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Document authorisation by a lawyer

Document authorisation by a lawyer in practice

A signature certified at a registry office is no longer enough for several key company steps in Slovakia. Since 17 August 2026, Act No. 29/2026 Coll. on the Commercial Register has required either a notarial deed or a document authorised by a lawyer. This covers forming a company, transferring a business share and a sole shareholder's decision on directors. The aim is simple: a company should not change hands without its real owner knowing.

For us, authorisation is more than a stamp on finished paperwork. A lawyer drafts or reviews the document, checks in person the identity of everyone signing, attaches the authorisation clause and, on the same day, lodges it in the Central Register of Authorisations kept by the Slovak Bar Association. We then file the electronic application with the register. Send us the company ID number and a short description, and you will usually have a proposed procedure and a quote within one working day.

What we help with

  • Drafting or legal review of the agreement or decision
  • In-person identity checks of all parties at signing
  • Authorisation clause and lodging in the Central Register of Authorisations
  • Electronic application to the Commercial Register with all attachments
  • A notarial deed arranged with a notary where the law allows nothing else
  • An extract from the Commercial Register once the change is registered

Worth knowing

Where the qualified form is required

A notarial deed or a lawyer-authorised document is needed for founding documents (Section 57 of the Slovak Commercial Code), for an agreement transferring a business share (Section 115(4)) and for a sole shareholder's decision appointing or removing a director (Section 132(1)).

When a notary is needed

In a limited liability company with several shareholders, a general meeting deciding, for example, on a director or on a change in the ratio of shares must be recorded by a notarial deed (Section 127a(4) of the Commercial Code). Lawyer authorisation is not an option here.

Same legal effect

Where the law allows both forms, a document authorised by a lawyer has the same legal effect as a notarial deed.

Existing entries remain valid

Entries already in the Commercial Register stay valid. The new rules apply the first time you make a change after 17 August 2026.

Common questions

  • A non-public register kept by the Slovak Bar Association. The lawyer lodges the authorised document there on the day of authorisation, creating an independent record of the date, place and parties. This makes forging or backdating the document much harder.

  • Yes, for the signing, because the core of authorisation is verifying identity. We handle drafting, correspondence and the filing with the register remotely. The signing takes place at our office in Žilina or elsewhere by arrangement.

  • It depends on the type of transaction and the documents involved. Once you send the company ID number and a short description, we usually send a specific quote within one working day, including the court fee and every step up to registration.

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Articles are in Slovak.

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This page is for general information, reflects Slovak law at the time of writing and is not a substitute for advice on your particular matter.