Notarial Certification

Notarial certification is the legally effective confirmation initiated by a notary of the authenticity of a signature or copy, thereby ensuring the highest legal certainty for contracts and documents. In signature certification, the notary verifies the signer's identity using an identity card or passport and notes on the document that the signature was made by hand. Copy certification, on the other hand, confirms that copies exactly match the original document. Public certification according to § 12 HGB is particularly important for registry filings, such as with the commercial register or association register, when managing directors, authorized signatories, or board members need to submit their signatures. Due to the 'public faith' of the notary, certified documents enjoy increased evidentiary value in courts and authorities. The costs of notarial certification are determined by the Court and Notary Fees Act (GNotKG) and usually start at around 20 euros per signature. Thanks to nationwide uniform fees, price comparison is straightforward. Those who need documents for international transactions often also receive an apostille or legalization. Thus, notarial certification is an indispensable tool for legally secure documents in Germany.