An electronic extract for CREWAN, a land registry application submitted via the ICT system, registration of a certificate of inheritance—a modern notary office cannot perform these basic tasks without a valid qualified electronic signature. Find out where regulations require a QES, what changed in March 2026, and how to choose a signature tool that won’t let you down when signing a document.
The notary profession was one of the first legal professions that lawmakers „transitioned” to mandatory electronic processing. Today qualified electronic signature (QES) At a notary’s office, this is not a convenience—it is a prerequisite for performing notarial acts. Pursuant to Article 25(2) of the regulation eIDAS (EU Regulation No. 910/2014) A QES has the same legal effect as a handwritten signature, and Polish regulations explicitly specify the documents that a notary public affixes such a signature to.
| Action / Obligation | System | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Electronic copy of the certificate to CREWAN | Notarial Registers (KRN) | Article 92a of the Notary Public Act |
| Application for Entry in the Land Register | EKW ICT system | Article 626⁴ of the Code of Civil Procedure, Article 92, § 4 of the Notary Public Act |
| Registration of a Certificate of Inheritance | Probate Registry | Article 95h of the Notary Public Act |
| Electronic Certification of the Accuracy of a Copy | — | Article 97, § 2 of the Notary Public Act |
| Taxpayer Declarations PCC-2 i SD-2 | e-Tax Office / e-Tax Returns | tax regulations (electronic format only) |
| Electronic Mailbox (ADE) | e-Delivery | Electronic Service of Process Act |
| Invoices for notary fees | KSeF | VAT Act — Effective April 1, 2026 |
The conclusion is simple: a certificate failure or expiration brings the law firm’s operations to a halt just as effectively as the absence of an official seal. That is why, in addition to choosing a signature tool, it is equally important to ensure its continuity—a topic we discuss in the article How to renew a qualified signature?.
CREWAN (Central Repository of Electronic Notarial Deed Extracts) It is an ICT „safe” maintained by The National Notarial Council (KRN), operating since April 9, 2018. It stores electronic copies and extracts of notarial deeds that:
At the request of a party, the following is also included in the repository: electronic statements from such documents. Other documents may be submitted to CREWAN if required by separate regulations.
📌 A common mistake: CREWAN is sometimes confused with the land registry process. However, the repository primarily handles „registration” documents (KRS). In the land registry process, the notary submits electronically motion, but the paper copy of the document must still be sent to the court within 3 days.
The procedure set forth in Article 92a of the Notary Public Act is as follows:
As a result, there is no need to attach a paper statement to the electronic KRS application—the CREWAN number from the notice is sufficient. This saves time for the firm’s clients and reduces the number of documents in circulation.
From July 1, 2016. A notary (like a bailiff) files applications for entry in the land register exclusively through an information and communications technology system, and the conclusion is signed with a qualified electronic signature (Article 626⁴, §§ 1–1², of the Code of Civil Procedure). If the document involves the transfer, modification, or waiver of a right recorded in the land and mortgage register, the notary submits a request no later than the date the document is drawn up (Article 92, § 4 of the Notary Public Act).
The most important benefit of this shift to electronic systems is the security of transactions: A note regarding the application appears in the land register automatically as soon as the application is entered into the system — down to the second. The „time window” between the signing of the deed and the publication of the notice—which was once exploited to allow for the dual disposal of real estate—is eliminated. The notary public must send the documents serving as the basis for the entry—which were not prepared electronically (including an extract of the deed)—to the court within 3 days.
The amendment to the Notary Public Act and the Act on Land Registers and Mortgages (Act of November 21, 2025, Journal of Laws 2025, Item 1793) has been in effect since March 17, 2026. After drawing up the certificate of inheritance, the notary may—at the request of an heir or a legatee entitled to specific bequest— — draw up a record containing a request to register the acquired right (ownership, perpetual usufruct, or cooperative ownership right to a dwelling) in the land and mortgage register and submit a land registry application electronically during the same meeting. Heirs no longer have to file a petition with the court on their own, and the land registries now reflect the legal status following inheritance more quickly.
Certificate of Inheritance (APD) has the legal effect of a final decision confirming the acceptance of an inheritance only after it has been registered. Pursuant to Article 95h of the Notary Public Act, a notary public immediately after the APD is prepared enters data into Probate Registry through an information and communications technology system and appends a qualified electronic signature to the entry. The system returns a notification with the entry number, and a registration note (number, date, time) is affixed to the document itself. The registry—maintained by the National Registry of Notaries (KRN)—also includes European Certificates of Succession and court declarations of inheritance, and access to the system requires a qualified certificate. The voluntary Notarial Register of Wills (NORT) also operates within the same ecosystem.
A qualified digital signature also supports:
💡 A notary digitally signs as many as several hundred documents a month. Before you choose a certificate, check to see if, Does a qualified digital signature have a limit on the number of signatures? — and to ensure the firm's business continuity, consider a backup solution, because You can have two electronic signatures.
e-Deliveries. A notary—as a profession of public trust—has the authority to January 1, 2025. requirement to possess electronic service address (ADE) listed in the email address database (BAE). From January 1, 2026. E-deliveries are the primary channel of communication for government agencies (ePUAP is being phased out). Note that deemed service: A letter from a public entity is deemed to have been delivered after 14 days from the moment it arrives in the inbox, even if no one has opened it—so you need to check your inbox regularly. We've covered the details in our guides on the duties of professions of public trust and About the e-Delivery system at the law firm.
