Legalisation Flow
A step-by-step rundown of the legalisation steps for different types of documents.
Step 1 - Identify the document type
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Legal documents are private or business documents that establish, confirm, or authorize legal rights, obligations, decisions, or authority. As a general rule, if a document is intended to have legal effect or can be relied upon as legal evidence, it is likely to be considered a legal document by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Examples include:
- Powers of Attorney
- Contracts and Agreements
- Letters of Authorization
- Board Resolutions
- Articles of Association
- Assignment Agreements
- Affidavits
- Corporate Resolutions
Required legalisation step: Notary Public -
Public documents are official documents issued by Danish government authorities or public institutions, such as the Danish Medicines Agency, the Danish Business Authority, or the Danish Tax Agency. To be eligible for legalization, these documents must be submitted in their original form with a “wet signature”.
Examples include:
- Free Sale Certificates (FSC)
- GMP Certificates (Good Manufacturing Practice)
- Certificate of Pharmaceutical Product (CPP)
- Good Distribution Practice (GDP) Certificates
- Batch Certificates
- Company Registration Certificates
- Certificates issued by the Danish Business Authority
- Official certificates issued by the Danish Medicines Agency
- Certificates issued by other Danish public authorities (e.g. Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, Danish Environmental Protection Agency)
Required legalisation step: Direct legalisation by MoFA -
Digital public documents are official documents issued electronically by Danish public authorities. These documents are digitally signed or verified by the issuing authority and must remain in their original digital format throughout the legalisation process.
Unlike original public documents, digital public documents are submitted electronically to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for legalisation.
Examples include:
- Business Information from the Danish Business Authority
- Registration Certificates
- Name Change Certificates
- Digital Criminal Record Certificates
- Digital Birth Certificates
- Digital Marriage Certificates
Required legalisation step: Digital legalisation by MoFA - upload directly
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Business and commercial documents are company-issued documents that provide information about a company's products, services, or quality standards. They are not legally binding and are not issued by a public authority.
These documents can be legalised individually or as part of a documentation package. Multiple documents may be submitted together and they need to be accompanied by a company-issued cover letter describing the contents of the package. The package must not include legal or public documents.
Examples include:
- Product Specifications
- Product Data Sheets
- ISO Certificates
- BSI Certificates
- Price Certificates
- Product Catalogues
- Marketing Material
Required legalisation step:
A company-issued cover letter must be attached as the first page of the document or document package. The cover letter must be attested by the Danish Chamber of Commerce before the documents can be submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) for legalization. -
Export documents are used to support the international shipment of goods and are often required by customs authorities or the importing country.
The following documents are eligible for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' free export stamp:Eligible export documents:
- Certificate of Origin
- Commercial Invoice
- Packing List
- Free Sale Certificate
- Health Certificate
Required legalisation step:
- Attestation by Danish Chamber of Commerce.
- If the document is to be used in a non-Apostille country, submit it to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for free export legalisation.
- If required, complete the legalisation process at the relevant embassy or consulate.
Step 2 - Check if an Apostille is sufficient
The next step is to determine whether your destination country accepts an Apostille.
If your document is to be used in one of the countries that are party to the Hague Apostille Convention, an Apostille issued by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs is generally sufficient. No further legalisation by an embassy or consulate is required.
If the destination country is not an Apostille Convention member, your document must follow the full legalisation process, which typically includes legalisation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs followed by the relevant embassy or consulate.
Step 3 - Follow the correct legalisation process
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Notary Public ▶ MoFA Apostille ▶ Embassy (if required)
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MoFA Apostille ▶ Embassy (if required)
Public documents must be submitted in their original form. Copies, scans, or printouts are not eligible for legalisation.
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Digital upload to MoFA Apostille ▶ Embassy (if required)
If your document has been issued digitally by a Danish public authority, it must be submitted in its original digital format. Do not print, scan, or alter the file, as this may invalidate the digital signature and prevent the document from being legalised.
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Chamber of Commerce ▶ MoFA Apostille ▶ Embassy (if required)
Cover letter required: Attach a company-issued cover letter as the first page. The cover letter will receive the required legalisation stamps on behalf of the document package.
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Chamber of Commerce ▶ MoFA Export stamp ▶ Embassy (if required)
OR
Chamber of Commerce ▶ MoFA Apostille
Step 4 - Check embassy requirements
If your document requires embassy legalisation, review the specific requirements of the destination country's embassy. This includes any supporting documents, application forms, translations, and estimated processing times before submitting your documents.