Are electronic signatures legal in Romania?
Yes. Every kind of electronic signature has legal effect in Romania and can be used as evidence in court. What changes from one kind to the next is how much it proves on its own, and Romania's 2024 law spells that out more precisely than most EU countries do.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 2 min read
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Romania: at a glance
Country · RO- E-signature law
- Law no. 214/2024 on the use of electronic signatures, time stamps and trust services
- In effect since
- 2024
- Framework
- EU eIDAS, Regulation 910/2014 as amended by Regulation 2024/1183
- Doesn't cover
- Acts the law requires as authentic (notarial) instruments still need a notary; Law 214 doesn't apply to them (art. 4(11))
- Where written form is a condition of validity: a qualified signature, or an advanced one meeting art. 4(5) (art. 4(3))
- A simple signature equals a handwritten one only in the cases listed in art. 4(9)
Law 214/2024 replaced the 2001 act
Romania's first e-signature statute, Law 455/2001, was repealed by Law no. 214 of July 5, 2024 on the use of electronic signatures, time stamps and trust services. It was published in the Official Gazette (Monitorul Oficial) no. 647 on July 8, 2024 and took effect three months later, on October 8, 2024. It applies the EU's eIDAS Regulation and settles the question eIDAS leaves to each member state: what each signature level is worth in a Romanian court.
All types of electronic signature provided for in Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 or in this law produce legal effects and may be used as evidence before the courts.
What each signature level is worth
| Signature | Counts as handwritten when | If someone disputes it |
|---|---|---|
| Qualified | Always (art. 4(1)) | The challenger must prove what's wrong with it (art. 5(1)) |
| Advanced | Its certificate comes from a Romanian public body or a qualified provider, the other side recognizes the document (performing it counts), or the parties agreed to it in a separate document (art. 4(5)) | The party relying on it must prove it meets the legal and technical conditions (art. 5(3)) |
| Simple | The deal is worth less than half the gross minimum wage, the other side recognizes the document (performing it counts), or two professionals agreed to it in a separate document (art. 4(9)) | The same burden on the party relying on it, with any evidence civil procedure allows (art. 5(2)–(3)) |
A signature that doesn't reach the handwritten level isn't worthless. Article 5(4) lets a court treat it as a beginning of written proof (început de dovadă scrisă), which other evidence can complete.
When a law asks for written form
- Written form required for validity. Only a qualified signature, or an advanced one that counts as handwritten under art. 4(5), satisfies it (art. 4(3)).
- Written form required only as proof. A qualified or advanced signature satisfies it, and so does a simple one in the art. 4(9) cases (art. 4(4)).
- Deals with a business. Where one party is a professional, the deal can be proven without any signed electronic document, and any type of e-signature on one serves as proof (art. 4(10)).
- Authentic instruments. When the law requires a notarial deed, the act still has to be authenticated by a notary, and Law 214 doesn't apply to it (art. 4(11)).
One agreement up front, simple signatures after
Two businesses can sign a short framework agreement once, by hand or with a qualified signature, saying that simple e-signatures between them have the effect of handwritten ones and that both understand the risks and the burden of proof. That's the art. 4(9)(c) route for every contract that follows.
Where SignMaster fits in Romania
SignMaster provides simple electronic signatures with an audit trail. It isn't a qualified trust service provider and doesn't issue advanced or qualified signatures. That suits Romanian contracts where written form is only proof, agreements the other side goes on to perform, small consumer purchases, and business deals covered by a framework agreement. Every completed PDF ends with a certificate of completion showing each signer's email, IP address and timestamps, and a SHA-256 fingerprint shows whether the file changed.
Questions? Answers.
Is a simple electronic signature valid in Romania?
Yes. It has legal effect and can be used in court (art. 3(1)). It carries the weight of a handwritten signature only in the art. 4(9) cases. Otherwise, if it's challenged, the party relying on it has to prove it.
Does Law 455/2001 still apply?
No. Law 214/2024 repealed it on October 8, 2024, along with the 2004 time-stamp law. Update any template that still cites the old act.
Is a qualified signature from another EU country valid in Romania?
Yes. Under eIDAS article 25(3), a qualified electronic signature based on a qualified certificate issued in one member state is recognized as a qualified signature in every other member state.
Sources
- Law no. 214/2024 on electronic signatures, time stamps and trust services (Portal Legislativ, Ministry of Justice) · legislatie.just.ro
- Romanian Authority for Digitalization (ADR), trusted list of qualified providers · adr.gov.ro
- Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 (eIDAS), Articles 3, 25 and 26 (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.