Certification of legally substantial facts

At this kind of activity the notary certifies the correctness of the document’s transcript compared to the original or certified copy of the original.

The role of the notary is not to judge the correctness of data present on the document, but only to certify whether the copy corresponds with the original.

Thus you can save the original and protect it from wearing, loss, eventually from damage and use the certified copy.

Certification of correctness of a document’s transcript is made on the transcript in the form of a certification clause.

Such document can be used for legal acts in regular contact with state or municipality authorities, banks, and other institutions.

A notary can certify almost all kinds of documents of which content he can judge, in contrary to a municipality of which capacity to certify documents is considerably limited (e.g. documents relating to a foreign country, ID cards, survey sketch/geographical plans, etc.)

A notary can certify documents that are to be used abroad. Documents certified this way are simply furnished with an Apostille (higher certification).

A document that is to be used abroad must be certified by a notary, and/or notarial candidate. It is not sufficient to have such document be certified by an authorized employee of the notary.

In case you want to use a document abroad and its certified translation is needed, we recommend you firstly to have the original document be certified and consequently deliver it to a translator. Thus you save the original for further use and the translator shall use the certified copy and not a simple copy that is not usable for legal purposes.

Necessary documents:

  • Original or certified copy of the document

In case of certifying this fact the notary verifies the party’s identity who signed the document, and/or acknowledged the signature as his/her own.

The purpose of certifying authenticity of signature is the verification of the party’s identity in order not to interchange persons and in order to identify the person who signed the document.

Signature authenticity certification is affixed to the document in the form of a certification clause that is a public document.

A great advantage of a signature certification at a notary is the Central Register of Certified Signatures maintained by the Slovak Chamber of Notaries (Notárska komora SR) that is available at www.notar.sk and anybody who enters the necessary data can verify whether the signature was really certified at the given notary. On the contrary, a signature certified at a municipality cannot be verified.

A notary – in contrary to a municipality – can certify signatures even on foreign country-related documents. Consequently, such certified documents can be easily provided with an Apostille (over-certification).

When a signature is certified the person whose signature is being certified, must sign before the notary or acknowledge the signature as his/her own. This means that everybody who wants to certify a signature must visit a notary in person (e.g. certifying a signature based on power of attorney, etc. is not possible). In special cases upon mutual agreement the notary can visit the party (e.g. at home or registered office of the company) and certify the signature, using notarial mobile office.

Necessary documents:

  • Valid identification document – e.g. ID card, passport, permit for long-term stay of foreign nationals (driver’s license , police confirmation on ID card hand-over and application for the issuance of a new ID card, health insurance card do not serve as identity cards)

Certification of a determining fact is an important instrument of proof in case of a dispute, but even more important is their preventive function.

Except for classical certification activity of a notary, i.e. certification of a photocopy or signature, you can contact a notary anytime you need a legally determining fact, evidence of a determining fact, or process of a certain action to be certified.

A notary can draw up a notarial deed on certifying legally determining facts that is a public document. A public document has a strong evidencing power. The burden of proof is always at the person who wants to prove the contrary of facts stated in the public document.

Examples of several kinds of certificates that can be issued by a notary:

  1. Certification of the process of a lottery
  2. Certification of the fact that a person is alive
  3. Protesting a bill of exchange
  4. Certification of the time of submitting the document
  5. Certification of the process of general meetings and meetings of legal entities

Usucaption is a special, original method of acquiring ownership right. Based on entitled, long-term and continuous possession the law provides the entitled keeper – who uses the thing, believing he/she owns it – the option of usucaption of a certain intangible or tangible thing. In case of usucaption of a real estate entry of the ownership right to the Cadastral Register is required.

Certification of statement must be made in the form of a notarial deed based on which cadastral department of the district office makes an entry to the Land Register.

  1. We provide full legal counselling regarding usucaption
  2. In case all conditions of usucaption are met, we shall draw up the necessary certifying notarial deed
  3. We can file an application for entry to the Land Register

Necessary documents:

  • Valid identification document – e.g. ID card, passport, permit for long-term stay of foreign nationals (driver’s license , police confirmation on ID card hand-over and application for the issuance of a new ID card, health insurance card do not serve as identity cards)
  • Statements of persons who – according to the last entry to the Land Register – have ownership right to the real estate or right corresponding to easement, or their legal successor, if these persons are known, in respect of the fact that they have no objections against the establishment of ownership right or right corresponding to easement
  • Ownership Certificate
  • Statement of the municipality in which cadastral area the real estate takes place on having no reservation in respect of the ownership right or right equalling to easement
  • Statement of the legal entity competent for administration of real estate under a special regulation
  • Other evidence

Owners of hunting lands – except others – make decisions on filing application on acknowledgement of hunting area, as well as on use of hunting right in the given hunting area. The process of the meeting of hunting land owners must be certified by a notarial deed.

  1. We provide full legal counselling regarding meeting of hunting land owners
  2. We can take part in the meeting of owners of land association shares and prepare the notarial deed certifying its process
  3. We can prepare the contract on use of hunting area, power of attorney for representation, as well as all other documents necessary for the process of meeting and consequent registration at the competent district office

Necessary documents:

  • Invitation letter to the meeting of hunting land owners

Land associations are formed by contract on land association that is concluded by and between owners of a joint real estate or owners of jointly administered real estate. The formation of such associations is the decision of the owners of the joint real estate upon absolute majority of votes calculated according to the amount of co-ownership shares or every owner of the jointly administered real estate.

A notarial deed must be written on the forming of such associations, except others, including joint real-estate and jointly administered real-estate and appointement of the members of bodies of such associations.

  1. We provide full legal counselling regarding land associations
  2. We can take part in the meeting of owners of land association shares and prepare the notarial deed certifying its process
  3. We can prepare the contract on association and all other documents necessary for the process of the meeting and consequent registration of the land association

Necessary documents:

  • Invitation letter to the meeting of owners of land association shares