Documentation requirements
When applying for a Certificate of Marital Status, there may be specific documentation requirements you need to meet. Further information is available here.
Your documents might need to be recognized by an official authority, either with an apostille endorsement or through legalization. Additionally, all documents must be translated into Danish, English, or German. These requirements are set to ensure that the Agency of Family Law can verify the authenticity of the documents and their recognition in Denmark.
Translation of foreign documents
Foreign documents must be translated into Danish, English, or German by an authorized translator. This requirement also applies to any apostille endorsements. If the document has been legalized, all stamps and markings must also be translated. Please ensure this is completed before submitting your application to the Agency of Family Law.
Documents not requiring additional legalization
Documents originating from the US, Canada, New Zealand, Australia or Turkey typically do not require legalization or an apostille endorsement to be accepted in Denmark. This exemption also applies to documents from Great Britain and countries on the European continent –with the exception of the countries listed below:
- Albania
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Belarus
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Georgia
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Kosovo
- Russia
- Tajikistan
- Ukraine
- Uzbekistan
Documents requiring an apostille endorsement
Documents issued by a non-European country, other than the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia or Turkey, must have an apostille endorsement from the issuing country if the country is a signatory to the Apostille Convention (Hague Convention of 5 October 1961).
If the documents are from one of the European exception countries (listed above) and the country is a signatory to the Apostille Convention (Hague Convention of October 5, 1961), they must also have an apostille endorsement from the issuing country.
- View the list of countries that participate in the Apostille Convention
- Apostille Convention (Hague Convention of October 5, 1961)
- The Hague Conference website (here you will find a list of the member states' apostille authorities)
Documents requiring legalization
If the documents originate from countries not included in the categories above, they typically need to be legalized to be accepted as genuine in Denmark. Legalisation must occur in the country where the document was issued, and the procedure may vary from one country to another.
Need further guidance?
If you are uncertain about what applies to your situation, we recommend contacting the Danish representative in the country where your documents originate.
You can also read these guidelines on documentation of authenticity of foreign family law documents