An adoption must always be considered to be in the best interest of the child. This consideration for the child and its future well-being is continually held as the crucial principle in all adoption activities.

In order to ensure and promote the welfare of the adoptive child, everone who applies for approval to adopt will be examinated by the Danish authorities to prove whether or not an approval can be granted. Furthermore, all applicants who wish to adopt must at least once attend a pre-adoption counselling course.

The procedure regarding the approval of applicants as prospective adoptive parents is described in the paragraph Danish rules on approving prospective parents.

At present moment two private non-profit organisations are accredited by The Danish Ministry of Justice, Department of Family Affairs, to act as adoption placement agencies in intercountry adoption matters.

According to the Danish Adoption Act, intercountry adoption should preferably be performed through these adoption placement agencies. However, if an applicant wishes to adopt a child to whom the applicant is closely related, or for other special reasons, the Danish Ministry of Justice, Department of Family Affairs, can allow the adoption to be performed without the assistance from one of the two accredited bodies.

Denmark has ratified The Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, and the convention entered into force in Denmark on November 1st, 1997.

It must also be noted that the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child entered into force in Denmark on August 18, 1991.