Apostille and legalisation

Public documents and certificates are often required abroad. However, before a document can be used in a country other than the country that issued it, the document's origin must generally be approved.

Apostille

An apostille stamp confirms that a public official's signature on a document is genuine and that the person concerned actually has the authority and position stated on the document. However, the stamp does not confirm that the contents of the document are accurate.

The Hague Convention of 1961 made this stamp scheme possible. In the list of the countries that have acceded to the convention, you will find contact information for the authorities that are authorised to apply an apostille.

In Norway, it is the county governor who can apply an apostille to documents. The county governor must be informed of which country the document would be used in.

Legalisation

Documents and certificates from countries that have not acceded to the Hague Convention of 1961 must be legalised. Contact the foreign authority in the country concerned.

The legislation of Norwegian documents is carried out by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs must be informed of which country the document should be used in.