Are electronic signatures legal in Italy?
Yes. Italy's Digital Administration Code (CAD) accepts electronic documents and signatures, on top of the EU's eIDAS Regulation. Italy is more specific than most countries about levels: real estate contracts need a qualified or digital signature, other acts the law requires in writing need at least an advanced one, and a simple signature is weighed freely by the court.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 2 min read
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Italy: at a glance
Country · IT- E-signature law
- Codice dell'Amministrazione Digitale (CAD)
- In effect since
- 2006
- Framework
- EU eIDAS, Regulation 910/2014 as amended by Regulation 2024/1183
- Doesn't cover
- Real estate acts in Civil Code art. 1350, nos. 1–12: qualified or digital signature only (CAD art. 21(2-bis))
- Other acts the law requires in writing: advanced signature or higher (art. 21(2-bis))
- Electronic public deeds: official's qualified signature, parties sign in their presence (art. 21(2-ter))
- Holographic wills, handwritten by the testator (Civil Code art. 602)
The Codice dell'Amministrazione Digitale
The CAD (Decreto legislativo 7 marzo 2005, n. 82) governs electronic documents for both public bodies and private parties. Article 20(1-bis) is the rule that matters for contracts. An electronic document satisfies the requirement of written form and has the evidentiary effect of a signed private writing under article 2702 of the Civil Code when it carries a digital signature, another qualified electronic signature or an advanced electronic signature, or is formed, after the author is identified electronically, through a process meeting AgID's requirements.
In every other case, including a simple electronic signature, whether the document satisfies written form and how much it proves are freely assessed by the judge, considering its security, integrity and unchangeability. That doesn't make a simple signature invalid; it means its weight depends on the evidence behind it.
Which contracts need which signature
| Contract | Electronic signature required |
|---|---|
| Acts listed in Civil Code art. 1350, nos. 1–12: transfers of real estate, usufruct and easements, real estate leases over nine years, divisions of real property | Qualified or digital, on pain of nullity (unless the signature is authenticated) |
| Other acts the law specially requires in writing (art. 1350, no. 13) | Advanced, qualified or digital, or an AgID-compliant process |
| Contracts with no written-form requirement | Any electronic signature, weighed freely by the court |
Italians use the term firma digitale for a qualified signature based on a public-key certificate, which is why the law names it alongside the qualified electronic signature. Under eIDAS article 25, a qualified signature has the same legal effect as a handwritten one anywhere in the EU.
Notaries and wills
- Public deeds drawn up electronically must be signed by the public official with a qualified or digital signature, and the parties sign in the official's presence (CAD art. 21(2-ter)).
- Holographic wills must be written entirely, dated and signed by the testator's own hand (Civil Code art. 602).
Where SignMaster fits
SignMaster provides a simple electronic signature, not an advanced, qualified or digital one. Use it for contracts with no written-form requirement, such as quotes (preventivi), service agreements, supplier orders and NDAs, where the judge weighs the evidence freely. That evidence comes with every envelope: a certificate of completion with each signer's email, IP address and timestamps, and a SHA-256 fingerprint showing whether the PDF changed.
Questions? Answers.
Is a simple electronic signature valid in Italy?
It isn't invalid, but under CAD article 20(1-bis) its value as written form and as evidence is assessed freely by the judge. For contracts the law requires in writing, use at least an advanced signature.
What signature do I need to sell a property in Italy?
A contract transferring real estate falls under Civil Code art. 1350, no. 1, so an electronic version needs a qualified or digital signature on pain of nullity (CAD art. 21(2-bis)). In practice a notary handles the deed.
What is a firma digitale?
Italy's name for a qualified electronic signature based on a public-key certificate. It's the strongest level and is equivalent to a handwritten signature under eIDAS.
Sources
- Codice dell'Amministrazione Digitale (D.Lgs. 82/2005), art. 20 (Normattiva) · normattiva.it
- Codice dell'Amministrazione Digitale (D.Lgs. 82/2005), art. 21 (Normattiva) · normattiva.it
- Codice civile, art. 1350 (Normattiva) · normattiva.it
- Codice civile, art. 602 (Normattiva) · normattiva.it
- Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 (eIDAS), EUR-Lex · eur-lex.europa.eu
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.