Legalisation
Power of attorney legalisation
A power of attorney is a private document: the signature is first certified in Finland (a notary or DVV, depending on the document), and then it gets an apostille or goes through the full legalisation chain, depending on the destination country. We handle the whole chain for you.
Start legalisationIn short
Power of attorney legalisation: the key facts
- Signature certification
- Required. A notary public certifies the signature on a private person's power of attorney; for a power of attorney given on behalf of a company, DVV confirms the signatory's competence. We check from the document which one is needed.
- Apostille or legalisation
- The destination country decides. For Hague Convention countries, Saudi Arabia included, a DVV apostille is enough. The UAE, Kuwait and Qatar require full consular legalisation.
- Price
- For apostille countries: notarisation, DVV apostille €38 and service fee €100. UAE: Finnish stages from €196; a general or commercial power of attorney falls in the embassy's commercial class (AED 2 000, about €468). Kuwait package from €350 per document.
- Time
- UAE Finnish stages typically 2 to 3 working days, Kuwait and Qatar about 1 to 2 weeks.
- Translation
- Most recipients in the UAE require an Arabic translation. Check the wording requirements before signing, so the chain does not have to start over.
- Start
- Scan or PDF copy first, originals only after confirmation.
What's needed
When does a power of attorney need legalising?
When you authorise someone to act on your behalf abroad (for example in property, banking or company matters), the destination country often requires the power of attorney to be legalised. Its signature is first certified in Finland, after which it proceeds to an apostille or full consular legalisation depending on the destination.
Process
How legalisation proceeds
- 01
1. Certification in Finland
The signature is first certified in Finland, depending on the document: DVV's confirmation of the signatory's competence (€27 per signature) or a notary public's certification. For Hague Convention countries the document then gets a DVV apostille.
- 02
2. Ministry for Foreign Affairs
The Finnish MFA legalises the document for the full chain (€30/signature).
- 03
3. Embassy
The destination country's embassy in Helsinki attests the document.
- 04
4. Destination MFA
Final attestation at the destination country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on arrival.
Destinations
Which countries are powers of attorney usually legalised for?
Powers of attorney are legalised for many kinds of needs. Common destinations include:
- United Arab Emirates (UAE) · full legalisation
- Kuwait and Qatar · full legalisation
- Saudi Arabia · apostille (since 2022)
- Hague Convention countries · apostille
Destinations
Chain and fees by country
The destination country decides which chain the document goes through. Below are the requirements, authority fees and chain steps for each country; you get an exact quote and timeline before we start.
The UAE
A power of attorney lets you handle property, inheritance and company matters in the destination country without travelling there yourself. The UAE is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille alone is not accepted. The document goes through the full consular chain. We handle every stage for you.
Chain steps
- 1Signature certification
- 2Ministry for Foreign Affairs
- 3Embassy legalisation
- 4Confirmation at destination
The total consists of authority fees (DVV from €27 per signature, MFA €30 per signature; the embassy charges about €35 (AED 150) for standard documents and about €468 (AED 2 000) for commercial ones, the classification decides) and our service fee (€100).
Kuwait
Kuwait is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille alone is not accepted. The document goes through the full consular chain. We handle every stage for you.
Chain steps
- 1Signature certification
- 2Ministry for Foreign Affairs
- 3Embassy legalisation
- 4Confirmation at destination
The total consists of authority fees (DVV from €27 per signature, MFA €30 per signature; the Kuwaiti Embassy in Stockholm confirms its own fee per order) and our service fee (€100).
Qatar
Qatar is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille alone is not accepted. The document goes through the full consular chain. We handle every stage for you.
Chain steps
- 1Signature certification
- 2Ministry for Foreign Affairs
- 3Embassy legalisation
- 4Confirmation at destination
The total consists of authority fees (DVV from €27 per signature, MFA €30 per signature; the embassy fee depends on document type and is confirmed once the embassy has received the documents) and our service fee (€100).
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia joined the Hague Apostille Convention on 7 December 2022, so a DVV apostille is all that is needed. The full consular chain no longer applies. We still confirm the receiving party's requirements, as some authorities additionally ask for an official translation.
Chain steps
- 1Signature certification
- 2DVV apostille
The total consists of the notarisation, the DVV apostille (€38) and our service fee (€100). We confirm the exact price before we start.
The cost builds up step by step: DVV from €27/signature, MFA €30/signature, an embassy fee that depends on the country and document class, our service fee €100. The final cost depends on the destination country.
See legalisationFAQ
Frequently asked questions
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