Property transfer agreement authorisation in Košice. No more signature certification.

What authorisation actually means

The Legal Profession Act provides for authorisation specifically for property transfer agreements — this is the legal mechanism covered on this page. Authorisation of incorporation documents, business share transfer agreements and shareholders’ agreements is a separate mechanism introduced only on 17. 8. 2026 under the new Commercial Register Act, relating to the Commercial Register rather than the Land Register; we cover it under authorisation of corporate documents.

Authorisation of a property transfer agreement is a lawyer’s act defined by law, not a formality. The lawyer drafts the agreement, establishes the identities of the parties and their representatives and assesses whether the agreement conflicts with or circumvents the law, is contrary to good morals or whether entering into it could give rise to circumstances causing loss (§ 1a of the Legal Profession Act; unofficial translation of the statutory wording). The lawyer confirms the result in an authorisation clause containing their declaration, the number of sheets of the agreement, the place and date, signature and stamp with their Slovak Bar Association registration number.

For every agreement transferring real property, the law requires the lawyer to tell the party the amount of insurance cover and the insurer providing cover against loss arising in connection with the authorisation. Where the transfer is for consideration, the lawyer also draws the parties’ attention to the agreed purchase price payment terms and records in the agreement their declaration that they have been acquainted with those terms (Section 1aa of the Legal Profession Act). This distinguishes authorisation from ordinary signature verification, where nobody examines the agreement’s content.

Why signature certification is no longer needed

The Land Register generally requires the transferor’s signature on the agreement to be officially certified. However, this does not apply where the agreement takes the form of a notarial deed or is authorised by a lawyer (§ 42(3) of the Cadastral Act). An authorised agreement therefore replaces signature certification — one visit to us covers drafting, identity verification and the Land Register application.

Where you sign

Because the lawyer establishes the parties’ identities during authorisation, signing takes place in person at our office in Košice. We arrange an appointment in advance — you are not tied to office opening hours and do not have to queue.

The service is therefore primarily intended for clients in Košice and the surrounding area, including Prešov, Michalovce, Trebišov, Spišská Nová Ves and Rožňava. Everything else — drafting and commenting on the agreement, communicating with the other party, applying for registration and monitoring Land Register proceedings — takes place remotely.

If you are far away, we will not ask you to make an unnecessary journey: it is often more sensible to have signatures certified by a local notary and handle the transfer with us remotely. We will explain which route suits you better at the outset.