Definiteness and form of the administrative act; instruction on legal remedies

(1) An administrative act must be sufficiently definite in content.
(2) An administrative act may be issued in writing, electronically, orally or in another manner. An oral administrative act must be confirmed in writing or electronically where a legitimate interest exists in this and the person concerned demands it without delay. An electronic administrative act must be confirmed in writing under the same conditions; section 3a(2) and (3) does not apply in this respect.
(3) A written or electronic administrative act must disclose the issuing authority and contain the signature or the printed name of the head of the authority, his or her representative or his or her agent. Where, for an administrative act for which written form is ordered by legal provision, electronic form is used, the qualified certificate underlying the signature, or an associated qualified attribute certificate, must also disclose the issuing authority.
(4) For an administrative act, permanent verifiability may be prescribed by legal provision for the signature required under section 3a(2), or for the seal required under section 3a(3), no. 3, letter a).
(5) In a written administrative act issued with the aid of automatic facilities, the signature and the printed name may, in derogation from subsection (3), be omitted. Key symbols may be used to state the content, where the person for whom the administrative act is intended, or who is affected by it, can, on the basis of the explanations given for this purpose, unambiguously recognise the content of the administrative act.
(6) A written or electronic administrative act that is subject to challenge must be accompanied by a statement instructing the party on the legal remedy available against the administrative act, on the authority or the court with which the legal remedy must be lodged, its seat, and the period to be observed (instruction on legal remedies). The instruction on legal remedies must also be attached to the written or electronic confirmation of an administrative act, and to the certificate under section 42a(3).