Last checked against the official sources: 29 August 2026
Almost every German procedure asks for a “certified copy”, so people go to a notary and pay. § 33 of the Administrative Procedure Act says something simpler and cheaper: every authority may certify copies of documents it issued itself, and designated authorities may certify any copy needed for submission to an authority. The trap is not the price but a restriction written into the certification note itself, which can tie your copy to one single authority.
The rules as § 33 states them
- Who may certify
- Every authority may certify copies of documents it issued itself. Beyond that, authorities designated by federal regulation and those competent under Land law may certify copies where the original was issued by an authority or the copy is needed for submission to an authority.
- When certification is barred
- Where circumstances justify the assumption that the original content has been altered — in particular gaps, crossings-out, insertions, changes, illegible words, numbers or signs, traces of removal, or where the connection of a multi-page document has been broken.
- Form
- A note placed under the copy, containing four items, none of which may be missing.
- The decisive restriction
- Where the original was not issued by an authority, the note must state that the certified copy is issued only for submission to the named authority.
- What it covers
- Photocopies and reproductions made by technical processes, negatives held by an authority, printouts of electronic documents and electronic documents themselves.
Who certifies — and why a notary is usually unnecessary
The provision sets two levels. The first is general and unconditional: every authority may certify copies of documents it issued itself. A certificate issued by a municipality can be copied and certified at that municipality with no argument about competence.
The second is broader but conditional: authorities designated by federal regulation, and those competent under Land law, may certify copies where the original was issued by an authority, or where the copy is needed for submission to an authority — unless a legal provision reserves certified copies from official registers and archives exclusively to other authorities.
That second condition is the practical key: as long as the copy is for an authority, administrative certification is enough. Paying a notary for papers destined for an immigration office, a Jobcenter or a public university is usually money spent for nothing.
One caveat: which bodies are designated follows federal regulations and Land law, so ask the office about its competence before travelling — it differs between Länder.
When certification is refused — the list that sends you home
Paragraph 2 bars certification, with no discretion, whenever “circumstances justify the assumption that the original content of the document has been altered”. It then lists the examples:
- gaps in the text;
- crossings-out;
- insertions;
- changes;
- illegible words, numbers or signs;
- traces of the removal of words, numbers or signs;
- a broken connection in a document consisting of several sheets.
That last item surprises people most: a multi-page document whose staple has been pulled or whose sheets have come apart can be refused — not because its content is doubtful, but because its physical connection was broken. So do not unbind a document or remove its staple before you go, however much easier that makes the copying.
The same applies to a faded document or one with an unclear digit: refusal there is not obstruction but the statute being applied.
The certification note: four items, none optional
Certification is not a bare stamp but a note placed under the copy, containing:
- The exact designation of the document whose copy is being certified.
- The finding of conformity — that the certified copy matches the document presented.
- The restriction note — that the copy is issued only for submission to the named authority, where the original was not issued by an authority.
- Place and date, the signature of the responsible official, and the official seal.
Check these before you leave the counter. A missing item leaves the paper open to rejection at the next office, and going back is harder than checking on the spot.
The restriction that ties a copy to one authority
This is the provision behind a familiar experience: a certified copy accepted in one place and rejected in another.
The rule is simple once read: where the original was issued by an authority — a German birth certificate, say — there is no restriction. Where the original was not — a certificate from a private company, a contract, a document from a non-governmental institution — the note must state that the copy is issued only for submission to the authority named in it.
So decide the destination before certifying, and ask for as many copies as you have authorities to serve. Certifying one and photocopying it achieves nothing: a copy of a certified copy is not certified.
Paper and electronic alike
Paragraph 4 extends the same rules well beyond the traditional paper copy: photocopies and reproductions made by technical processes, photographic negatives held by an authority, printouts of electronic documents and electronic documents themselves — whether produced to represent a paper document or converted into another technical format from an original carrying an authority’s qualified electronic signature or seal.
For an electronic copy the last elements of the note change: a durably verifiable qualified electronic signature or seal replaces the handwritten signature and the official seal, and the name of the responsible official and the certifying authority are added. When a printout of an electronically signed document is certified, the results of the signature check are included: who the check identifies as signature holder or which authority holds the seal, the time it records, and the certificates underlying it.
Official source
Please note: this page is general guidance, not legal advice. Fees and procedural detail differ between municipalities and Länder, and every case is assessed individually — check with the competent registration office or registry office before acting.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a notary?
Usually not. Designated administrative bodies may certify a copy where the original was issued by an authority or the copy is needed for an authority, and every authority certifies what it issued itself.
Why was my document refused?
The statute bars certification where something suggests the content was altered: gaps, crossings-out, insertions, changes, illegible words or numbers, traces of removal, or a broken connection in a multi-page document.
Does a certified copy work for every office?
Where the original was issued by an authority, yes. Otherwise the note restricts the copy to the authority named in it, so request one copy per destination.
Can I photocopy a certified copy to save money?
It achieves nothing. A copy of a certified copy is not certified; the certification attests conformity with the document presented to the official.
Does this cover electronic documents?
Yes. The same rules apply to printouts of electronic documents and to electronic documents, with a qualified electronic signature or seal replacing the signature and official seal.