Are electronic signatures legal in Argentina?
Yes. Argentina recognizes two kinds of signature made electronically, and both have legal effect. But the law treats them very differently: only a firma digital, backed by a licensed certifier, is presumed genuine. A plain firma electrónica works, but if the other side denies it, you have to prove it.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 2 min read
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Argentina: at a glance
Country · AR- E-signature law
- Ley 25.506 de Firma Digital
- In effect since
- 2001
- Doesn't cover
- No exclusion list since the 2018 repeal of art. 4, but the Civil and Commercial Code's form rules still apply
- Real rights in land need a public deed (CCyC art. 1017(a))
- Holographic wills must be handwritten and signed by the testator (CCyC art. 2477); public wills need a public deed (art. 2479)
- A plain firma electrónica doesn't meet a legal signature requirement by itself (Ley 25.506, arts. 3 and 5; CCyC art. 288)
Ley 25.506 and its two signatures
The Digital Signature Law, Ley 25.506, was published in the Boletín Oficial on December 14, 2001. Its implementing rules are now Decreto 182/2019, amended by Decreto 743/2024, which lets certificate holders prove their identity remotely against the national registry (RENAPER) instead of in person.
| Firma digital | Firma electrónica | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A signature verified with a certificate from a licensed certifier (arts. 2 and 9) | Any electronic data used to identify the signer that lacks one of the digital signature's requirements (art. 5) |
| Meets a legal signature requirement | Yes (art. 3) | Not by itself |
| Authorship and integrity | Presumed, unless proven otherwise (arts. 7 and 8) | Must be proven if the signature is denied (art. 5) |
En caso de ser desconocida la firma electrónica corresponde a quien la invoca acreditar su validez.
What the Civil and Commercial Code adds
Article 288 of the Civil and Commercial Code says that for an instrument generated electronically, the signature requirement is met by a digital signature that unequivocally ensures authorship and integrity. A contract signed with a plain electronic signature is still evidence: the judge weighs it by looking at, among other things, how reliable the media and technical procedures were (art. 319). Most contracts in Argentina need no particular form at all (art. 1015), so the practical job is making that evidence strong.
No exclusion list, but form rules still bite
The original article 4 kept wills, family law acts and highly personal acts outside the law. It was repealed in 2018, by Decree of Necessity and Urgency 27/2018 and then Ley 27.446. That doesn't make every act electronic, because the Civil and Commercial Code's own form rules still apply:
- Contracts creating or transferring real rights in land need a public deed (escritura pública, art. 1017(a)).
- A handwritten (holographic) will must be written, dated and signed by the testator's own hand (art. 2477).
- A public will is made by public deed (art. 2479).
Where SignMaster fits in Argentina
SignMaster provides firma electrónica with an audit trail. It isn't a licensed certifier and doesn't produce a firma digital, so use it for contracts that need no special form, such as service agreements, quotes, NDAs and purchase orders, and keep the evidence that article 5 puts on you. Each completed PDF carries a certificate of completion with every signer's email, IP address, consent and timestamps, plus a SHA-256 fingerprint that exposes any later edit.
Questions? Answers.
Is a contract signed with a firma electrónica valid in Argentina?
Yes. A contract with no required form is valid however the parties agree to it. The difference is proof: if the other side denies a firma electrónica, the party relying on it has to show it's genuine (Ley 25.506, art. 5).
Who can issue a firma digital in Argentina?
Only certifiers licensed under Ley 25.506. A certificate from an unlicensed provider can't make a signature a firma digital (art. 9).
Can a will be signed electronically in Argentina?
No. Article 4's exclusions were repealed in 2018, but the Civil and Commercial Code still requires a holographic will to be handwritten and signed by the testator (art. 2477) and a public will to be made by public deed (art. 2479).
Sources
- Ley 25.506 de Firma Digital, current text (InfoLEG) · servicios.infoleg.gob.ar
- Ley 25.506, original text including the former art. 4 (InfoLEG) · servicios.infoleg.gob.ar
- Ley 25.506, norms that amend or regulate it (InfoLEG) · servicios.infoleg.gob.ar
- Decreto 743/2024, remote identity checks for digital certificates (InfoLEG) · servicios.infoleg.gob.ar
- Código Civil y Comercial de la Nación, arts. 288, 319, 1015, 1017, 2477 and 2479 (InfoLEG) · servicios.infoleg.gob.ar
General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and how they apply depends on your situation. For advice about a specific document, talk to a lawyer licensed where you are.