Certifying officer
A person appointed by the Minister of Interior to certify signatures and seals on documents, such as a power of attorney. They confirm who signed, not what the document says.
Updated 12 Oct 2026How it works
Certifying officers (in Greek, πιστοποιούντες υπάλληλοι) work under the Certifying Officers Law of 2012, Law 165(I)/2012. They are appointed, and can be dismissed, by the Minister of Interior, and the Ministry publishes the current list by district with contact numbers.
According to the Ministry of Interior, a certifying officer:
- certifies that a signature or seal on a document was placed in front of them by that person, without certifying the content;
- does not issue certified true copies of official documents: these come only from the authority that issued the original;
- can certify a signature on any document that needs one, as there are no specialisations;
- will not certify a document whose text has gaps, blank spaces or erasures.
Since 1 October 2023, certifications carry a new round seal with the officer's name and unique 7-digit code, their signature, the fee charged and the date.
The maximum fees were set by a Ministry of Interior notice published on 16 February 2024. They depend on the number of pages, not on how many times the signature appears:
| Pages in the document | Maximum fee |
|---|---|
| Up to 2 | €5 |
| 3–10 | €10 |
| 11–100 | €25 |
| 101 or more | €40 |
Each additional signatory or seal adds up to €2 for the whole document.
Why it matters when you rent
You rarely need a certifying officer for the lease itself: EAC, for example, asks for the tenancy agreement as it is. You need one when somebody acts for you. EAC accepts a power of attorney only if a certifying officer has certified it, and asks for the same on EAC guarantee documents signed outside its offices (EAC). An owner in Cyprus who gives a manager or relative a power of attorney signs it before a certifying officer.