Authorisation of signature before a Notary

It is a notarial certificate that allows verifying that a signature on a document corresponds to a specific person through a Notary who attests to it.

The rule is that only signatures on documents that have met all tax requirements and for which there is no legal provision requiring the form of a public deed or policy can be certified. The exception is that documents that will only produce effects abroad can be certified, even if they do not comply with some of the provisions of Spanish legislation, provided that the certification meets the requirements of article 207.2 of the Notarial Regulation.

We find different options for the legitimisation to take place. It can be:

• By in-person signature before the Notary.
• Recognised by the signer before a Notary.
• By personal knowledge of the Notary.
• By verification through DNI.
• By verification with another legitimised signature.
• By verification with the Notary's protocol or book.

Likewise, one of the most common signature legitimations is so that certain private documents can be recognised abroad. It allows ensuring that a signature is valid and recognised in other countries so that the document takes effect and the formal requirements demanded by foreign legislation are met. It concerns the legitimisation of documents that, according to Spanish law, should circulate here as a ‘public deed’ and, according to foreign law, can be carried out by a simple legitimisation.

This legitimisation act is found in the Notarial Regulation, specifically in article 207. It has the particularity that its consequences will apply in the foreign country where it is intended to take effect and not in Spain, and that is why a document can be legitimised that could not be legitimised in Spain according to the general rules.

These legitimations are common in practice, as nowadays many people maintain relationships with other countries. And, even if they live in Spain, these relationships involve the submission of documentation in other countries, whether declarations, administrative appeals, statements, etc…

It is possible to arrange a signature legitimisation for a document that will produce effects abroad at a notary’s office drafted in the official language of the place where it is issued. At our Notary’s office in Barcelona, signatures can be legitimised in Catalan or Spanish. The act can also be drafted if the signature legitimised before a Notary belongs to a document written in a language known by one of the Notaries of JLA Notarios. Thus, at JLA Notarios we can legitimise signatures of documents in English, French, Portuguese and Italian.

This is a method of certifying the authenticity of documents with an international character that allows documents issued by an authority to be recognised and have effect in another country. For this purpose, a seal is added that guarantees compliance with the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961.

Judicial, administrative documents and notarial deeds that are to be used abroad must be apostilled.

If you need to apostille a document that has been legitimised by our Notary, we can handle the process of obtaining the apostille at the Notarial Association on your behalf.

It is common to find it in:

• Social agreements in the administrative bodies of foreign companies.
• Applications or statements to be submitted abroad before the administration of that country.
• Authorisation for third parties to carry out procedures abroad.
• Declarations of intent for legal cases.

To carry out this certificate of signature authentication for a document that will only have effect abroad, you must go to a Notary. On the day of the appointment, the Notary will identify you and you will sign the document, so that we can verify that this signature belongs to you, making it possible to authenticate it.

The Notary will only verify that the signature corresponds to the person who identifies themselves, but not the content of the document presented, therefore, they do not assume responsibility for it, only for the signature.

A photocopy of the document provided by the client will be incorporated into the original certificate file.

The Notary is an impartial legal figure. He is a public official who grants certification by attesting to the record made before him. His role endows the document with public faith, which will legitimise the signing of the document and will be reflected in a notarial record.

The signature legitimised before a Notary offers legal security to all parties involved in the act being carried out, as Notaries have granted authenticity and truthfulness to the document. In the case of signature legitimisation for foreigners, it allows its use outside the country.

The first step will be to contact a notarial office for signature legitimisation in Barcelona, so please make an appointment with the Notary.

On the day of the appointment, you must provide the following documentation:

• Valid identification document of the persons signing the record.
• Document that needs to be legitimised.

The cost of signature authentication before a notary is regulated and determined by the Notarial Tariff and certain aspects such as the number of pages, the authorised and simple copies issued, diligences, and the consultation in the Commercial Registry.

If you want to obtain a personalised quote, we recommend that you contact us without any obligation. If you send us the document to be authenticated, we can tell you the exact cost of the operation. The contact form on this website, the contact section found in the footer of the website, the direct access to WhatsApp at the bottom right of this page, sending an email to bcn@jlanotarios.com, or a call to the telephone number 93 159 17 62 are the various means of communication we offer you.

As a guideline, we can inform you that according to the current regulatory legislation, the usual price for the formalisation of a signature authentication of a document that will have effect abroad requested by an individual is around €120, including VAT, although it depends on the document to be authenticated, and may increase depending on content and length.

Additionally, if you require a Hague Apostille, the cost of this service must be paid. Please consult us without obligation and we can provide you with the exact amount for the procedure you need.