Electronic attendance verification with signotec

With the introduction of electronic in-person notarisation (e-notarisation), which has been in force since 29 December 2025, notaries in Germany, under the leadership of the Federal Chamber of Notaries, are taking an important step towards digitalisation.

Notarial deeds can now be easily created electronically during the in-person procedure and signed using a signature pad – as an alternative to the paper-based process. This is a milestone for notarial processes.

Previously, although deeds were already created electronically, they had to be printed out and signed by hand by all parties involved for the notarisation. These deeds then had to be scanned again for transfer to the electronic deed archive. This double media break was one of the biggest digital bottlenecks in the process and involved a considerable expenditure of time and resources. Every change or correction often required several printouts and additional rounds – a time-consuming and inefficient process.

With e-notarisation via the XNP basic application of the Federal Chamber of Notaries, these processes are now digital and free of media breaks: documents can be created directly as electronic documents, changes are incorporated immediately, and the signatures of the parties involved are captured directly digitally on a signature pad or by means of a qualified electronic signature (QES). Upon completion of the notarisation, the notary applies a qualified electronic signature, thereby ensuring the authenticity and integrity of the electronic document in the digital process.

E-notarisation is generally suitable for all notarial procedures – these include, for example, property purchase agreements, company formations or marriage contracts. The only exceptions are certain dispositions of property upon death (e.g. wills), which must continue to be drawn up using the paper-based procedure.

In this way, notaries save time, paper and staffing costs, whilst at the same time legal certainty and the protection of sensitive data remain assured through the delegation of tasks to the Federal Chamber of Notaries. Private third parties have no access to the contents, and the requirements for confidentiality, integrity and neutrality are fully met.

Legal basis

Electronic notarisation is based on the “Act on the Introduction of Electronic Notarisation in the Presence of the Notary”. Section 13a of the Notarisation Act (BeurkG) is particularly important. It states, among other things:

• The electronic record must be signed by the parties in the presence of the notary – either via a qualified electronic signature (QES) or via a tool for the electronic capture of the signature, such as a signature pad.
• The electronic signatures must be visually reproduced at the end of the record.

This ensures legal certainty, transparency and traceability of the digital notarisation.

Signature pads from signotec: Efficient and secure signature capture

With the signotec Sigma and signotec Omega signature pads, parties can provide their signatures directly in digital form whilst the document is displayed in a legally compliant manner. The devices are recommended by the Federal Chamber of Notaries and enable simple, secure and transparent digital notarisation.

With the signotec Sigma and signotec Omega signature pads, parties can provide their signatures directly in digital form, whilst the record is displayed in a legally compliant manner. The devices are recommended by the Federal Chamber of Notaries and enable simple, secure and transparent digital notarisation.

Your added value at a glance:

• Legally compliant: Meets the requirements of Section 13a of the German Notarial Act (BeurkG) – signatures are captured electronically and reproduced visually in the record.
• Directly integrated: Seamless integration into the XNP workflow – ready for immediate use at local workstations thanks to plug-and-play.
• Terminal servers: On terminal servers, the devices can be used as FTDI versions or with the VCOM port driver.
• No media breaks: All steps are digital – printouts are optional only and no manual intermediate steps are required.
• Time and resource-saving: Efficient workflow through centralised management, immediate changes and digital signatures.

With the combination of the XNP base application and signotec pads, you can rely on a secure, digital and future-proof notary setup. This ensures that notarisation is not only carried out more efficiently, but also in compliance with the law, transparently and without media discontinuity – a real step forward for modern notary practices.

Discover now how easy it is to integrate the signotec Sigma and Omega signature pads into your existing digital workflows, and benefit from the advantages of electronic in-person notarisation.

Would you like to get started or are you looking for further information?

The signotec Sigma and Omega signature pads are ideally suited for use in electronic in-person notarisation and are available directly from the signotec online shop.

For use in terminal server environments, depending on the system configuration, either the FTDI version of the Sigma (item no. ST-ME105-2-FT100 or ST-BE105-2-FT100) or, alternatively, the VCOM port driver is required.

Further technical and organisational information on electronic attendance certification and the XNP basic application is provided by the Federal Chamber of Notaries in its online help section: Federal Chamber of Notaries Handbook on e-Certification

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Sources:

• Press release from the Federal Chamber of Notaries on electronic in-person notarisation dated 12 December 2025
• Act on Electronic Presence Certification