Attesting Danish Documents (FAQs)

Yes - Denmark is a member of the Apostille Convention.

Danish documents can be legalized for use abroad with an Apostille Stamp when destined for other signatory countries without additional certification by the destination country.

When Danish documents are required for non-apostille countries, such as United Arab Emirates - Taiwan - Malaysia - Thailand - Zambia - Qatar they need additional authentication by the embassy of the destination country.

For further information see:
Denmark Apostille Services

Submission within the European Union
Certain Danish documents do not require Apostilles when they are presented to authorities of other European Union countries (the receiving authority should accept the original or a certified copy).

When applying for certain public documents, a multilingual standard form may be requested to accompany the original. A multilingual standard form must always be issued and signed by a Danish authority, providing a translation aid designed to help the receiving authority to understand a public document which is in a language not accepted by the receiving EU country.
See: EU Multilingual standard forms

Danish documents not requiring Apostilles include birth, death, marriage certificates, absence of a criminal record (a clean criminal record of a Danish citizen), certificates of nationality and residence:
See: Regulation (EU) 2016/1191

Other Danish documents, including academic certificates, still require Apostille certification and certified translation to be valid in other EU countries.

Documents that can be legalized in Denmark by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs include Birth and Baptism Certificates, Certificates of Personal Data, Marriage Certificates, Divorce Decrees, Academic certificates, diplomas and university degrees, Criminal Record Certificates, Medical Certificates and Commerical documents, as well as documents certified by a Danish notary, including powers of attorney.

If you need a certificate that certifies a birth in Denmark, an apostille stamp can be obtained for a Certificate of Personal Data )Personattest(. These certificates are available in digitally signed format or on paper with stamp and signature, and can be authenticated with an Apostille Stamp from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Apostilles are also issued for Certificates of Baptism and Birth (Fødsels- og Dåbsattest) (digitally signed birth certificates or paper birth certificates issued by a Danish parish) and Death Certificates (issued by the Danish Health Data Authority or signed by a Danish doctor).

Marriage certificate Apostilles are available for paper certificates issued by the Municipality or Church Office, and for digitally signed certificates issued by the Municipality. Marriage certificates issued by religious communities other than the Evangelical Lutheran church in Denmark are not valid for an Apostille.

Submission within the European Union
Danish certificates of civil status (marriage, death and birth certificates) do not require an Apostille stamp when required for submission in another Member State of the European Union. For further information, see:
Regulation (EU) 2016/1191

Danish criminal record certificates and police background checks, available to anyone residing or previously resident in Denmark, are available from the Danish police. Certificates can be ordered by email or online.

• Request a certificate of criminal record online (with MitID)

Apostilles in Denmark are issued by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to authenticate digital and physically certified certificates issued by the Danish Central Business Register, including Certificates of Incorporation (Registreringscertifikat), Articles of Association (Vedtægter), Company Financial Statements and other registered documents.

Expedited Apostilles from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs are normally obtained in 1 - 2 business days

To obtain an Apostille in Denmark, a digitally signed certificate must be submitted, or the original paper certificate with the stamp and "wet" signature of the issuer.

To obtain an Apostille on a Danish criminal record certificate, the original paper certificate or digitally signed certificate must be submitted. Other copies are not accepted.

Apostilles on Danish University degree and transcripts are issued the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The original diploma is required, signed and stamped (original "wet" signature) by the issuing institution, or else a copy certified with the stamp and signature of the issuing institution. Copies made by notaries are not accepted.

Apostilles can also be obtained for digitally-signed academic certificates downloaded from My Skills and Qualifications File

Apostilles are only issued for educational documents and diplomas from recognized and accredited Danish schools, universities, and degree programs.

To obtain an Apostille for a Power of Attorney made in Denmark, it must be notarized by a District Court. Powers of attorney that include a copy of a document issued by a foreign authority, such as a foreign passport, cannot be legalised. If the document is in a language other than Danish or English, a version in Danish or English should be attached. It is also possible to legalise bilingual versions in double columns (one column in Danish or English and a second column in another language).

For an overview of how long decisions will remain on a Danish private criminal record, see:
Decisions on your criminal record (in Danish)

Danish certificates of no impediment to marriage (civilstandsattest) are obtained from the municipality where the citizen resided most recently (the certificate can be issued in English upon request). Certificates are valid for 3 months and can be authenticated with an Apostille stamp in Denmark from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

You can see reviews from past clients who have used our attestation and apostille services:

• ISAREY reviews on Trustpilot
• ISAREY reviews on Google

Certificates of Personal Data (Personattest) can be obtained online with a MitID or, if you do not have a MitID, ordered from the church office. The certificate can be delivered online or by post (paper certificate with physical stamp and signature).

Certificates of Personal Data confirm current civil information on a person's birth, name, marital status and death, including place of birth registration, names of parents, your present name, date of marriage and registering authority, last parish of residence if deceased.

