The Bundestag voted on May 7, 2026 to digitalize the execution of real estate contracts in Germany. From January 1, 2027, notaries must exchange all documents with courts, land registries, and tax authorities electronically.
The full official name of the law is
“Gesetz zur Digitalisierung des Vollzugs von Immobilienverträgen, der gerichtlichen Genehmigungen von notariellen Rechtsgeschäften und der steuerlichen Anzeigen der Notare“.
It is translated as “the law on digitalization of real estate contract execution (Vollzug), court approvals of notarial transactions, and tax notifications by notaries.“
CDU/CSU, SPD, and Alliance 90/The Greens voted in favor. The AfD and the Left Party abstained.
Germany notarizes more than one million real estate purchase contracts every year. Each contract currently triggers a chain of paper documents:
- The notary sends paperwork to the land registry (Grundbuchamt),
- submits tax notifications to the tax office (Finanzamt),
- in some cases, requests court approval for the transaction.
The new law replaces this paper chain with a shared digital data standard across all parties.
How to buy a property in Germany ->
Master German Home Buying Process
in 12 Days For FREE
- Learn complete process of buying a house in Germany and how to invest in German real estate.
- Understand mortgage process, property documents and evaluation, and more.
- Expert tips that’ll save you thousands of euros.
- Know average renovation costs in Germany to plan and negotiate better.
What changes after you sign
The law targets the execution phase (Vollzug). This includes everything that happens between you signing the notarial deed and the property being registered in your name at the land registry.
This phase currently involves weeks of postal back-and-forth between notary offices, courts, and authorities. From January 1, 2027, that chain must run entirely through a shared electronic system.
No printing, no posting, no waiting for physical documents to arrive and be processed one by one.
The following processes must also occur electronically.
- Pre-emption right inquiries (Vorkaufsrecht)
- Notifications under the Building Code (Baugesetzbuch)
- Land Transaction Act (Grundstücksverkehrsgesetz)
Full completion of the transition across all document types is required by January 1, 2028.
NOTE: The Bundesrat has not yet approved the law. The law enters into force only after Bundesrat approval.
How does it change your property buying experience in Germany?
Property registration in Germany after signing typically takes between four and twelve weeks. Much of that time is consumed by the paper-based document chain between your notary and the relevant authorities. A digital system eliminates the postal delays in that chain.
This means, theoretically, the time should be reduced from 4 to 12 weeks to less than a week.
The law does not change the notarial act (Beurkundung). You still sign your property contract in person before a notary (Notar). What changes is the administrative processing that follows.
