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The County Administrative Board appoints a Notary Public, who is a person tasked with assisting the public in verifying and certifying the truth of various matters. We can help you, for example, by certifying signatures, confirming that a person is authorized to carry out certain actions (such as being a company signatory or having the authority or position to represent someone), supervising lottery draws, acting as a witness in specific cases (e.g., during tender processes), issuing apostilles, etc.
A Notary Public is authorized to work outside their designated area, which means we can assist you even if you reside outside of Kalmar County.
Before your visit to the Notary Public
- Please note that the Notary Public cannot help you translate documents. You can find authorized translators on the website of the Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency (Kammarkollegiet).
- Make sure to bring valid Swedish identification or an international passport to confirm your identity.
- For certification of photocopies – always bring the original document to be copied. We will make the copies and provide certification and stamps.
- For certification of signatures – this means that we witness your signature. You must therefore appear in person and sign the document in our presence.
- For certification of certain powers of attorney and life certificates – some documents contain personal information about the grantor that the Notary Public must certify. In addition to identification, you must provide supporting documentation confirming the accuracy of these details, typically a certificate of population registration (“personbevis”) from the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket).
- For certification of authorized company signatories – a registration certificate from the Swedish Companies Registration Office (Bolagsverket) is required, showing who is authorized to sign on behalf of the company. The certificate must not be older than three months.
Apostille
According to an international agreement (The Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents), an apostille can be issued for documents to be used in another member country. Once a document has been stamped with an apostille, no further approval is usually required from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs or a foreign embassy. In Sweden, only Notaries Public may issue apostilles.
Issuing an apostille means that the Notary Public certifies which authority issued the document, who signed it and in what capacity, and that the document bears the appropriate stamp or seal. Therefore, such information must be clearly visible on the document.
Certification of Photocopies
Bring the original document to be copied. We will make the copy on site, provide a certification, and apply the stamp.
Certification of Signature
Certifying a signature means we witness you signing the document. You must therefore come to our office and sign the document while present.
Bring valid identification.
Acceptable forms of ID include:
- Swedish driving license
- Swedish SIS-approved ID cards
- Swedish and foreign passports
- National ID cards issued by countries fully participating in the Schengen cooperation, where citizenship is clearly stated
The following are not accepted as valid ID:
- Foreign ID cards
- Foreign driving licenses
Certification of Certain Powers of Attorney and Life Certificates
Some documents, including Spanish and French powers of attorney, contain personal data that the Notary Public must verify. In these cases, in addition to ID, you must provide supporting documentation confirming the accuracy of these details (e.g., a certificate of population registration from the Swedish Tax Agency). If you're unsure what documentation is required, feel free to contact us for a review.
For life certificates required by certain countries, the address and marital status must be verified by the Notary Public. In such cases, bring a population registration certificate with these details included. The certificate must not be older than three months.
Company Signatories
To certify a company signatory, you must present a registration certificate (or e-certificate) from the Swedish Companies Registration Office. The certificate must be no older than three months.
Apostille under The Hague Convention
Under an international agreement, an apostille can be issued for documents to be used in another member country of the Hague Convention. Once a document is issued with an apostille, no further authentication is usually needed by foreign embassies. In Sweden, only Notaries Public may issue apostilles.
The following documents may receive an apostille, provided they are originals with a stamp, signature, and name clarification:
- Documents issued by Swedish government authorities (e.g., the Swedish Tax Agency, the Companies Registration Office, the Medical Products Agency, the National Board of Health and Welfare)
- Criminal record extracts and other police-issued documents
- Court documents, such as divorce decrees
- Diplomas/certificates from universities, colleges, and municipal schools (not private schools)
- Documents signed by a Notary Public
- Translations made by an authorized translator appointed by Kammarkollegiet
- Marriage certificates from civil marriage officiants (not from religious or foreign faith communities)
- Documents from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency and the Public Employment Service
- Documents from the National and Regional Archives
- Foreign documents authenticated by that country’s embassy or consulate in Sweden
- Signatures from licensed professionals such as doctors, pharmacists, veterinarians, midwives, and other licensed professions under the National Board of Health and Welfare or the Swedish Board of Agriculture
- Swedish documents signed by a Notary Public
- Swedish documents (e.g., invoices, VAT reports, certificates of origin, trademark registrations, import/export documents) signed by the Swedish Chamber of Commerce
- Translations done by authorized translators appointed by Kammarkollegiet
Which Documents Require Notarization Before an Apostille Can Be Issued?
Typically, the following documents must first be notarized:
- Copies that do not have an original signature
- Documents issued by private individuals
- Powers of attorney
- Diplomas/documents from private (independent) schools
- Invoices, VAT reports, certificates of origin, trademark registrations, and other import/export documents (these may also be certified by the Chamber of Commerce)
- Documents from banks, lawyers, and private companies
- Documents from county or municipal archives
- Marriage certificates from non-civil officiants (e.g., Church of Sweden, foreign religious communities in Sweden)
- Translations by translators not authorized by Kammarkollegiet