Frequently asked questions

Legalizing a document means that a competent authority certifies that a signature, stamp or seal on the document is genuine, so that the document is accepted in another country. Depending on the destination country this is done either with an apostille (for countries party to the Hague Convention) or through a chain of notarization, Ministry for Foreign Affairs (UD) legalization and embassy legalization (for countries outside the convention).

It is decided by the destination country. If the country is party to the 1961 Hague Convention, an apostille is enough. If it is not – for example the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Egypt or Iraq – the full chain is required: notarization, UD legalization and then legalization at the country’s embassy in Stockholm.

For countries outside the Hague Convention the order is: 1) a Notary Public (Notarius Publicus) certifies the document, 2) the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (UD) verifies the Notary Public’s stamp, 3) the destination country’s embassy legalizes the document. If a sworn (authorized) translation is needed it is usually done early in the chain so that the translation can also be legalized. DOX handles the whole chain in the right order for you.

Yes. Since 16 February 2019, EU Regulation 2016/1191 removes the requirement for legalization and apostille for many public documents (e.g. birth, marriage and residence certificates) between EU countries. Outside the EU an apostille or embassy legalization is still required.

An apostille is an international stamp under the 1961 Hague Convention that confirms a public document is genuine. An apostille replaces the entire legalization chain (notarization + UD + embassy) for the more than 120 countries party to the convention. In Sweden the apostille is issued by a Notary Public (Notarius Publicus).

In Sweden apostilles are issued only by a Notary Public (Notarius Publicus) – not by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The UD legalizes documents for countries outside the Hague Convention, whereas the apostille is the only stamp needed for countries within the convention.

At DOX an apostille costs from SEK 1,200 including VAT, and express from SEK 1,695 including VAT. Processing time is normally 3–5 business days, or 1–2 business days with express. Current prices are on the price list.

A UD legalization means the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs (Utrikesdepartementet) certifies that a signature and seal or stamp on a Swedish document is genuine. It is one step in the legalization chain for countries outside the Hague Convention. The UD’s own fee is SEK 255 per legalization. The UD office is located at Malmtorgsgatan 3A in Stockholm.

Since 1 July 2025 new rules under Ordinance 2025:549 apply: the document to be UD-legalized must be in Swedish or English. If the document is in another language, a sworn (authorized) translation into Swedish or English is required first.

The UD can legalize authority documents, university and school diplomas, documents from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency, documents certified by a Notary Public, and Chamber of Commerce documents. The UD does not issue apostilles – only a Notary Public does.

UD legalization via DOX costs from SEK 895 including VAT, and express from SEK 1,395 including VAT. The UD’s own government fee of SEK 255 per legalization is included as a separate disbursement. Processing time is normally 3–5 business days, or 1–2 days with express.

Embassy legalization means the destination country’s embassy in Stockholm legalizes the document after it has been notarized and UD-legalized. It is required for countries not party to the Hague Convention. DOX handles the whole process and the contact with the embassy for you.

Common countries outside the Hague Convention are the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Syria, Palestine, Angola and Nigeria. For these the chain notarization → UD → embassy is required. DOX has country-specific guides for each one.

For the UAE (including Dubai and Abu Dhabi) the full chain is required: notarization by a Notary Public, UD legalization and then legalization at the UAE embassy. DOX manages the entire process and has its own agent on the ground in the UAE, so originals are never sent blindly abroad. We handle marriage certificates, birth certificates, diplomas, powers of attorney and company documents, among others.

Processing time at the embassy varies greatly between countries – from roughly 5 to 15 business days. Some embassies have longer or irregular processing times. DOX monitors the case and keeps you updated. The price starts from SEK 1,200 including VAT and varies per embassy.

A Notary Public (Notarius Publicus) is needed when a document must be witnessed or certified – for example signatures on powers of attorney, certified copies of passports and ID documents, certificates and agreements. It is often the first step in the legalization chain before UD and embassy legalization. A Notary Public also issues apostilles.

Notarization via DOX costs from SEK 595 including VAT and normally takes 1–2 business days. The price may vary depending on document type and number of documents.

A sworn, or authorized, translation is made by a translator authorized by Kammarkollegiet (the Swedish Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency). The translation has legal validity and is accepted by authorities, embassies and courts worldwide. It is often needed when a document is to be legalized and the destination country requires it in English or another language.

We translate to and from English, German, French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Persian, Turkish, Polish, Finnish, Norwegian and Danish – and many more languages. We translate birth certificates, diplomas, marriage certificates, powers of attorney, driving licenses, company documents and all kinds of official documents.

The price of a sworn translation is based on document type, language and amount of text, and is therefore given as a quote. Send in your document and we will come back with a fixed quote. Processing time is normally 3–5 business days, or 1–2 days with express.

An export certificate, or CPP (Certificate of Pharmaceutical Product, sometimes called a WHO certificate), certifies that a pharmaceutical product is approved in Sweden and manufactured according to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). It is issued by the Swedish Medical Products Agency (Läkemedelsverket) and is often required by the destination country’s medicines authority for registration and export of medicines.

Yes. DOX represents the Marketing Authorisation Holder (MAH) under a power of attorney, handles the export certificate application with the Swedish Medical Products Agency’s registrar, and then legalizes the certificate (UD and embassy) for the destination country. The price is given as a quote based on the number of certificates and the destination country.

Yes. DOX serves customers across the Nordics and internationally. You send in your document by post and we handle the whole process. If you call from abroad you can reach us at +46 8 409 419 00.

We return your legalized documents via PostNord, DHL or local courier. You choose the return option in the order, and you can always contact us for a recommendation based on where the documents are going.

Notarization from SEK 595, UD legalization from SEK 895 (express from SEK 1,395), apostille from SEK 1,200 (express from SEK 1,695), embassy legalization from SEK 1,200 (varies per country) and Chamber of Commerce legalization from SEK 900 – all prices including VAT. Sworn translation and export certificates (CPP) are given as a quote. Fixed prices with no hidden fees.

You order easily online at doxvl.se/bestall. Fill in the form, send in your document by post and we handle the whole process. If you are unsure what is required for your destination country, contact us and we will guide you.

DOX Visumpartner AB is a Swedish agency for document legalization, apostille, notarization, authorized translation and visa services, operating since 2015. We have our office in Stockholm at Livdjursgatan 4, 121 62 Johanneshov, and serve private individuals and companies across the Nordics. DOX is a private operator and not a government authority – our fees are for our service, in addition to any government fees.

Yes. We help both private individuals – with, for example, marriage certificates, birth certificates and diplomas – and companies with corporate documents, registration certificates, trade documents, powers of attorney and export certificates. For companies we also offer framework agreements with indexed pricing.