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Certification at the notary

Notary · Signature and copy

Often without an appointmentImmediately

Certification is the smallest and least expensive notarial service. With certification of a signature, the notary confirms that the signature comes from the person identified – they say nothing about its content. With a certified copy, they confirm that a copy matches the original.

The costs are capped: a 0.2 fee under KV 25100, and for a certification without a draft the maximum fee is €70 – regardless of how valuable the underlying transaction is. In practice, the amounts are often between €20 and €25.

Before you go to the notary, it is worth asking: do you actually need one? For many purposes, official certification (amtliche Beglaubigung) by the Bürgeramt, the municipality or another public body is enough, and it is often cheaper. The notary is needed where the law requires public certification (öffentliche Beglaubigung) – above all for Handelsregister filings and many Grundbuch filings.

Notary fees are fixed by law and the same throughout Germany: under § 17 BNotO, the notary is required to charge the prescribed fees; discounts are not permitted. Comparing prices between notaries is therefore pointless.

Last updated27 August 2026
Legal basis§ 34 GNotKG · § 17 BNotO · § 15 GmbHG
VerificationChecked against gesetze-im-internet.de and notar.de
Written and reviewed byAndrés Sánchez Botta
Independent information site: we are not the notary's office, not an authority and not a paid advice service — we do not submit applications on your behalf. All information comes from official sources and is explained here in plain terms; the competent body is always authoritative. Not legal advice. Which form a body requires is stated authoritatively by that body. All information provided without guarantee. We are neither lawyers nor tax consultants: we document administrative procedures and check the information against the official source — this is information, not legal or tax advice.
Fee0.2 feeKV 25100
At most€70Without a draft
Often€20 to €25In practice
AlternativeOfficial certificationOften cheaper
Required documents

What you need

Valid ID document

The heart of the matter: the notary confirms that the signature comes from the identified person. Without a valid identity document, certification is not possible – even if you are personally acquainted.

The finished document

For the certification of a signature, you bring the text with you; the notary does not check its content. If they are to prepare the draft, that is a separate service, to which the maximum fee of €70 does not apply.

For copies: the original

For a certified copy, the original must be available. No certified copy can be made from a copy, and there is no such thing as certifying a copy of a copy.

Information about the purpose

Handelsregister, Grundbuch, an authority, or abroad? This determines whether a certification is enough, whether it must come from a notary, and whether an apostille is also needed.

Step by step

How to proceed

  1. 1

    First check: do you need the notary?

    For many purposes, official certification by the Bürgeramt or the municipality is enough – for example, for copies of certificates or proof submitted to authorities. It must be notarial where the law requires public certification: for Handelsregister filings and many Grundbuch declarations. A call to the receiving body clarifies this in two minutes.

  2. 2

    Choose the right type

    Certification of a signature confirms that you signed. Certified copy confirms that a copy matches the original. Notarial recording is something quite different: there, the notary checks the content and explains its implications.

  3. 3

    Prepare the document

    Bring the finished text or the original with you. When booking the appointment, say whether the notary should draft anything – this changes how the fee is calculated and is difficult to improvise during the appointment itself.

  4. 4

    Appear in person

    You sign in front of the notary or acknowledge the signature as your own. Representation is not possible; that is precisely the purpose of the certification.

  5. 5

    For use abroad: check the apostille

    If the document is to be used abroad, an apostille or legalisation is often required. Within the EU, it is not needed for certain types of document. Clarify this beforehand – doing so afterwards means a second trip to another body.

  6. 6

    Bring enough copies

    If the certification is required by several bodies, you need several copies. Certified copies are often retained and not returned.

Fee information

Costs and payment

Costs and alternativesCapped — and sometimes avoidable altogether
Certification of a signature0.2 fee (KV 25100)
Maximum fee without a draft€70
Often in practice€20 to €25
With a draft by the notarySeparately assessed
Official certificationOften cheaper
Handelsregister and GrundbuchNotary required

Certification of a signature is the least expensive service in the entire law of notary fees: a 0.2 fee under KV 25100, with a maximum fee of €70 applying to a certification without a draft – regardless of the value of the underlying transaction. In practice, the amounts are often between €20 and €25. This cap is why certification remains affordable even for very valuable matters. Important: if the notary prepares the draft of the text, that is a separate service to which the maximum does not apply – so say at the time of booking whether you will bring the document yourself. And one step before that often saves everything: for many purposes, official certification by the Bürgeramt, the municipality or another public body is enough, for example for copies of certificates or proof submitted to authorities. The notary is required there only where the law demands public certification – in particular for Handelsregister filings and many Grundbuch declarations. Ask the body that will receive the document: it will tell you authoritatively which form it requires.

