How do you apostille or legalise documents in Norway in 2026?

For Hague Apostille Convention countries, the local County Governor (Statsforvalteren) issues the apostille on eligible Norwegian public documents. Typical inputs are notary-certified originals or copies, County Governor-signed papers, or other documents listed on the MFA legalisation pages. Book through your Statsforvalteren office and bring the exact originals the guidance names.

For countries outside the Hague system, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs legalises documents after the required upstream stamps. MFA pages list what they will and will not touch, including bans on uncertified digital printouts and many foreign documents. Documents used only in other Nordic countries often need notary certification rather than an apostille.

Common triggers are foreign marriage or birth certificates for UDI family cases, diploma packs for regulated professions, and Norwegian civil-status extracts for use abroad after you leave: Apply for a residence permit. School enrolment inside Norway usually starts with municipal contact and may not need an apostille on day one: Enrol in public school. Always ask the receiving authority which stamp they want before you pay for the wrong chain: Paperwork after moving.