Are electronic signatures legal in Sweden?
Yes. Swedish contract law generally doesn't prescribe a form, so an agreement signed electronically binds the parties like one signed on paper, and the EU's eIDAS Regulation applies directly. The exceptions are formal acts: buying real property and making a will. A government inquiry has proposed letting property purchases be signed electronically.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 2 min read
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Sweden: at a glance
Country · SE- E-signature law
- Lag (2016:561) supplementing the EU eIDAS Regulation
- Citation
- SFS 2016:561
- In effect since
- 2016
- Framework
- EU eIDAS, Regulation 910/2014 as amended by Regulation 2024/1183
- Doesn't cover
- Purchases of real property: purchase document signed by seller and buyer, applied as paper (Jordabalken 4:1)
- Wills: signed in the simultaneous presence of two witnesses (Ärvdabalken 10:1)
eIDAS and the Swedish supplementary act
Sweden has no general e-signature statute of its own. The EU's Regulation 910/2014 applies directly, and Lag (2016:561) supplements it, using the regulation's own terms and meanings (1 §). Under eIDAS article 25, an electronic signature can't be denied legal effect or refused as evidence because it's electronic or not qualified, and a qualified electronic signature has the same legal effect as a handwritten one.
For an ordinary commercial agreement, a Swedish court will look at the evidence of who agreed to what and when. A simple electronic signature with a good record behind it is evidence of that agreement, just as an email exchange or a signed PDF would be.
Buying real property
Chapter 4, section 1 of the Jordabalken (Land Code) says a purchase of real property is concluded by drawing up a purchase document (köpehandling) signed by the seller and the buyer, stating the price and the seller's declaration that the property is transferred. A purchase that doesn't meet these requirements is invalid. The requirement has been applied as calling for signatures on paper.
A 2024 government inquiry, SOU 2024:38 (Digitala fastighetsköp), proposed amending chapter 4, section 1 so that purchase documents can be drawn up and signed electronically, and allowing registration on the basis of electronic documents. Check whether the change has been enacted before signing a property purchase any other way than on paper.
Wills
A will must be made in writing with two witnesses. The testator signs, or acknowledges their signature, while both witnesses are present at the same time, and the witnesses confirm the document with their names (Ärvdabalken chapter 10, section 1). An e-signature platform can't meet that.
Where SignMaster fits
SignMaster provides simple electronic signatures, suitable for the form-free agreements Swedish businesses sign every day: quotes (offerter), service contracts, consulting agreements, purchase orders and NDAs. It isn't a qualified signature and isn't a property purchase tool. Each signed PDF includes a certificate of completion recording every signer's email, IP address and timestamps, and a SHA-256 fingerprint that shows whether the document changed.
Questions? Answers.
Are electronically signed contracts binding in Sweden?
Yes, for the many contracts that need no particular form. eIDAS bars refusing an electronic signature just for being electronic, and the record of who signed and when is the evidence.
Can I buy a house in Sweden with an electronic signature?
Not under the current application of Jordabalken chapter 4, section 1, which calls for a purchase document signed on paper. SOU 2024:38 proposed allowing electronic signing, so check whether it's been enacted.
Can a will be signed electronically in Sweden?
No. A will needs the testator's signature on a written document in the simultaneous presence of two witnesses, who also sign (Ärvdabalken 10:1).
Sources
- Lag (2016:561) med kompletterande bestämmelser till EU:s förordning om elektronisk identifiering (Riksdagen) · riksdagen.se
- Jordabalk (1970:994), 4 kap. 1 § (Riksdagen) · riksdagen.se
- Ärvdabalk (1958:637), 10 kap. 1 § (Riksdagen) · riksdagen.se
- SOU 2024:38, Digitala fastighetsköp & förköpsrätt vid fastighetstransaktioner (Riksdagen) · riksdagen.se
- 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.