Legalisation of official documents (apostilles)
If you need to use an official Norwegian document abroad, you will need to have it “legalised”, which means that you need to obtain an apostille from the County Governor. Before applying for the apostille, you must have the document certified by a notary public (notarius publicus – a public servant who is authorised to undertake certain official legal functions). The document should also carry the official stamp of the public authority that issued it (this will often be a royal lion). Make sure that the notary public's name and title appear clearly (either typed or in block capitals) under his or her signature.
Note that an apostille does not confirm the authenticity of the contents of a document - it simply "legalises" the document by confirming that the signature of the notary public is genuine.
The County Governor is responsible for legalising documents that are to be used abroad (or, more precisely, documents that are to be used in countries that have ratified the Hague Convention).
An updated list of countries that have ratified the convention can be obtained from the Foreign Ministry. The Foreign Ministry can also supply information about using documents in countries that have not ratified the Hague Convention. You do not need to obtain an apostille if you only need to use your document in Norway, as in this case certification by a notary public will be sufficient.