Fødselsdato

Fødselsdato, or birth date, is the day on which a person was born. It is a fundamental element of personal identification and is used to determine age, verify identity, and establish eligibility for services and legal rights. In Nordic countries, birth date is typically recorded in civil registries along with birth location.

Formats and records: Fødselsdato is commonly written as day-month-year, often separated by dots or slashes (for example, 12.04.1990 or 12/04/1990) in Denmark and Norway, though ISO formats such as 1990-04-12 are used in computer systems. Official records may link the date to a national registration number, which ties a person to a unique identity.

Age calculation and uses: Age is calculated by the time elapsed since fødselsdato relative to the current date. The birth date determines eligibility for rights such as schooling, driving, drinking, voting, and social benefits. It is also used in identity documents and civil registers (for example, Danish CPR-number and Norwegian fødselsnummer) to confirm identity and enable record-keeping.

Privacy and protection: Birth dates are considered personal data under data protection laws. Access to fødselsdato in public records is often restricted, especially for minors, and should be handled with care to prevent identity theft or misuse.

Historical context: Civil registries that record fødselsdato emerged to establish legal identity, citizenship, and succession. Today, electronic records link birth dates to multiple identifiers and are integrated into cross-border flows and national statistics. See also: age, identification document, personal data, civil register.