Notarial Power of Attorney Translation German ↔ French

Buy or sell property without travelling

Do you live in Germany or Austria and are you buying or selling property in France? Or do you live in France while the sale takes place in Germany or Austria? A power of attorney allows a representative to sign the deed on your behalf. Drawn up in one language, it usually has to be translated for the notary in the other country.

Julie Auger-Kantor, sworn German ↔ French translator and interpreter and court-appointed expert at the Paris Court of Appeal, translates notarial powers of attorney and the documents that go with them. The exact form required (notarial deed or notarised signature) is set by the notary handling the sale, so check with them before signing.

Documents covered

Powers of attorney to buy or sell property (Vollmacht, procuration)
Powers of attorney executed as a notarial deed (notarielle Beurkundung, procuration authentique) or with a notarised signature (Unterschriftsbeglaubigung)
Draft powers of attorney sent by the notary before signing
Apostilles and certification notes on the power of attorney
Preliminary sale agreements, deeds of sale and land register extracts (Grundbuchauszug)

How does it work?

Send the draft or the signed power of attorney using the form below or by email, stating the country where it will be signed and the country where it will be used.
You receive a free quote within 1 hour, with the delivery date.
The translation can be prepared from the draft, then updated and certified on the signed version, saving you time before the appointment with the notary.
Power of attorney signed in Germany, Austria or Switzerland for use in France: any apostille required is added first, in the issuing country; the power of attorney and the apostille are then translated together.
Power of attorney signed in France for use abroad: the translation is done first, then the apostille is issued in France by the notarial authorities, which have been responsible for apostilles since 1 May 2025.
The certified translation is delivered as a signed and stamped PDF; the paper original can be collected in Paris or sent by post.

Recent examples

German property transfer deeds and powers of attorney for a sale before a French notary
French preliminary sale agreements (compromis, promesse de vente) translated into German for German-speaking buyers or sellers
Company articles and registration certificates when a German company buys property in France
Wills, family record books and notarial documents for French-German estates

Frequently asked questions

In which order are the apostille and the translation done?

For a power of attorney signed in Germany, Austria or Switzerland for use in France, any apostille is added first in the issuing country, then the power of attorney and the apostille are translated together. For a power of attorney signed in France for use abroad, the translation is done first, then the apostille is issued by the French notarial authorities.

Is an apostille always needed between France and Germany?

Not necessarily. Under the Franco-German agreement of 13 September 1971, public documents bearing an official seal or stamp are in principle exempt from legalisation and apostille. The notary handling the sale will tell you whether they require one, especially for a power of attorney from Austria or Switzerland.

Can the translation start before the power of attorney is signed?

Yes. The translation can be prepared from the draft, then updated and certified on the signed version. This saves time before the completion date.

What form must the power of attorney take?

The notary handling the sale decides. In Germany, registration in the land register generally requires a power of attorney executed as a notarial deed or with a signature certified by a notary (section 29 of the Land Register Code, GBO). In France, the notary will tell you whether they require a notarial power of attorney or whether a private power of attorney with a certified signature is enough.

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Documents to Translate

English documents to be translated into French (or the other way round): please send them to my colleague David Ameisen, sworn English ↔ French translator.

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