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eSignature

Digital signatures

Legally-binding agreements with QES

The legal equivalent of a handwritten signature, Docusign’s streamlined Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) solutions help protect your most critical agreements.

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Take a Guided Tour of QES

Discover how QES makes signing agreements faster and more secure.

Secure your high value and high risk agreements

Provide additional layers of security, trust and signer assurance with the qualified electronic signature.

  • Accelerate signing thanks to AI

    Enable your signers to complete the identity verification process for a qualified electronic signature in minutes with AI-driven digital identity proofing. Our Identity Wallet further simplifies the process for repeat signers, allowing them to easily reapply their personal information.

  • Use the most secure signature type for agreements

    A qualified electronic signature requires additional layers of face-to-face, or equivalent, identity verification before a digital certificate is issued, making it the most secure and legally-binding type of digital signature available.

  • Scale your operations securely

    A registered Qualified Trust Service Provider (QTSP) in Europe, Docusign’s qualified electronic signature solutions enable you to securely and efficiently scale your operations across the region.

Why choose Docusign?

  • Security icon

    Docusign meets the stringent global security standards

    Whether you're aiming to comply with local standards (eIDAS, ETSI, GDPR, etc.) or international regulations (ISO 27001, SSAE 18 (SOC 1 and 2), PCI, etc.), Docusign is your trusted partner for secure, compliant agreements.

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  • Global icon

    Globally trusted, used and recognised

    We're here to help you establish exceptional trust with your customers. That's why we build security into every step of the agreement process – so you can send and sign with peace of mind. More than 1 million customers and 1 billion users trust Docusign.


  • Platform icon

    Integrated into the Docusign IAM platform

    Docusign is transforming how millions of organisations create, sign, and manage agreements. Combined with our digital signature features, the Intelligent Agreement Management (IAM) platform helps you accelerate revenue, unlock value, and reduce risk across all your agreements.

  • EU icon

    Developed in Europe

    With dedicated teams in region, Docusign's solutions are designed to meet the specific needs of businesses, adapting to changing market demands. Additionally, we’ve been operating in the region for over a decade and have data centres across three EU countries.


Learn more about qualified electronic signatures

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But don't just take our word for it.

Organisations like yours do more with Docusign's digital signature solutions

View All Customer Stories
  • Q1 Energie

    Accelerating QES and identification processes

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  • DLA Piper UK

    Transforming legal agreement processes using Docusign


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Read these blogs to learn more about qualified electronic signatures

Blog

What is QES and what are the benefits?

Here we take a closer look at Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES) and the associated benefits including greater assurance and security.

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Blog

Types of Digital Signature: AES, QES, SES, explained

Learn about the three types of electronic signatures available in the market and how to select the right type of signature for your business needs.

FAQ

  • A digital signature is a type of electronic signature generated via a digital certificate. A digital signature helps securely associate a signer with a specific document. Digital signatures form a digital “fingerprint” and can be used to validate signer identity and demonstrate that the signed document has not been tampered with.

  • Yes, a qualified electronic signature (QES) is legally recognised and enforceable in the UK and across all EU Member States, provided it meets the specific security, authenticity, and compliance requirements outlined in the eIDAS regulation.


  • Qualified electronic signatures (QES) are typically used for high value, highly-sensitive, or heavily regulated agreements that require rigorous signer identification and legal enforceability. Examples of typical agreements that likely use QES include: legal contracts and agreements, financial transactions, healthcare and medical transactions, international transactions, and some employment documents.


  • Advanced electronic signatures (AES) add ID verification to the electronic signature signing process. Signatures must be uniquely linked to, and able to identify, the signer. Signature records are capable of showing evidence of tampering.

    Qualified electronic signatures (QES) have more stringent requirements mandating face-to-face, or equivalent, identity verification (the face-to-face identification can be live and in-person or via an audio/video connection.) A QES is unique in that it’s considered legally equivalent to a handwritten signature under eIDAS.

  • Docusign has several solutions available to help you secure your agreements using QES. IDV Premier, provides remote, AI-enabled enhanced signer identification solutions embedded into the eSignature workflow to enable signers to complete an eIDAS-compliant QES in minutes.

    You can view our other QES offerings here.

  • Docusign works with Trust Service providers from around the world to offer digital certificates and digital signatures through the Docusign platform. 

    See the global list of Trust Service Providers.

  • Electronic signatures, or e-signatures, are a broad category of methods for signing a document. A digital signature is a type of electronic signature that offers additional verification of the identities of the parties involved in a transaction.

    Digital signatures are based on a technology standard called Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). PKI is used to create a unique, tamper-evident ‘digital certificate’ that associates a signer with a document and guarantees that the electronic document is authentic. Digital certificates indicate that the signers have completed extra steps to confirm their identities. A signer’s digital certificate is used to create the signature and then attach it to the signed document.

Contact an expert to learn more about our AES solutions or start with eSignature for free

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