Good to know

Important notes

Certification says nothing about the content. The notary only confirms that the signature is yours. Anyone who brings a defective text gets a certified signature under a defective text.

The maximum fee of €70 only applies without a draft. If the notary prepares the text, that is a separate service with its own assessment.

Official certification is often enough. The Bürgeramt or the municipality are sufficient for many purposes and are usually cheaper. The notary is needed where the law requires public certification.

For Handelsregister filings and many Grundbuch matters, there is no way around the notary. There, the law requires public certification.

There is no certified copy made from a copy. For a certified copy, the original must be available.

For use abroad, remember the apostille. It often has to be obtained from a further body; within the EU, it is not needed for certain types of document.

Bring several copies with you. Certified copies are often retained.

Here too, the price is not negotiable. § 17 BNotO requires the notary to charge the statutory fee.

Avoid these mistakes

Common mistakes

Going to the notary where the Bürgeramt would have been enough. For many purposes, official certification is sufficient. A call to the receiving body clarifies this beforehand.

Assuming the notary checked the content. With certification, they expressly do not.

Getting something certified where notarial recording is required. The wrong form cannot be cured – the document has to be drawn up again.

Bringing only a copy. For a certified copy, the original is required.

Only noticing the apostille once abroad. Then a second trip to another body is needed – considerably more cumbersome from a distance.

Having too few copies made. Certified copies are usually retained; requesting more means another appointment.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

What does a certification at the notary cost?

A 0.2 fee under KV 25100. For a certification without a draft, a maximum fee of €70 applies, regardless of the value of the underlying transaction; in practice, the amounts are often between €20 and €25. If the notary prepares the text themselves, that is a separate service to which this limit does not apply – so mention at the time of booking whether you will bring the document yourself.

Can I go to the Bürgeramt instead?

For many purposes, yes, and it is usually cheaper. Official certification by the Bürgeramt, the municipality or another public body is often enough, for example, for copies of certificates and proof submitted to authorities. The notary is required only where the law demands public certification – in particular for Handelsregister filings and many Grundbuch declarations. Ask the body that will receive the document; it will tell you authoritatively what it needs.

Does the notary check the content of the document?

No, and that is the most common misunderstanding. With certification, they confirm only that the signature comes from the person identified. The certification says nothing about the correctness, validity or sense of the text. If you want the content checked and an explanation of its implications, you need a notarial recording – there, the notary reads out the deed, checks the content and establishes legal capacity to contract.

What is a certified copy?

The confirmation that a copy matches the original. It is often required when an authority needs proof but the original is to remain with you. Two practical points: the original must be available – no certified copy can be made from a copy –, and copies are usually retained by the receiving body. So have as many copies made as you need straight away.

Do I need an appointment?

For a plain certification, often not at all, or only a short wait – the process takes a few minutes, and many notary's offices deal with it promptly. Call ahead anyway: practice varies from office to office, and you will find out straight away which documents to bring and whether you want to bring the document yourself or have it drafted.

Does a German certification apply abroad?

Not automatically. For use abroad, an apostille or a legalisation is often additionally required, obtained from a further body. Within the European Union, this requirement does not apply to certain types of document, under an EU regulation. Clarify this point before you leave: obtaining an apostille retroactively from abroad is considerably more work than making a call to the competent body beforehand.

Can someone else have it certified on my behalf?

No. You must appear in person and sign in front of the notary or acknowledge the signature as your own. Representation would defeat the purpose of the certification, which consists precisely in personally establishing that this signature comes from this person. With certified copies, it is different – there, it is about the document, not your signature, and submission by another person is generally possible.

Why is the fee capped when notary fees otherwise rise with value?

Because the effort involved in a certification does not grow with the value. The notary establishes your identity and confirms the signature – this process is the same for a contract worth €20,000 as for one worth two million. That is why the cost schedule provides for a maximum fee of €70 for certification without a draft, while notarial recording fees follow the value-based Table B. For notarial recording, the effort is genuinely dependent on the value, because the checking and explanation become more extensive.

Related official procedures

Power of attorney
When certification is enough
From €20
Articles of association
Register filings
Approx. €630
Official certification
The cheaper alternative
Depending on the local authority

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