Ikrafttræden

Ikrafttræden is the date on which a law, regulation, or treaty becomes legally binding and enforceable. It marks when the rules apply to individuals, public authorities, and other actors. The ikrafttræden can be specified in the instrument itself or set by a subsequent legal act, and it may coincide with publication or occur after a defined waiting period. In many systems, different provisions may have different start dates, or an instrument may enter into force gradually.

In statutory law, the period between enactment and ikrafttræden allows for preparation, dissemination, and institutional readiness. For regulations and administrative orders, the ikrafttræden date indicates when authorities must apply the rules and when rights and obligations arise for citizens and organizations. For international treaties, ikrafttræden often depends on ratification by a certain number of states or on a date stated in the treaty; provisional application is possible in some cases before full entry into force.

Transitional provisions frequently accompany ikrafttræden to address ongoing matters, rights already accrued, or the compatibility of new rules with existing law. Some instruments provide immediate applicability for certain provisions while others are staged over time. The concept is commonly used in Scandinavian languages, and in English-language contexts it is most often referred to as “entry into force” or “coming into force.”