Revocation of a power of attorney with notice to third parties (Germany)
Published byDocMuse
This document is in German
The PDF you download is in German — that is the language it has to be filed in, so it is not translated. Everything on this page is here to tell you what it says.
Revoking a power of attorney in Germany: a letter to the agent asking for the power of attorney document back (§ 175 of the German Civil Code, BGB), which doubles as the notice to the bank, office or other body the power was shown or announced to — each receives a signed copy, because towards them the power stays in force until they are told it has ended (§§ 170–173 BGB). With the court route for declaring an unreturned document void (§ 176 BGB). In German; fill in, print, sign and deliver to each recipient with proof of receipt.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Principal
- Principal's address
- Agent
- Agent's postal address (street; postcode and town)
- City
- Date
- Date the power of attorney was given
- Powers granted
- Deadline to return
- Bank or other body receiving a copy of the revocation
- Customer, account or file number with that body
- People and institutions told of the revocation
Preview
This document is produced for you. Your answers are typed into it and the finished PDF is yours to keep.
Common questions
- Can a power of attorney be revoked at any time in Germany?
- Yes, even while the mandate or other relationship it was given for continues, unless that relationship provides otherwise (§ 168 BGB). The revocation needs no form and can be declared to the agent or to the third party (§ 168 with § 167(1) BGB). Made in writing and delivered with proof of receipt, it can be proved later.
- Why does a German bank need its own notice of the revocation?
- If the power was declared to a third party, announced to it or shown to it as a document, it stays effective towards that party until the party is told it has ended, or the document is returned or declared void (§§ 170–172 BGB) — unless the party knew or should have known (§ 173 BGB). That is why the letter contains this notice to the bodies listed as receiving a copy: send each bank, office or other body its own signed copy.
- What if the agent does not return the German power of attorney document?
- The agent must return it once the power has ended and has no right to keep it (§ 175 BGB). If it is not returned, you can have the local court (Amtsgericht) declare it void by public notice, effective one month after the last publication (§ 176 BGB). Until then, the notice to each body it was shown to protects you. If a lasting power of attorney was registered in the Central Register (Zentrales Vorsorgeregister), have the entry changed or deleted.
- How is the revocation of a German power of attorney delivered with proof?
- The revocation takes effect only when it reaches the recipient (§ 130 BGB). The safe route is a messenger who reads the letter, delivers it or puts it in the letterbox personally, and notes this in writing. With registered post dropped in the letterbox (Einwurf-Einschreiben), the tracking status does not prove receipt (Federal Labour Court, 2 AZR 68/24). An e-mail meets the form but is hard to prove, and some banks ask for a signed letter.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
DocMuse sells documents, not legal advice. Acceptance always depends on the recipient's rules and your local law.
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