• Order a Certificates of Personal Data online with MitID
• Guide: how to order a certificate
• How to order a certificate for delivery abroad

Certificate of Baptism and Birth (Fødsels- og Dåbsattest) can be ordered online with a MitID or from your local registrar

Danish certificate of Baptism and Birth are only available to persons who have been baptized in the Church of Denmark (excluding Southern Jutland)

• Order Baptism and Birth Certificate online with MitID (in Danish)
• Guide: how to order a certificate

Marriage Certificates issued by the Danish National Church can be obtained if you are married in the Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Denmark. If you were married at the town hall (civil marriage), you must contact the Citizen Service Center(Borgerservice) in your municipality to get a Marriage Certificate. If your present marital status is divorced, you cannot request a Marriage Certificate. Marriage Certificates may also be issued by other religious communities in Denmark, but are not valid for authentication with an Apostille stamp if issued before 2023.

Marriages can also be certified by obtaining a Certificate of Personal Data.

• Order a marriage certificate from the Municipality (in Danish)
• Order marriage certificate (Church of Denmark) (in Danish)

Death Certificates are available from the Danish Health Data Authority (deaths occurring from 1993 onwards). Certificates for deaths occurring in Denmark prior to 1993 should be obtained from the Danish National Archives.

• Danish Health Data Authority
• Danish National Archives

Apostilles can be obtained from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to authenticate true copies of Danish passports, driving licences, health insurance cards, residence cards and ID cards. The copies must be certified by a Danish notary public. True copies of documents issued in other countries cannot be legalized.

University degrees and transcripts required for submission to the authorities of Qatar must be legalized by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then the Qatari embassy in The Hague (Netherlands).

To attest Danish university diplomas and course transcripts for submission to the authorities of the United Arab Emirates, the diploma must be legalized by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then by the UAE embassy in Copenhagen. An original diploma is required or a certified copy may be used. The original or certified copy must have the stamp and "wet" physical signature of the issuing institution. Copies certified by a notary cannot be legalized at the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Danish university diplomas and course transcripts required for submission to the authorities of Saudi Arabia may be authenticated with an Apostille Stamp issued by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (attestation by the embassy or Cultural Bureau is no longer required). The original diploma must be submitted or a certified copy may be used. The original or certified copy must have the stamp and "wet" physical signature of the issuing institution. Copies certified by a notary will not be accepted by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Apostilles are not required when submitting Danish certificates of marital status to the authorities of another Member State of the European Union.

A multilingual standard form may be requested to accompany the original. A multilingual standard form must always be issued and signed by a Danish authority, providing a translation aid designed to help the receiving authority understand the certificate when in a language not accepted by the receiving EU country.

EU Member States are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden
See: Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of 27 April 2016 (EU GDPR)

Apostilles are not required when submitting Danish Criminal Record Certificates to another Member State of the European Union when the certificate is issued to a Danish national and when the criminal record is clean (no convictions). In other cases, the recipient Member State may require an Apostille.

EU Member States are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
See: Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of 27 April 2016 (EU GDPR)

Apostilles are not required when submitting Danish birth, death and marriage certificates to the authorities of another Member State of the European Union. A multilingual standard form may be requested to accompany the original. A multilingual standard form must always be issued and signed by a Danish authority, providing a translation aid designed to help the receiving authority understand the certificate when in a language not accepted by the receiving EU country.

EU Member States are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden
See: Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of 27 April 2016 (EU GDPR)

The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs will not authenticate foreign documents, even as copies certified by a Danish notary. Other documents such as notarized Powers of Attorney that contain copies of foreign documents, e.g. a non-Danish passport, will also be rejected.

Danish Apostille stamps can be obtained for criminal record certificates or background checks issued by the Danish Police. Certificates can be digital (digitally signed by the Police) or issued on paper.
Apply for a Danish criminal record certificate

Danish Apostille stamps and legalizations can be verified online:
How to order a certificate for delivery abroad

Danish documents required for use in Qatar must be legalized at the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then at the Embassy of Qatar in The Hague.

Certified copies of Danish company documents, including Certificates of Incorporation (Registreringscertifikat) can be obtained from the Danish Central Business Register

Denmark issues two types of documents to record a birth:
Certificates of Personal Data (Personattest): are available to anyone whose birth was registered in Denmark and is generally the correct document to use in order to certify a birth. Certificates of Personal Data (available in Danish or Danish and English) confirm current civil information on a person's birth, name, marital status and death, including place of birth registration, names of parents, your present name, date of marriage and registering authority. They can be ordered online with a MitID or, if you do not have a MitID, from the church office.
Certificates of Baptism and Birth (Fødsels- og Dåbsattest): are available to persons who have been baptized in the Church of Denmark (excluding Southern Jutland). They are available online or from your local registrar

• Order a Certificates of Personal Data online with MitID#
• Order Baptism and Birth Certificate online with MitID (in Danish)
• Order Baptism and Birth Certificate online with MitID (in Danish)

Translations of documents issued by a Danish authority can only be authenticated with a Danish Apostille if the original document is also submitted and is eligible for legalization (or submitted with a copy of a document that has already been legalised, certified as a true copy by a Notary Public). Translations of non-public documents or of documents issued by a foreign authority can not be legalised.

To obtain an Apostille, the translation must be certified by the translator before a Danish notary, or be attached to a statement from the translation company stamped and signed by the Danish Chamber of Commerce or the Danish Confederation of Industry.