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Recognition of foreign kinship documents

Read more about using foreign kinship certificates as documentation in passport applications.

When applying for a Danish passport, the following kinship documents are considered relevant depending on the situation:

  • The applicant’s own birth certificate
  • The Danish parent’s birth certificate
  • The applicant’s parents’ marriage certificate if the applicant is born before 1 July 2014 and only the father is a Danish citizen.

When a parent-child relationship or marriage is documented by foreign certificates, the Embassy will need to assess whether they are genuine and can be recognised in Denmark.

If the Embassy is unable to establish whether the foreign documents can be recognised under Danish law, the applicant will need to present a certificate of Danish nationality before a passport can be issued.

Countries from where original documents are accepted as they are
Documents from the following area and countries do not normally need legalisation or apostille:

  • Europe (except documents from: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Kosovo, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan)
  • USA
  • Canada
  • Australia
  • New Zealand
  • Türkiye

Countries where legalisation or apostille of original documents is needed
Documents from certain countries require that the documents are legalised or have an Apostille authentication. Please visit the website of the Danish Embassy in the country where the document was issued to see the relevant procedure for either legalisation or apostille: Find Danish embassies and consulates abroad

Please note that this process must have been completed before the passport application is submitted to the Embassy.

 

Countries from where documents cannot be recognised

The Embassy cannot accept foreign documents from certain countries as documents from these countries cannot be legalised by a Danish Embassy.

Applicants with kinship documents from these countries must therefore always present a certificate of Danish nationality or certificate of retention of Danish nationality before a passport can be issued.

These countries include:

  • Afghanistan
  • Bangladesh
  • Cameroon
  • Iraq
  • Libya
  • Pakistan
  • Somalia
  • South Sudan
  • Yemen

Please see the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for further information: Legalisation of foreign documents