Electronic signatures in the European Union
An electronic signature shall not be denied legal effect and admissibility as evidence solely because it is electronic or not qualified (eIDAS Article 25).
Not legal advice. This page explains how electronic signature law works in general terms and links to the primary sources. It is not legal advice. Rules differ by country and by document type, and they change; for a specific transaction, ask a qualified lawyer in the relevant jurisdiction.
In short
An electronic signature shall not be denied legal effect and admissibility as evidence solely because it is electronic or not qualified (eIDAS Article 25). The main law: eIDAS, Regulation (EU) No 910/2014.
What the law says
Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 (eIDAS) applies directly in every member state, as amended by Regulation (EU) 2024/1183, which adds the European Digital Identity Wallet framework. It defines three levels of electronic signature in Article 3:
| Level | Definition (Article 3) | Legal effect (Article 25) | AiresDocs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple electronic signature (SES) | "data in electronic form which is attached to or logically associated with other data in electronic form and which is used by the signatory to sign" | Cannot be denied legal effect or admissibility solely because it is electronic or not qualified. | Yes |
| Advanced electronic signature (AES) | An electronic signature meeting Article 26: uniquely linked to the signatory, capable of identifying them, created using data under their sole control, and linked to the signed data so that any later change is detectable. | As above; a stronger evidential position because of the Article 26 properties. | Advanced-style: audit trail and hashes give identification and change detection; the "sole control" element rests on the signer's email account and optional access code rather than a cryptographic key. |
| Qualified electronic signature (QES) | An AES created by a qualified signature-creation device and based on a qualified certificate from a qualified trust service provider. | Has the equivalent legal effect of a handwritten signature and is recognised across all member states. | No |
For most commercial contracts an SES or AES is sufficient, because EU member states generally allow contracts to be formed without any particular form. Where national law requires a handwritten signature for a specific document type (for example some employment, consumer-credit, guarantee or real-estate documents in particular countries), a QES is the electronic equivalent and a simple signature may not be enough. Those rules are national, so check the country whose law governs the document.
What AiresDocs provides
A simple electronic signature for every signer, with an evidence package: unique signing links sent to named addresses, explicit consent, an append-only event log and SHA-256 hashes of the original and final contract, checkable on a public verification page. It is not a qualified electronic signature or a notarisation service. What courts look for, and how each piece of evidence maps to it, is in How electronic signatures work.
Sources
- Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 (eIDAS), EUR-Lex
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1183 amending eIDAS (European Digital Identity Framework), EUR-Lex
If a link stops working or the law changes, email support@airesdocs.com and we will update this page; changes are dated in the changelog.
Ready to send something?
Every AiresDocs contract comes with the consent record, event log and hashes described here, on the free plan too.