Who actually stamps what: the County Governor issues apostilles, the MFA legalises for non-Hague countries, and translations must come from a statsautorisert translatør.
Overview
Norway is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, and the division of labour between authorities trips up many applicants: it is the County Governor (Statsforvalteren) — not the Ministry of Foreign Affairs — who issues apostille stamps on Norwegian documents for use in Hague Convention countries. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Utenriksdepartementet, UD) legalises Norwegian documents only for countries that are NOT party to the Hague Convention, through its Legalisation Office in Oslo. Before either stamp can be applied, the document must normally be certified by a notary public (usually at the district court) and carry the issuing institution's official stamp. Translations must be produced by a government-authorised translator (statsautorisert translatør) — a credential administered through the National Translator Accreditation Exam at NHH (Norwegian School of Economics) — and the translation itself must be notarised before it can be apostilled or legalised. Documents going TO the Nordic countries need no apostille at all: notarisation is sufficient. Procedures on this page are verified against statsforvalteren.no and regjeringen.no as of June 2026.
Apostille — Issued by the County Governor (Statsforvalteren)
- Who issues it: The County Governor (Statsforvalteren) holds the authority to issue apostille stamps on Norwegian documents for use in Hague Apostille Convention countries. There are County Governor offices covering all Norwegian counties (Agder, Innlandet, Møre og Romsdal, Nordland, Rogaland, Troms og Finnmark, Trøndelag, Vestfold og Telemark, Vestland, and Østfold/Buskerud/Oslo og Akershus) — use the office for the region where you are.
- Notarisation first: Before an apostille can be issued, the document must be signed by a notary public (notarius publicus — a senior state official, usually at the district court) and stamped with the institution's official stamp (often the lion stamp). The signatory's name and title must be written clearly in printed letters or block capitals under the signature.
- Documents from private professionals: Documents issued or confirmed by certified translators, lawyers, medical professionals, accountants and other publicly authorised private professionals must also be notarised before the apostille can be applied.
- What the apostille confirms: Only that the notary's signature is genuine — it does not validate the accuracy of the document's content.
- Nordic exemption: Documents to be used in the Nordic countries (Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland) do not require an apostille — notarisation alone is sufficient.
- Which countries accept apostilles: The Hague Conference (HCCH) status table lists all current parties to the Apostille Convention; the MFA also maintains guidance on which route applies per country.
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See Paid Plans →Frequently Asked Questions
Who issues apostilles in Norway — the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or someone else?
The County Governor (Statsforvalteren) — not the MFA. This is a common point of confusion. The County Governor has the authority to issue apostille stamps for Norwegian documents going to Hague Apostille Convention countries, and can also legalise documents for those countries. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs only legalises documents destined for countries that are NOT party to the Hague Convention. If you turn up at the MFA's Legalisation Office with a document going to a Hague country, you will be redirected to the County Governor.
Do I need an apostille on a Norwegian document I'm using in Sweden, Denmark, Finland or Iceland?
No. Documents to be used in the Nordic countries do not require an apostille stamp — certification by a notary public is sufficient. This Nordic exemption is stated in both the County Governor's apostille guidance (statsforvalteren.no) and the MFA's legalisation guidelines (regjeringen.no). You still need the notarisation itself, so the document must carry the notary's signature and the official stamp.
What has to happen to a document before it can be apostilled?
It must be notarised. The document needs the signature of a notary public (usually obtained at the district court, as set out in the Act relating to notaries public) and the official stamp of the issuing institution — often the 'lion stamp'. The name and title of the signatory must appear clearly in printed letters or block capitals under the signature. Documents issued by authorised private professionals — certified translators, lawyers, doctors, accountants — must also be notarised before the apostille can be applied. The apostille then confirms the genuineness of the notary's signature, not the content of the document.
How do I get a Norwegian document accepted in a country that is not in the Hague Convention?
Three steps: (1) have the document certified by a notary public, usually at the district court; (2) have it legalised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Legalisation Office — this is free of charge, either in person (Tuesdays 09:00–12:00, first-come-first-served, no appointments) or by ordinary post with a return envelope (allow up to 10 working days); (3) have it certified by the destination country's embassy or consulate in Oslo. Note the Legalisation Office is relocating to the new Government Building Complex during March 2026 — verify the current visitors' address on regjeringen.no before attending.
Who is allowed to translate my documents, and is the translation itself authenticated?
Translations must come from a government-authorised translator (statsautorisert translatør). Authorisation is earned by passing the National Translator Accreditation Exam administered by NHH (Norwegian School of Economics) for the Ministry of Education and Research; since 2017 NHH can also authorise translators on the basis of equivalent foreign credentials. You can find authorised translators through Translatørportalen. The translation, together with a copy of the original, must then be certified by a notary public before it can be apostilled by the County Governor or legalised by the MFA — the translator's stamp alone is not the final step.
Can Norwegian authorities apostille my foreign birth certificate or diploma for use in my Norwegian immigration case?
No. Foreign documents must be legalised or apostilled in the country where they were issued — the MFA explicitly lists foreign documents among the things it cannot legalise, and the same applies to County Governor apostilles. If your home country is a Hague Convention party, obtain the apostille from its designated competent authority; if not, the document needs legalisation by that country's foreign ministry plus the Norwegian embassy accredited there. Check the exact UDI document checklist for your permit type first, as requirements vary by application and nationality.