Legalisation of foreign documents

The legalisation office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not legalise documents issued in other countries. The issuing country is responsible for legalising the document.

Legalisation does not guarantee the authenticity or accuracy of the document's content. Danish authorities may verify the authenticity of a document if necessary.

If you need to use a foreign document in Denmark, you should find out whether it needs to be legalised or not. The Danish authority requesting the document can provide clarification on this matter.

Legalisation under the Apostille Convention

If your document is from a country that has joined the Apostille Convention, it must be endorsed with an Apostille by the relevant authority in that country. Usually, this authority is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Documents with an Apostille can be used in all countries that are part of the Apostille Convention.

You can check the list of countries within the Apostille Convention here for reference.

Legalisation of documents from countries outside the Apostille Convention

If your document is from a country that has not joined the Apostille Convention, it should be legalised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in that country, usually, this authority is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then by the relevant Danish embassy link til find os i verden . To learn more about the procedure, please consult the relevant Danish Embassy.

Importent note:

If your document is from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan*, Somalia, South Sudan, or Yemen, a Danish embassy cannot endorse it. You must contact the relevant Danish authority that requested the document. They will determine if the document can be accepted without endorsement by a Danish representation.

*) Pakistan joined the apostille convention on March 9, 2023. Denmark has raised an objection to the accession of the country, which means that the convention between the two countries is not applicable (more information here). This means that documents from Pakistan that should be endorsed by the Danish embassy in order to have legal effect in Denmark, cannot be endorsed.