How to Get a Death Certificate in Denmark in English

When someone dies in Denmark, you'll encounter two distinct documents that both function as "death certificates" — and confusing them creates real delays when dealing with foreign embassies, banks, and pension boards.

The Two Danish Death Certificates

The Dødsattest (Medical Death Certificate) is issued by the attending physician immediately after death. It comes in two parts: Page 1 is handed to the family, while Page 2 is sealed and sent to the Danish Patient Safety Authority. This document confirms the medical cause of death but is not the one you need for most administrative purposes abroad.

The Personattest (Person Certificate) is the document you actually need. Issued by the local parish (sogn) after the burial or cremation is complete, this certificate replaces the former "Death and Burial Certificate" and serves as Denmark's official civil status document for international use. It can be requested in English or as a bilingual Danish/English version at no cost.

Processing time for the Personattest is 1-3 business days after the funeral is completed. You cannot get it before the burial or cremation happens — the parish must close the registration first.

Getting an English-Language Version

Request the bilingual Danish/English Personattest directly from the parish office (kirkekontor) where the death was registered. There is no additional fee. You will need:

• The deceased's CPR number (if they had one)
• The date and location of death
• Your identification as next of kin

If the deceased was a tourist or non-resident without a CPR number, the parish of the district where the death occurred handles the registration instead of a home parish.

Making It Valid Abroad: The Apostille

A Danish Personattest alone won't be accepted by most foreign institutions. You need an apostille from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Legalisation Office (Udenrigsministeriets Legaliseringskontor) in Copenhagen.

Key details:

• Fee: 250 DKK per document
• In-person processing: Same day (maximum 7 documents per visit)
• Mail processing: 5-7 business days
• You must purchase the apostille in advance through the Ministry's online webshop before submitting documents

The Ministry will reject scans, photocopies, or photographs. They require either the physical original with wet signatures or a document with a verified digital signature (blue-bar PDF). This catches many families off guard — sending a scanned copy by email will not work.

The Sequence That Matters

Each step in the Danish death certificate chain depends on the previous one:

1. Physician issues the Dødsattest → registers death in CPR
2. Parish receives CPR notification → approves burial/cremation request
3. Burial or cremation occurs → parish closes registration
4. Parish issues Personattest (1-3 days after funeral)
5. Ministry of Foreign Affairs applies apostille
6. Foreign embassy accepts the apostilled Personattest to issue its own Consular Report of Death

Skipping ahead — for example, trying to get an apostille before the parish issues the Personattest — is impossible. Each institution checks that the previous step is complete.

The Denmark Expat Death Guide includes the complete document checklist with processing times, fees, and the exact sequence for getting documents accepted by your home country's authorities.

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