Officially certification of documents

What does officially certified copy mean?

Any public authority and other public offices that have an official seal can produce an officially certified copy. Copies certified by notaries and churches regulated by public law are also accepted.

Copies certified by lawyers, clubs, accountants, auditors, surveyors, assessors and so on cannot be accepted.

The formal requirements for an official certification are taken from § 33 of either the German Federal or State Administrative Procedure Acts.

Standards for official certification

How do copies need to be certified?

Officially certified copies must always contain the following:

1. the original official stamp and

2. the original signature of the certifying person

Officially certified copies consisting of multiple pages must clearly show that every page has been officially certified in the same process.

This can be ensured in the following ways:

Using the official stamp: The official stamp must be visible on all pages. In order to achieve this, the person who certifies the copy attaches the pages to each other in a staggered arrangement and then stamps them with the official stamp. This results in every page carrying a part of the official stamp. With this method, the certification declaration and signature need to be applied to only one page.
Using a ribbon and an embossed seal: If a notary attests the copy using a ribbon and an embossed seal, the certification declaration and signature also need to be applied to only one page.

Where can I have my documents certified?

Outside of Germany, the following institutions may carry out official certifications:

the issuing schools or universities,
the ministry of education in your country of origin,
German embassies and consulates,
the department of cultural affairs of the embassy of the country in which the certificate was issued,
public authorities and notaries which are authorised to supply official certifications in your country of origin.

Important: Translators are not authorised to certify documents in their original language.

In Germany, any public institution ("öffentliche Stelle") which has an official stamp ("Dienstsiegel") is authorised to certify documents.

This includes:

town halls / citizen centres,
"Ortsbürgermeister" (local mayors),
"Kreisverwaltungen" (local governments),
parish offices,
courts,
notaries.

Important: Translators are not authorised to certify documents in their original language.

Public institutions in Germany are allowed to certify documents in a foreign language, but are under no obligation to do so. If you cannot find a public institution in Germany that will certify your documents, please contact the embassy of your country of origin.

Source: https://www.uni-assist.de/en/how-to-apply/assemble-your-documents/certified-copies-and-translations/