Translation of Commercial and Company Documents for Denmark

Denmark is Northern Europe’s exception when it comes to the certification of translations, and that bears directly on how a commercial file is put together. This page describes the documents a company established in Türkiye will submit to the Danish register, to its buyer or to a contracting authority. A Danish company opening a branch in Türkiye is a separate file altogether, one in which the papers travel in the opposite direction and are translated into Turkish.

The official translator title has been abolished: what happens now?

Denmark has abolished the official authorisation of translators granted by the state; unlike its neighbours, it has today no central register of authorised translators. This does not mean translation has been set loose, only that trust is now secured from a different quarter. What is expected in practice is a declaration of accuracy from the agency or the translator who made the translation; depending on the nature of the matter, that declaration may have to be given before a notary or be certified by a consulate. For Turkish companies the practical upshot is this: the fact that “Denmark has no register of sworn translators” does not mean a translation may be sent without certification. On the contrary, precisely because there is no central register, the other side looks more closely at who gave the declaration and how.

The central business register and a culture of numbers

Every business in Denmark has a registration number in the central register, and commercial life runs on that number; the party you are dealing with is used to verifying a company in a matter of seconds. What is expected of a Turkish company is records that give the same information: a recent certificate of activity from the trade registry directorate, the notice in the Türkiye Trade Registry Gazette, the articles of association and the signature circular. Stating the MERSİS and tax identification numbers in the covering letter answers the reflex of a counterparty who thinks in numbers. If a branch is to be registered, the parent company’s documents sit at the centre of the file, and the resolution appointing the person who will manage the branch is translated as well.

Form of certification	Who gives it	When it is required
Agency declaration of accuracy	The agency that made the translation	Commercial correspondence, supply files
Notarised declaration	Notary	Registration and banking matters
Consular certification	The consulate concerned	Certain official applications
Apostille	Governor’s office / district governor’s office	For the Turkish official document itself

The extra documentary layer of being a supplier

Danish industrial groups and public purchasing authorities ask a supplier not only for legal identity but also for declarations on working conditions, environmental practice and supply chain transparency. For a Turkish supplier this produces a file in two layers. The documents proving the company’s existence and its powers of representation are subject to the full certification chain. Policy texts, audit reports and certificates are usually met with a stamped translation; these are verified through the certificate number and the auditing body. Declarations in the nature of an undertaking, by contrast, must be submitted together with the signatory’s authority, failing which the declaration does not count as binding and the file comes back.

Branch or subsidiary: which route asks for fewer papers?

There are two ways of setting up in Denmark, and the choice determines the list of documents to be translated outright. Opening a branch creates no separate legal person; the register wants to see the existence of the Turkish parent company, its field of activity and its intention to open that branch. The articles of association, the registry record and the resolution of the competent organ are therefore translated. When a subsidiary is established the set of documents required from the parent narrows, while additional papers on capital and on the form of incorporation come into play. The Danish register expects the information in the branch entry to match the parent company’s documents exactly; a name written differently or an address that does not agree will send the file back. Settling which structure you will set up at the decision stage removes needless translation from the outset.

Shipping papers and the power of attorney chain

On shipments to Denmark, certificates of origin and movement certificates are the business of the chambers and the customs administration; being multilingual pre-printed forms, they are not translated. The invoice, the packing list and the transport document are likewise drawn up in a foreign language from the start. On the power of attorney side the order does not vary: signature before a notary first, then the apostille, and the translation last. Keep the scope of the power of attorney narrow and itemised; support the authority of the grantor with a current registry record and the signature circular. Denmark is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention; verify the current list of parties through the HCCH. Our document types page shows which document calls for which chain.

The commonest reason for rejection, and the form of delivery

The first reason for rejection in Danish files is a translation carrying no declaration of accuracy; the absence of a central register creates the impression that certification is unnecessary. Second comes the date of the document, and third the inconsistency of names and addresses between one document and another. Delivery is mostly electronic; the scan is expected to be complete, legible and to include every page. A wet-signed set may be asked for in registration and banking matters. You can see what difference the level of certification makes on our pricing page, and send us your file through the quotation form.

This content is for information only; a country’s practice on apostille or consular legalisation may change. The final requirement is set by the authority to which the application is made; confirm it beforehand.