Online notary appointment

Lisa Marie Breyer

17th May 2023

notarity has reduced the effort for notarial certifications and notarial acts from several weeks to a few minutes through online notarial acts. Below we explain how an online notarial appointment works. We also provide information on security and validity, as well as the advantages associated with it.

How does an online notary appointment via notarity work?

A digital notary appointment takes place live via video conference with one of our partner notaries. During the call, you can sign the documents with a Qualified Electronic Signature.

Identity verification

Before your digital appointment, your identity must be verified.
One way to verify your identity is via a video identification procedure. You can find out more about the verification of your identity by means of a video identification procedure here.

As a second option, you can present an electronic ID card (eID). Electronic ID cards are for example ID - Austriaelectronic German identity cards or electronic Estonian identity cards.

During this verification you will also be issued with a qualified electronic signature with which you can sign during the online notary appointment. It is not necessary to have an electronic signature in advance.

Here learn more about qualified electronic signatures.

At the appointment, the notary will always identify the parties independently. Please have your identification document ready for this.
Date Invitation

When their preferred notary calls them in for a digital notary appointment, the notarity or invites you directly via notarity book an appointment, you will receive an appointment confirmation within a few minutes. You will then receive an invitation to the notarity platform. You will also receive the invitation by e-mail. In order to participate in online notary appointments, it is necessary to accept the invitation. You can then view the appointment details and upload the documents to be processed during the appointment.
Online notary appointment and signature

To make an appointment, simply click on the "Join appointment button in the appointment details on the notarity - Platform. You will then be connected with your notary in a video conference. Your notary will then verify your identity. Your notary will then guide you through the rest of the appointment and instruct you to sign the relevant documents digitally.

You can participate in the videoconference with any end device - i.e. also with your mobile phone or tablet. The video conference is started in the browser. You do not need to download any additional programmes.

The notary appointment process works within a few minutes. For example, the appointment duration of a signature authentication is usually less than 2 minutes.
Download documents

The certified documents are then available for download.

Legal basis Online - Notary appointment

Since the Electronic Notarial Form Foundation Act (ENG) came into force, it has been possible, eing an electronic notarial act using electronic telecommunication facilities. This possibility builds on the already existing option to draw up an electronic notarial act and the associated requirements. The exact requirements and conditions, in particular the specific requirements for the form of the notarial act for this purpose, are set out in the new § 69b NO regulated. ¹

All persons signing an electronic notarial act must use electronic signatures in accordance with Article 3(10) of the eIDAS Regulation. ²

Is an online notary appointment safe?

Yes, online notary appointments are secure. Qualified electronic signatures (QES) are far more difficult to forge than handwritten signatures. The QES can only ever be triggered by two factors. In addition, the QES protects the signed document from subsequent manipulation.

Special legal measures are required to ensure the identity of the persons involved.

§69 para 2 NO deals with the special measures required to reliably verify and establish the identity of a person, especially in view of the fact that the party is only connected via a qualified video conference. Particular attention must be paid to ensuring that the potentially increased risk of money laundering and terrorism financing ³ is taken into account.

In addition, the notary must establish identity either by means of an official photo ID within the framework of a video-based electronic procedure or by means of a procedure provided for by law which provides the same information as when an official photo ID is presented (electronic ID). ⁴

Finally, the final obligation to identify the parties always remains with the certifying notary. The notary will therefore establish the identity of the parties involved once again at the appointment.

Advantages of an online notary appointment

The advantages of an online notary appointment are obvious. On the one hand, you save yourself the physical trip to the notary. You can simply reach him via the notarity platform by means of an online appointment. Especially for notary appointments, where several people from different international destinations have to be present at the same time, an online notary appointment has its advantages. This eliminates the need to travel miles by plane, train or car, which saves you a lot of time, money and fuel.

Interest aroused? Make a non-binding contact request here for more information.