Apostille in Sweden

Schmidt & Schmidt covers the full spectrum of legalization services for documents issued in Sweden.

Sweden joined the Hague Convention on the Simplified Authentication of Documents on 2 March 1999; the Convention entered into force on 1 May 1999.

The apostille, or the “Hague apostille” is a certificate that authenticates the origin of a public document (e.g., a birth, marriage or death certificate, a judgment, an extract of a register or a notarial attestation). It confirms the authenticity of the signature and the authority of an official who signed the public document.

Documents issued in Sweden are certified with an apostille in accordance with the Hague Convention of 1961 are recognized in all Member States of the Hague Convention and do not require any other form of certification, such as consular legalization, which considerably reduces the costs and time required for the certification of documents. So far, more than 120 states have joined the Convention.

The apostille is not sufficient for use in the states that are not party to the Hague Convention. In this case, consular legalization applies to a public document.

Designated Competent Apostille Authorities in Sweden

In Sweden, the process of obtaining apostilles is handled by Notaries Public, distinguished professionals who possess legal expertise and qualifications. Notaries Public, acting as public officials, are authorized by the County Administrative Board (Länsstyrelsen) to authenticate a range of legal documents. There are around 250 notaries public who are authorized by the County.

Should you require expert guidance and support in obtaining an apostille, Schmidt & Schmidt stands ready to assist. With our extensive network of highly skilled Notaries Public, we provide efficient and reliable services.

The apostille in Sweden is a square stamp in Swedish with the obligatory heading "Apostille" and a reference to the 1961 Hague Convention in French (Convention de La Haye du 5 octobre 1961). The apostille certificate’s sides will be at least 9 centimeters long.

Types of documents

Apostille in Sweden


Can be apostillized Cannot be apostillized
  • Extracts from Swedish trade register
  • Land register extract
  • Documents issued or certified by a notary public
  • Documents issued by courts
  • Translations by court interpreters
  • Official documents issued by state authorities
  • Educational certificates from state and state-recognised institutions: School transcripts, university degree transcripts, overviews of subjects and grades, matriculation certificates, additional certificates from schools or universities as well as certificates.
  • Powers of attorney, testaments, declarations
  • Other government documents
  • Trade contracts
  • Invoices
  • Customs documents, diplomatic and consular documents
  • ID Cards

Specific aspects and document requirements for the apostille in Sweden

Sweden is among the 120 countries that recognize and issue apostilles in accordance with the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961. The apostille serves as a confirmation of the official status of a document.

Document Requirements for Apostille in Sweden

To obtain an apostille for a document in Sweden, documents will usually need to meet the following requirements:

  • The document must include the signature and printed name of the individual who applied for the stamp.
  • The document must be in the official language of the issuing country or translated into the official language of the country where the apostille is sought.
  • The position or official title of the person who stamped the document should also be indicated.

Additional requirements that might apply:

  1. The document should contain all relevant and accurate information.
  2. The document must be in the official language of the issuing country or translated into the official language of the country where the apostille is sought.
  3. The apostille must be affixed by the designated competent authority in accordance with regulations.

The apostille is issued in a uniform format. In Sweden, it has the form of a printed sticker with a handwritten signature of an official, an official seal, and a hologram.

In cases where apostilles are not recognized, holders of foreign documents will need to legalize them instead. However, If the country of destination of the document recognizes and issues apostilles, then legalization is unnecessary.

If you require new original documents, the information here will help you.

Legalization of Swedish educational documents for use abroad

For educational documents issued in Sweden, such as school reports, university degree certificates, transcripts of records, enrollment certificates, and other school or university certificates, to be recognized and valid abroad, they must undergo a certification process through either legalization or apostille. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sweden is responsible for carrying out this certification process.

Please note that the Ministry for Foreign Affairs does not issue apostilles for documents but instead refers individuals to notaries public.

Legalization involves the Ministry for Foreign Affairs confirming the authenticity of the signature and seal/stamp on a Swedish document and verifying the capacity in which the signatory signed it. Once the Ministry for Foreign Affairs has legalized the document, it typically requires further authentication by the foreign embassy in Stockholm representing the country where the document will be used.

