Does the notary or registry require you in person? Power of attorney, e-signature, consular signing and video notarisation, country by country, and where presence still matters.
A frequent worry is that buying property abroad without travelling is illegal, or that the notary and the land registry will not accept anyone but the buyer in person. The reality is more practical. In the countries below we found no rule that forbids a foreigner from buying through a representative, and several systems have been adapted to remote steps. What does exist is a set of form requirements: who signs, in front of whom, with which stamps and translations. Get them wrong and the deal stalls, which is where the myth comes from.
The myth
The myth has two versions. The strong one says that a remote purchase is illegal. The softer one says that the deed must be signed by the buyer physically in front of a notary or at the registry, so that anyone who lives in Warsaw, Berlin or Riga has to travel at least once. People believe it because, in many countries, the transfer of ownership is a formal act with a state official, and because a lot of old advice assumed paper documents.
What is actually true
Buying through an attorney is a normal, recognised route. The buyer signs a power of attorney (POA), usually a notarial document, naming a representative who signs the deed and handles registration. This is used for foreign buyers in the countries below, according to law-firm and expat sources, and our existing guide explains how to draft one, see power of attorney for buying property abroad.
Electronic signatures help, with a limit. Under the EU eIDAS Regulation a qualified electronic signature has the same legal effect as a handwritten one in every EU state (see Regulation 910/2014 on EUR-Lex). But eIDAS does not replace national rules on the form of a real estate deed, so a qualified signature on a PDF does not turn a sale that needs a notarial deed into a private contract. Use e-signature for reservations and side documents and ask the local lawyer about the rest. We cover the mechanics in signing and closing a deal abroad remotely.
Documents signed abroad usually need an apostille under the Hague Convention (see the HCCH apostille page) or signing at the country's own consulate, plus a sworn translation.
Where the myth comes from or is partly right
The kernel of truth is that a person must always be identified and give consent, and the system wants proof of that. When the buyer is absent, the proof is moved to the POA, which is why the POA must be done correctly. Some steps also remain stubborn: certain banks want the account holder in person or on a video call, a few offices want original documents rather than scans, and a very narrow or very broad POA may be refused by the notary. So a remote purchase is legal, but it is rarely effortless. A deal that looked remote often includes one personal moment, such as a visit to the consulate in your own country.
Country examples
Spain. A POA is the usual route for a buyer abroad. It can be signed at a Spanish consulate in your country, which is reported to need no apostille or translation, or before a notary at home with an apostille and a sworn Spanish translation. Law 11/2023, in force since 9 November 2023, reportedly allows certain notarial acts by video, including some powers of attorney. We could not confirm that a property sale deed can be signed that way, so assume you attend or give a POA.
Portugal. Decree-Law 126/2021 made it possible to carry out authentic acts, including property deeds, by videoconference from April 2022, through a remote attendance platform (see the government digital page). We could not verify whether a non-resident without a Portuguese digital identity can use it, so ask the notary or the Casa Pronta office before relying on it. A POA is the safe alternative.
Greece and Cyprus. In Greece the purchase is executed in a notarial deed before a Greek notary, and the buyer can attend or be represented by an attorney whose POA was signed at a Greek consulate or before a notary at home, apostilled and translated into Greek. In Cyprus, law-firm and expat sources say that a POA signed abroad has to be notarised, apostilled and in some descriptions confirmed at a Cyprus embassy or consulate, and that the lawyer can sign the sale contract and attend the transfer at the Land Registry. We did not find an official page on this, so ask your Cypriot lawyer.
Bulgaria. The transfer needs a notarial deed. According to law-firm sources, a person living abroad can be represented by a lawyer with a POA that is certified abroad, apostilled and translated into Bulgarian by a sworn translator, and it should describe the property and key terms. Whether a notary will accept your wording is for the notary to decide, so have the text approved in advance.
Turkey and Thailand. In Turkey the title deed is transferred at the land registry office, and a POA can be issued before a notary or a Turkish consulate, as reported by Turkish law firms. In Thailand, sources describe a special POA form from the Land Department, notarised in your country of residence, with a short validity (about 30 days), and the original foreign exchange transaction form for the incoming money is needed at the transfer. We did not open the Land Department text, so confirm every detail with a Thai lawyer.
The UAE and Georgia. For Dubai, broker and law-firm sources describe a special POA, notarised at home or at a UAE embassy, and reported that the Land Department launched a digital sale service in October 2025. We could not confirm this on the Land Department site. For Georgia, one law-firm source says that transactions with a foreign POA must be certified by a notary as a public deed; the registry's own rules should be confirmed with a Georgian lawyer.
How to act safely
- Ask your own lawyer, in writing, which parts of the deal can be done by POA, which by e-signature and which require you.
- Name the property, the price range and the powers explicitly in the POA. Vague, general powers are risky and are often refused.
- Choose the attorney with care. It should be an independent lawyer you can verify, not the seller or the developer's sales manager, see our myth article on one agent or one lawyer.
- Set an end date and a revocation procedure, and keep a copy of every page, apostille and translation.
- Allow time for apostille, translation and courier. Time zones also matter for video appointments.
- Pay only into the account named in the contract and not into the attorney's personal account.
- Treat any suggestion to skip a notary or an identity check as a warning sign, see property scams abroad.
FAQ
Is buying property abroad without being there illegal? In the countries we reviewed, we found no ban on buying through a representative. What the law regulates is the form of the documents, so check them with a lawyer in the country.
Is a power of attorney safe? It is as safe as the person you choose and the wording you use. A narrow POA tied to one property and one price limit, signed with proper formalities, is the usual safeguard.
Can I sign the deed with an electronic signature? A qualified electronic signature has equal effect in the EU, but a deed that must be notarial stays notarial. Where video notarisation exists, it is a separate procedure and may have conditions for non-residents.
Do I need an apostille? Usually yes for a POA signed before a notary at home, unless you sign it at the consulate of the destination country, which some countries accept. The requirement depends on the country.
Will I never need to travel? Some buyers never do, others find that one step, such as an identity check or a bank visit, brings them in. Ask your lawyer to list those steps before you commit.
How we help
D.H. Realting is a trilingual platform (English, Russian, Polish) that finds properties and coordinates independent local lawyers and tax advisers, including for buyers who sign through a representative. This text is informational and is not legal, tax or investment advice; formal requirements change and differ by country, so verify the current position with a local lawyer and notary. See also all countries and buying property abroad remotely.