German notary costs: what will the notary and land registry charge you?
Notary fees in Germany are set by law. Comparing achieves nothing, and neither does negotiating. What counts is knowing when they arise and why they must come from equity.
How much do a German notary and the land registry charge when you buy a house?
The notary charges around 1.5 % of the purchase price, the land registry around 0.5 % including registration of the land charge. Both are guide figures, not a quote. On top comes real-estate transfer tax of 3.5–6.5 % depending on the federal state. Banks generally do not finance these costs, so they have to come from equity.
Why is comparing notaries on price pointless?
Notarisation costs around 1.5% of the price and the land register around 0.5%, including the land charge. These are guide figures, not a quote.
What do the notary and land register cost when buying? Around 1.5% of the price for notarisation and around 0.5% for the land register (including the land charge). On top comes the real-estate transfer tax, 3.5–6.5% depending on the federal state. Guide figures, not a quote.
Can I save by comparing German notaries?
No. The fees are set by law according to the transaction value — every notary charges the same. Choose by availability and experience; for a purchase from abroad, routine with powers of attorney counts.
Does the bank finance the notary costs?
As a rule, no. Purchase costs must come from equity because they do not raise the property's value and give the bank no security. For non-residents this applies all the more strictly. Which German banks finance non-residents?.
How much are German notary and land registry fees when buying a house? German notary fees are set by law and not negotiable — they follow the transaction value, essentially the purchase price.
Comparing notaries on price therefore achieves nothing.
As a rule of thumb, expect around 1.5 % of the purchase price for the notary and around 0.5 % for the land registry, including registration of the land charge.
Together with real-estate transfer tax, which ranges between 3.5 % and 6.5 % depending on the federal state, and any agent's commission, these make up the purchase incidental costs.
Important for financing: banks generally do not finance these costs — they have to come from equity, and for non-residents that applies all the more strictly.
Anyone who factors these costs into their equity planning from the start avoids an unpleasant surprise shortly before the notary appointment.
Unlike almost every other service involved in buying property, notaries in Germany are subject to no price competition. Fees are regulated by law and follow the transaction value — essentially the purchase price. Every notary in Germany charges the same for the same transaction.
That is good news: you can choose your notary by availability, language and reliability rather than price. For a purchase from abroad that matters — a notary experienced with powers of attorney and apostilles saves you more time than any price comparison could save you money.
What to budget for
Budget customarily around 1.5 % of the purchase price for the notary, around 0.5 % for the land registry and between 3.5 % and 6.5 % real-estate transfer tax depending on the federal state. These are guide values.
Notary: customarily around 1.5 % of the purchase price for the notarisation. Land registry: customarily around 0.5 %, including registration of the land charge. Real-estate transfer tax: between 3.5 % and 6.5 % depending on the federal state — determined solely by where the property is, not where you live. Agent's commission: if an agent is involved, as agreed.
Notary and land registry costs vary case by case because they depend on the scope of the notarisation and the size of the registered land charge. The figures above are customary guide values, not a commitment.
Which point surprises buyers most?
Purchase incidental costs are not financed by banks. They have to come from equity — on top of the equity share the bank expects against the purchase price anyway.
The reason lies in the security: notary fees and transfer tax do not increase the value of the property. From the bank's perspective they are sunk expenditure that would not be recovered in an enforcement scenario. So they stay outside the loan.
For non-residents this applies all the more strictly. Anyone financing from abroad brings a higher equity share in any case — the incidental costs come on top. Forget them in your budget and you face a gap shortly before the notary appointment that can no longer be closed. Build them in from the start, not at the end.
Frequently asked questions
Can I save money by comparing notaries?
No. Fees are set by law and follow the transaction value. Every notary charges the same. Choose by availability and experience instead — for a purchase from abroad, routine with powers of attorney and apostilles is worth more than any price comparison.
Are notary costs included in the mortgage?
Generally not. Purchase incidental costs must come from equity, because they do not increase the value of the property and offer the bank no security in an enforcement scenario. For non-residents this is applied particularly consistently.
Does real-estate transfer tax depend on where I live?
No, solely on where the property is. Your country of residence is irrelevant for this tax — the rate of the federal state where the property sits applies.
What does registering the land charge cost?
It forms part of the land registry costs and depends on the size of the registered land charge rather than the purchase price. That is why this item varies with the size of your financing.
As a non-resident, must I attend the notary appointment in Germany?
Usually not. The appointment can be handled via a power of attorney certified and apostilled in your country of residence. Allow lead time — certification, apostille and postal transit all take time.
Have your budget calculated
We calculate purchase price, incidental costs and the equity you actually need — before you make an offer.
Related pages
Do I need a German bank account to pay the instalment?
German bank account for non-residents: inside the EU a bank may not insist on a German account for the direct debit; outside the EU it does not apply.
Inheritance tax Germany: which allowance applies to non-residents' property?
Inheritance tax in Germany on property: allowances under limited tax liability and what applies when passing on a German property.
Foreign currency mortgage for a German property
Foreign currency mortgage in Germany: how banks apply a safety discount to CHF, USD or GBP salaries, which discounts are typical and who lends.
Buying a property in Germany without travelling: what works, what does not
Buy property without travelling: the deed needs a German notary, not necessarily you. What a power of attorney covers and who certifies abroad.
No SCHUFA record: how a German bank assesses you from abroad
No SCHUFA record? A thin or missing file is not a rejection. What a German bank looks at instead, and which documents carry the case.
Unscheduled repayment — the contract option that costs nothing
Unscheduled repayment in a German mortgage: agreed at no cost, no early repayment compensation, reduces balance and refinancing risk.
Editorially responsible: Olga Nikushkina — owner, §34i GewO (German mortgage brokerage), adviser register D-W-132-ZUCB-95. Specialised in German property financing with an international dimension: non-residents, foreign-currency income, cross-border workers, expats. Siegfried Perini is entered in the German intermediary register under this licence as a person directly involved in brokerage and advice (§ 11a GewO), active in real estate since 1992. Not legal or tax advice.