What is eIDAS?

The EU regulation that defines three legal tiers of electronic signature, Simple (SES), Advanced (AdES), and Qualified (QES).

Regulation (EU) No 910/2014, eIDAS (electronic IDentification, Authentication and trust Services), is the EU legal framework that recognizes electronic signatures across member states. It defines three tiers: Simple Electronic Signature (SES) for everyday contracts, Advanced Electronic Signature (AdES) for higher assurance, and Qualified Electronic Signature (QES), which carries the same legal weight as a handwritten signature in every EU member state. The UK adopted a near-identical regime post-Brexit (UK eIDAS).

Drop your document here and sign it now. PDF, Word and Excel all work: a .docx or .xlsx is laid out in your browser exactly as it was written, so there is nothing to convert first. Add a signature, a date, a company stamp or a watermark, then download it sealed. Free to start, no account, and the file is never uploaded to open it.

The three tiers

SES is any eSignature with no specific identity requirements, a click, a typed name, an uploaded image. AdES adds uniqueness to the signer, signer-control of the signing key, and tamper-detection. QES is AdES backed by a Qualified Certificate issued by an EU-listed Qualified Trust Service Provider (QTSP), with the signing key stored on a secure cryptographic device.

When QES is required

Most B2B contracts in the EU are valid with SES. QES is reserved for transactions where written form is required by law, certain real-estate, family-law, and notarized acts. For corporate signing 95%+ of use cases work with SES or AdES.

How PDF Verified handles eIDAS

PDF Verified SES is the default, captured signature + timestamp + IP + SHA-256 hash + audit trail. AdES is available on Business Plus via our TSP partner. QES requires identity verification via a QTSP and is available on Enterprise.

What PDF Verified is, and what it is not

Electronic signature law is settled in broad terms and specific in the details. The ESIGN Act, UETA, eIDAS and their equivalents recognise electronic signatures across more than 190 countries, and what decides a particular case is intent to sign plus evidence connecting the signature to the signer, which is what the audit certificate records. Certain document types carry their own formalities wherever you are: deeds, wills, some property instruments, and anything requiring a witness or a notary. Sign only what you are authorised to sign, since applying another person signature without their authority is forgery whatever tool is used.

PDF Verified is a tool for preparing, signing, stamping and checking documents. It is not a law firm, a compliance service or a forensic examiner, and nothing here is legal, financial or compliance advice. Requirements differ by country, by document type and by the party asking, so check what applies to your document before you rely on it, and take advice where the document matters. You are responsible for the documents you create, sign and send, and for having the authority to do so: signing or stamping in somebody else name, or as an organisation you do not represent, is forgery whatever tool is used. To the extent the law allows, we accept no liability for how a document made with this tool is used or relied on. The full position is in our terms of service.