Certification of documents or signatures (Administrative costs) 

Overview

Certification confirms the conformity of copies, transcripts, duplicates, negatives, print-outs of electronic documents or electronic documents themselves with the original.

Signatures and marks on documents will be certified by the authorities if the signed document is required for presentation at a public or other office to which the signed document must be submitted due to a legal provision.
If certification for use abroad is required, a simple certification is insufficient. Please refer in this case to “Legalisation and apostille”.

- Legalisation and apostille

Who do I have to contact?

For the certification of copies, transcripts, duplicates, negatives, print-outs of electronic documents or electronic documents themselves, the authority which issued the original is responsible.

If the authority in question did not issue the original document, it is only responsible for the certification if it has been declared responsible in accordance with Section 1 of the Regulation of the State of Hesse for Determining the Authorities Authorised with Certification (Hessischen Verordnung zur Bestimmung der zu Beglaubigungen befugten Behörden) and the original was issued by another authority or is required for submission to an authority.

The authorities listed under Section 1 of the above-mentioned regulation are also responsible for the certification of signatures and marks.

In accordance with Section 1 of the above-mentioned regulation, all authorities within the meaning of Section 1 para. 1 of the Administrative Procedure Act of the State of Hesse (Hessisches Verwaltungsverfahrensgesetz) are responsible. Not responsible are the police authorities and natural and legal persons under private law who perform public administrative functions.