Documents (e.g. photocopies, transcripts or printouts) can be officially certified if they are

• official documents of German authorities for use in Germany (special regulations and responsibilities apply to foreign documents to be used in Germany and domestic documents to be used abroad)
• other documents, if the document is required for presentation to an authority

documents may not be officially certified if

• the exclusive competence of another authority is given (e.g. civil status documents and excerpts from the real estate cadastre)
• there is reason to believe that the original content of the document, the copy, transcript or printout of which is to be certified, has been altered (e.g. due to gaps, crossings out and insertions) or if the coherence of a document consisting of several sheets has been removed