KSeF (National e-Invoice System). From April 1, 2026. The requirement to issue structured invoices now applies to all other businesses—including notary offices that bill notary fees. A notary public operating a practice logs in to KSeF individually with automatic owner privileges (including a qualified digital signature); a practice operating as a civil law partnership or a professional partnership designates an authorized person by notification. ZAW-FA or authenticate using a qualified digital certificate. In 2026, there will be no fines for errors—they will take effect on January 1, 2027. We explain which option to choose in this article A seal or a qualified digital signature for KSeF?.
It is worth distinguishing between these two aspects. QES ensures equivalence with a handwritten signature and a written form, but does not replace a notarized document — This is a distinct, special form that cannot be preserved by signing the file with an electronic signature. The sale of real estate, a limited liability company (LLC) articles of incorporation (other than the S24 template), and a marital property agreement—these transactions still require personal appearance before a notary public, and The original document remains in paper form, with the parties' and the notary's handwritten signatures. The copies issued to the parties, bearing the notary’s signature and seal, are also in paper form.
Digitization, on the other hand, encompasses everything that happens around notarial services: extracts for courts and registries, land registry applications, APD registration, electronic certifications, official correspondence, and invoices. There is currently no such thing as a „remote notarial deed” in Poland—however, conceptual work is underway on the further digitization of notarial services, so the role of QES in notary offices will only continue to grow.
Both solutions are qualified signatures Certum that are legally binding—differ in their medium and mode of operation. As authorized partner Certum We help you choose the option that best suits your law firm's specific practice.
| Feature | SimplySign — mobile signature | Certum Mini — card with a reader |
|---|---|---|
| Form | Cloud-based signature: an app for your phone, tablet, and computer—no card reader required | cryptographic card + miniature USB reader |
| Work Style | work outside the office as well, several devices, quick signing of applications „on the spot” | a permanent desk position, the classic work model |
| Timestamps | 5,000 tags per month package. | 5,000 tags per month package. |
| Price | according to the current offer on the product page | starting at 282 zł |
| Who is it for? | mobile notary, on-site services, hybrid work | a law firm that values physical certificate media |
In this article, we break down the criteria for choosing between cloud-based and card-based signatures The SimplySign mobile signature or the Certum Mini signature with a reader?. If you're just setting up your law firm or your certificate is about to expire, be sure to also check, How to Create a Qualified Electronic Signature — The entire identity verification process takes very little time, and the renewal can be completed entirely online.
Today, a qualified digital signature is to a notary what an official seal is—without it, CREWAN, the land registry system, the Inheritance Registry, payer settlements, and KSeF cannot function. At the same time, the essence of the notarial profession remains unchanged: a notarial deed is still a paper original requiring the personal presence of the parties.
As authorized partner Certum We provide notary offices with qualified digital signatures, assist with renewals without interrupting their operations, and help with installation and staff training.
📞 Call us: +48 22 417 05 55 or write to us at: [email protected]. We provide consulting services at our offices in Warsaw, Krakow, Wrocław, and Radom, as well as online or at a location of your choice.
Products for notary offices:
Immediately after drawing up a document subject to filing with the KRS business registry, the notary public creates an electronic copy of it, affixes a qualified electronic signature to it, and submits it to CREWAN (Article 92a of the Notarial Law). The system returns a notification containing the document number and the date and time of registration; this notification is attached to the original deed, and the parties receive a copy.
CREWAN is the Central Repository of Electronic Extracts from Notarial Deeds, maintained by the National Notarial Council since April 9, 2018. It contains electronic copies and extracts of deeds that serve as the basis for an entry in the KRS business register or that are filed with the registry. The document number in the repository is provided in the application to KRS, and the court retrieves the copy automatically.
No. A QES is equivalent to a handwritten signature (Article 25(2) of eIDAS), but a notarial deed is a separate, specific form—transactions such as the sale of real estate still require personal appearance before a notary, and the original deed remains in paper form. A qualified electronic signature facilitates the electronic circulation of documents related to the deed: extracts, applications, and records.
In practice, yes. The regulations require that a QES be attached to, among other things, an electronic extract of a deed submitted to CREWAN (Article 92a of the Notarial Law), an application for land registry entry (Article 626⁴ of the Code of Civil Procedure), the entry of a certificate of inheritance into the Inheritance Register (Article 95h), and electronic certifications (Article 97 § 2). Without a valid qualified certificate, it is not possible to perform these actions.
Effective January 1, 2025—as a profession of public trust—notaries must have an electronic service address (ADE) registered in the BAE. Effective January 1, 2026, e-Delivery will be the primary channel of communication for government agencies, and a document will be considered delivered 14 days after it is received in the inbox, even if it has not been opened.
Both are Certum-qualified signatures with a monthly quota of 5,000 timestamps. SimplySign It works in the cloud—you can sign documents from your phone, tablet, or computer without a card reader, which makes it easier to get things done outside the office. Certum Mini (starting at 282 zł) is a card with a USB reader for people who prefer a physical medium and work at a fixed workstation.
