be verified from a retrievable primary text and is therefore not described. Statutes are paraphrased from the Danish originals, and this is not legal advice. This is a plain-language summary of public sources, not legal advice, and it does not rank countries. No government named here has endorsed this site. Not reviewed by a lawyer. Statutes were read in public sources and may have changed. Last checked October 26, 2026.