How does an online notary appointment work?
During an online notary appointment, you join a video conference with a civil law notary or a notary’s substitute. Electronic PDF documents are signed using a qualified electronic signature.
Prior to your digital appointment, your identity must be verified. In the course of the video identification process and verification of your identity, you will also obtain a qualified electronic signature if required, which will enable you to sign before us. So it is not necessary that you already have an electronic signature before your appointment.
As soon as we accept your appointment request, you will receive an invitation to the appointment via the corresponding platform. You will also receive information about the invitation including instructions via e‑mail.
You must accept the invitation in order to attend the appointment. You can also upload documents to the appointment yourself.
You join the appointment at the time it is scheduled by clicking the corresponding button (“Join appointment”) in the appointment details. You will then be connected with a notary or a notary’s substitute from nhp in a video conference.
The notary will guide you through the appointment and you will sign the documents before him. You will also have to accept both the General Terms and Conditions for the notary services and the Privacy Statement.
Please note:
Online notary appointments should only be booked during our regular office opening hours and with a lead time of at least 24 hours to the requested appointment.
For appointments outside our opening hours, please contact us in advance by telephone or send us a request by e‑mail.
Note on costs:
Video identification procedures incur costs and fees on the part of the performing identification service, even if the planned online notarty appointment does not take place, is not attended or is cancelled for any reason whatsoever.
FAQ
Are online certifications/recordings of notarial deeds legal?
In Austria, the majority of the certifications of signatures and notarial deeds a civil law notary is engaged for may be carried out online. The referral of clients by third parties in exchange for a commission is not possible.
Certified copies cannot be made online. The original document must be presented to a notary in order for him to make a copy of it.
May documents that were certified online be used outside of Austria?
In principle, electronic documents with electronically notarized signatures may be used without an apostille in many countries within and outside Europe. If you intend to use the documents outside of Austria, you should clarify with the recipient of the documents beforehand whether the documents are accepted in the country of destination.
Is there an apostille for electronic documents?
Currently, there is no electronic apostille for an electronic document. If you require an apostille for a notarized document, talk to us. We will do our best to find a solution that works for you.
What are the technical requirements for a digital notary appointment?
We recommend a desktop computer or laptop. More often than not, using a cell phone or tablet to participate in an online notary appointment proves to be impractical.
Can I attend digital notary appointments from abroad?
Yes, you can visit nhp notare online from anywhere as long as you have a stable internet connection,
Will there still be a paper document?
The electronic PDF document which has been signed by you and certified by the notary is the original document. It is possible to make a certified paper copy of the original. We are happy to help you with this.
If the document is to be used outside of Austria, we recommend that you discuss the procedure with the recipient of the document or with your legal advisor. We cannot guarantee that electronic documents will be accepted everywhere.
How does the video identification work?
You will have to go through a video identification process (Web ID) where you show your passport and face from different angles.
The notary then compares the images from the video identification process to verify your identity.
When will the documents be ready?
After the appointment where the documents are signed, the notary has to prepare the certification clause, attach it to the document and sign it electronically in person. Once the document is ready following the appointment, you will receive an e‑mail containing the document itself or a link where you can download the certified document.
I have a new cell phone/phone number: What about my signature?
If you have a new phone or number, you will need to go through the video identification process again.
What are the costs for online notary services?
In addition to the fee in accordance with the Notary Tariff Act, which is between EUR 30.00 and EUR 177.00 plus VAT and possibly EUR 14.30 state fee, depending on the value of the deeds, an additional fee of EUR 160.00 plus VAT will be charged for our advice and the time required for electronic notarisation, as well as the cash expenses for the provision of a secured appointment by notarity in the amount of EUR 30.00 plus VAT.
For the sake of completeness, it should be noted that the aforementioned fees for notarity will also be charged in case the notary appointment does not take place, is not attended or is cancelled for any reason whatsoever.
The confirmation of the power of representation for a legal entity (e.g. a limited liability company) and the necessary inspection of the company register may be charged additionally.
Our processing time is usually one to two working days, if you require immediate completion of your document(s), an additional EUR 100.00 plus VAT would be charged.
We may ask you to pay our fee before we receive the notarised document(s).