The required documents may vary depending on the specific circumstances but generally include either original documents or notarized copies with an apostille. For countries that are not members of the apostille convention, a legalized original certificate or its notarized copy is usually required.

To initiate the legalization process, the original document needs to be submitted to the Ministry, which will verify and affix a printed sticker to it. The specific requirements for legalization may vary depending on the regulations of the destination country. It is advisable to consult the relevant authorities or seek professional assistance from competent service providers to ensure compliance with the specific requirements.

Recognition of the authenticity of public documents within the EU

Civil status certificates and certificates of marriageability, which are issued by one of the contracting states according to the model of the Convention of the International Commission (CIEC Convention) for Civil and Civil Status Affairs (CIEC), are exempt from any formality in Austria.

Contracting states of the Vienna CIEC Convention of 08.09.1976 (issuance of multilingual extracts from civil status registers: birth, marriage, and death certificate) are:

Regulation on public documents (EU) 2016/1191 of 6 July 2016

Furthermore, Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 of 6 July 2016 on public documents simplifies the circulation of certain public documents that must be presented in an EU Member State and have been issued in another EU Member State, thus exempting public documents from the confirmation of authenticity with the Apostille with the aim of reducing administrative burden and costs for citizens.

Consular legalization of Swedish documents for use abroad

Consular legalization is the process of authenticating or certifying a legal document so a foreign country's legal system will recognize it as with full legal effect that is carried out by the diplomatic or consular mission of the country in which the document is to be used.

This procedure is required when the destination country does not recognize or accept the apostille certification. One needs to submit the original document, along with any required copies or supporting materials, to the respective consular office. The consular officials will review the document, verify its authenticity, and affix their seal or stamp to certify its validity.

The consular legalization process may require additional steps like obtaining translations of the document into the language of the destination country or providing additional supporting documentation as requested by the consular office. Usually, the steps are the following:

  • Authentication by the competent authority in the country of origin: this typically involves verifying the signature and seal/stamp on the document.
  • Additional translations and certifications: documents may need to be translated into another language. It will need to be certified by a qualified translator or notary public.

It is up to the diplomatic mission to decide about the authentication procedure
The specific requirements and procedures for consular legalization may vary depending on the regulations of the destination country.

The main differences between an apostille and consular legalization of documents

The common feature between apostille and consular legalization is that they authenticate an official document for presentation to institutions in another country. However, they have many differences.


Apostille Consular legalization
Legal effect Can be used in all countries that are party to the Hague Convention on the Simplified Legalization of Documents. Use between States one or both of which is not a member of the Hague Convention, or where one of the contracting States has protested the accession of the other.
Difficulty Moderate. To obtain an apostille, contact the competent apostille authority of the state of origin of the document. High. For consular legalization, various inland authorities and a diplomatic mission of the state of destination must be involved.
Pre-certification Usually not required. Is obligatory.
Attestation at the state of destination embassy in the state of origin of the document No need to contact the Consulate of the country of destination. Is the final step of legalization.

Apostille and consular legalization in all cities of Sweden

Schmidt & Schmidt provides apostille and consular legalization services for public documents originating from all regions across Sweden. We handle the entire process, from document review to obtaining the necessary certifications, ensuring that your documents are valid and recognized internationally. With our reliable services, you can confidently use your Swedish public documents abroad.

Procurement of documents from Sweden

If the important documents are lost or damaged, or current copies of the documents are needed, the re-issue of the documents is required. It is not unusual for people outside Sweden to encounter difficulties with obtaining new documents when abroad. Our consultants will help you procure new documents from Sweden remotely, and we can arrange for your documents to be sent by courier anywhere in the world.

Certified translation of documents from Sweden

Copies and transcripts of civil status documents can be translated into any language by a sworn translator in Sweden or the translation can be done in the country of destination. We offer certified translations of civil status documents with further certification. The cost of the work is calculated according to the volume of the document in question.

Does the translation have to be apostillized?

Any foreign document issued in one country and used in another country must be legalized for use abroad. Therefore, the authenticity of a certified translation from Sweden needs to be certified by an apostille. Consequently, many authorities may not accept certified translations from Sweden if the translation has not been properly authenticated in Sweden for use abroad. To avoid this confusion, translations should better be made in the state of the destination of the document.