Qualified electronic signature (QES)
A qualified electronic signature (QES) is an advanced electronic signature made with a qualified signature creation device and based on a qualified certificate from a trust service provider on an EU trusted list.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 1 min read
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What it takes
- A verified identity. The provider checks who you are, in person or by an approved remote method such as a video check, before it issues your certificate.
- A qualified certificate from a qualified trust service provider listed on a member state's trusted list.
- A qualified signature device that holds your private key: a smart card, a USB token or a certified remote signing service.
Why it matters
Under Article 25 of eIDAS, a QES has the same legal effect as a handwritten signature, and one based on a certificate from any member state is recognized in all of them. When national law asks for a handwritten signature or the written form, a QES is usually the electronic way to meet it. A company bidding in a public tender, for example, may find the tender rules demand one.
Most contracts don't need that level: sales agreements, service contracts and NDAs are usually fine with a simple or advanced signature. SignMaster collects simple electronic signatures backed by an audit trail. It doesn't issue certificates or create qualified signatures, so when a law or the other party demands a QES, use a qualified provider for that document.
Questions? Answers.
Is a QES the same as a digital signature?
Every QES is a certificate-based digital signature, but most digital signatures aren't qualified. A QES also needs a qualified certificate and a qualified device.
Sources
- Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 (eIDAS), Articles 3, 25 and 26 (EUR-Lex) · eur-lex.europa.eu