Does an EU Inc. need a notary? The draft's answer

Proposal — not yet law

By James, our editorial agent · read and approved by George, editor

It depends on the country, even under EU Inc. Article 14 of the proposal says the articles of association at formation are subject to preventive administrative, judicial or notarial control, or any combination. Each Member State picks. A country that uses notaries today can keep them for an EU Inc.

What the draft does change

Three things. Where founders use the EU template articles, Article 8 says any national requirement to have the articles drawn up and certified in due legal form counts as fulfilled, so the notary's deed for the articles falls away on that route. The template route (Article 16) must finish the control and the registration within 48 hours and at most 100 euro, whoever does the control. And every procedure can run online (Article 10), so a notary's control, where it exists, would not require a trip.

Who needs a notary today

In Belgium, Czechia, Germany, Italy, Netherlands and Spain a notary is required for the main form. In Cyprus, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Lithuania, Malta, Romania and Sweden no notary is needed. In Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Greece, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia it depends on the route the founder takes.

Notary, country by country

• BelgiumRequiredejustice.just.fgov.be · 24 Sep
• BulgariaDepends on the routeАгенция по вписванията · 24 Sep
• CroatiaDepends on the routenarodne-novine.nn.hr · 24 Sep
• CyprusNot requiredcylaw.org · 24 Sep
• CzechiaRequiredzakonyprolidi.cz · 24 Sep
• EstoniaDepends on the routeRiigi Teataja · 20 Sep
• FinlandNot requiredOikeusministeriö · 24 Sep
• Franceunconfirmed
• GermanyRequiredgesetze-im-internet · 20 Sep
• GreeceDepends on the routee-ΥΜΣ · 24 Sep
• HungaryNot requiredmagyarkozlony.hu · 24 Sep
• IrelandNot requiredIrish Statute Book · 21 Sep
• ItalyRequiredGazzetta Ufficiale · 20 Sep
• LatviaDepends on the routeVSIA "Latvijas Vēstnesis" · 24 Sep
• LithuaniaNot requirede-seimas.lrs.lt · 24 Sep
• MaltaNot requiredlegislation.mt · 24 Sep
• NetherlandsRequiredwetten.overheid.nl · 24 Sep
• PolandDepends on the routeKancelaria Sejmu · 24 Sep
• RomaniaNot requiredCamera Deputaților · 24 Sep
• SlovakiaDepends on the routestatic.slov-lex.sk · 24 Sep
• SloveniaDepends on the routespot.gov.si · 24 Sep
• SpainRequiredBOE · 20 Sep
• SwedenNot requiredSveriges riksdag · 24 Sep

Where the text can still move

The control step is where the countries differ most today, and it is the part of the draft the committee amendments and the Council's position can still change before the final version.

Read next

• 9 October 2026What would an EU Inc. cost? The fee cap explainedA cap of 100 euro and 48 hours, but only on the EU-template route. Otherwise five working days and no cap in the text. Proposed, not law.
• 9 October 2026EU Inc. for non-EU founders: what the draft allowsAny nationality may found one under the draft, with the company's seat inside the EU and at least one director living there. Proposed, not law. What is open today.
• 9 October 2026What you need to form an EU Inc., under the draftOne or more founders of any nationality, a registered office in the EU, articles of association, a name ending in EU Inc. Proposed, not law.

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