Denmark Plans €25-Per-Passenger Cruise Tax From 2028

October 20, 2026 — Denmark’s government intends to introduce a cruise passenger tax of 200 Danish kroner (about €25) per passenger per port call from 2028. Industry groups warn it would be the highest such charge in Europe and could cut calls at Copenhagen and smaller Danish ports.

What is proposed

Amount: DKK 200 per passenger, per call — roughly €25, according to Klaus Bondam of Cruise Baltic/Wonderful Copenhagen, who called it “by far the highest in Europe.”
Start: 2028, according to the government’s stated plan. Exact effective date TBA.
Expected revenue: about DKK 300 million a year.
Purpose: not specified. Industry groups say the government has not said whether the aim is lower CO2, less congestion or more revenue, and that operators were consulted less than a week before the proposal.

Ports and scale

Ports named by the industry include Copenhagen, Skagen, Aarhus, Esbjerg, Fredericia, Nyborg, Hundested, Helsingør, Rønne, Aalborg, Gudhjem, Faaborg and Christiansø. In 2025 these saw 567 cruise calls and 1.2 million passengers. Copenhagen alone had 316 calls and 866,477 guests, including 111 turnaround calls where cruises begin or end. Smaller ports such as Skagen and Rønne are seen as most exposed.

Industry reaction

CLIA said cruising brings about DKK 1.5 billion a year in direct economic impact to Denmark, warned the fee would hurt that, and called for a full impact assessment.
Cruise Baltic/Wonderful Copenhagen expects limited impact on calls at first but a more noticeable effect by 2029, and said a passenger tax is likely to come, with the amount still being negotiated.
A joint industry memo from September 2026 asked for the fee to apply only to new bookings, with advance notice, and for revenue to go to green projects such as shore power.
Iceland is cited as a warning: a per-day passenger charge there was followed by a reported 40% drop in calls within two years, and the fee was later reduced.

What it means for travelers

Nothing changes for 2026 or 2027 sailings. If the tax goes ahead in 2028, Baltic and Norway cruises that start, end or call in Denmark could carry an extra per-passenger charge; whether it applies to bookings already made is still TBA.
Copenhagen is one of northern Europe’s busiest turnaround ports. If lines shift turnarounds elsewhere, check where your 2028 cruise actually begins before planning flights.