Documents signed with digital signatures are legally valid and hold the same value as a handwritten signature in most regions. All documents signed with 最新博彩网站 Sign meet the requirements of the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act of 2000 (ESIGN) in the United States, the electronic IDentification, Authentication and Trust Services (eIDAS) regulation in the European Union, and the Information Technology Act of 2000 (ITA) in India, along with several other digital signature laws.
We often receive questions from new users about the legality of digital signatures in their country. This guide aims to provide answers to these common questions.
DISCLAIMER
This digital signature legality guide is the result of comprehensive legal research into digital signatures on a country-by-country basis. Though it has been published with the help of our legal team and technology experts, this guide does not constitute official legal advice and should be used for general information purposes only. Please consult a licensed attorney in your region since laws change frequently.
Digital Signature Legality Guide for Australia
What is court-admissible?
This refers to whether documents signed with digital signatures can be submitted as evidence in a court. Nowadays, most countries support digital transactions and digital signatures, but with the consent of the parties involved.
What is a legal model?
A country can either have an open or tiered legal model for digital signatures. Countries with an open legal model don't require any technology standards to receive special legal status for documents signed with digital signatures. This means documents signed with 最新博彩网站 Sign are automatically considered evidence in a court of law.
Countries with a tiered legal model recognize Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) , or its local equivalent, as a distinct type of digital signature. This means documents signed with QES are presumed authentic and immediately accepted as evidence in court. As such, documents signed with 最新博彩网站 Sign will also be considered evidence in court along with some kind of proof.
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Australia Yes Open
Exclusions for Australia
- Documents that require a notarial process
- Documents related to migration and citizenship
- Statutory declarations requiring a witness
- Powers of attorney in some states
- Bills of exchange
- Health insurance, life insurance, and general insurance
- Documents, notices, and consents of credit-related services
- Property transactions in South Australia
- Transfer of intellectual property
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Argentina Yes (with some exceptions) Tiered
Exclusions for Argentina
- Documents that require notarization
- Corporate minutes that contain resolutions, and appointments and removals of officers and directors
- Resignation letters of employees
- Agreements related to real estate rights
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Austria Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Austria
- Documents that require notarization
- Legal transactions under family and inheritance law
- Company registers
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Belgium Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Belgium
- Documents that require notarization
- Real estate contracts that create or transfer rights
- Contracts requiring the involvement of courts or public authorities
- Contracts involving collateral securities furnished by persons acting for purposes outside their trade, business, or profession
- Contracts governed by family law or the law of succession
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Brazil Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Brazil
- Documents that require notarization
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Bermuda Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Bermuda
- Documents that require notarization
- Wills
- Real estate agreements
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Bulgaria Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Bulgaria
- Documents that require notarization
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Brunei Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Brunei
- Documents that require notarization
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Canada Yes Open
Exclusions for Canada
- Documents that require notarization
- Real estate agreements, wills, and powers of attorney
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Chile Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Chile
- Agreements that require the attendance of one or more parties
- Real estate agreements related to acquisition, modification, and extinction
- Leasing agreements
- Appointment of legal guardians of minors
- Marital agreements
- Declaration of wills
- Mortgages
- IP transfers
- Documents that require notarization
- Agreements that require the physical presence of one or more parties
- Documents related to family law
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- China Yes Open
Exclusions for China
- Documents that require notarization
- Personal relationship agreements
- Some real estate agreements
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Colombia Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Colombia
- Documents that require notarization
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Czech Republic Yes Tiered
Exclusions for the Czech Republic
- Documents that require notarization
- Lease and real estate agreements
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Croatia Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Croatia
- Documents that require notarization
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Cyprus Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Cyprus
- Documents that require notarization
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Denmark Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Denmark
- Documents that require notarization
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Ecuador Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Ecuador
- Documents that require notarization
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Egypt Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Egypt
- Transfer of intangible property
- Real estate buying and selling contracts
- Documents that require notarization
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Estonia Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Estonia
- Documents that require notarization
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Finland Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Finland
- Real estate buying and selling contracts
- Documents that require notarization
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- France Yes Tiered
Exclusions for France
- Documents that require notarization
- Marriage agreements
- Labor agreements
- Some real estate agreements
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Germany Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Germany
- Documents that require notarization
- Marriage agreements
- Real estate agreements
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Greece Yes Tiered Presidential Decree (鈥淧D鈥�)
Exclusions for Greece
- Documents that require notarization
- Some real estate agreements
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Guatemala Yes Tiered Electronic Communications and Signatures Law
Exclusions for Guatemala
- Documents that require notarization
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Hong Kong Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Hong Kong
- Documents that require notarization
- Wills
- Powers of attorney
- Government leases
- Some real estate agreements
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Hungary Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Hungary
- Documents that require notarization
- Family agreements
- Marriage agreements
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Iceland Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Iceland
- Documents that require notarization
- Employee contracts
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- India Yes Tiered
Exclusions for India
- Documents that require notarization
- Real estate agreements
- Powers of attorney
- Wills
- Trust deeds
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Indonesia Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Indonesia
- Documents that require notarization
- Notarial deeds
- Court summonses
- Bond certificates
- Real estate documents
- HR documents
- Asset transaction documents
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Ireland Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Ireland
- Documents that require notarization
- Wills
- Trusts
- Powers of attorneys
- Property transactions
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Israel Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Israel
- Documents that require notarization
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Italy Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Italy
- Loan agreements
- Documents that require notarization
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Japan Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Japan
- Documents that require notarization
- Real estate property transfers
- Wills
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Kazakhstan Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Kazakhstan
- Documents that require notarization
- HR documents
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Kenya Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Kenya
- Negotiable instruments
- Wills
- Codicils
- Testamentary trusts
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Latvia Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Latvia
- Documents that require notarization
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Lithuania Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Lithuania
- Documents that require notarization
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Luxembourg Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Luxembourg
- Government leases
- Powers of attorney
- Real estate agreements
- Employment contracts
- Documents that require notarization
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Macau Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Macau
- Documents that require notarization
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Malaysia Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Malaysia
- Documents that require notarization
- Real estate property transfers
- Wills
- Money lending agreements
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Mexico Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Mexico
- Documents that require notarization
- Marriage agreements
- Documents related to tax obligations
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Malta Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Malta
- Documents that require notarization
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- New Zealand Yes Open
Exclusions for New Zealand
- Documents that require notarization
- Powers of attorney
- Real estate agreements
- Wills
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Nigeria Yes Open
Exclusions for Nigeria
- Documents that require notarization
- Powers of attorney
- Wills
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Netherlands Yes Tiered
Exclusions for the Netherlands
- Documents that require notarization
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Norway Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Norway
- Documents that require notarization
- Debt certificates
- Premarital agreements
- Loan and security agreements
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Peru Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Peru
- Documents that require notarization
- Mortgages
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Philippines Yes Tiered
Exclusions for the Philippines
- Documents that require notarization
- Some real estate agreements
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Poland Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Poland
- Documents that require notarization
- Real estate agreements
- Company shares
- Bills of exchange
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Portugal Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Portugal
- Documents that require notarization
- Employee terminations
- Real estate agreements
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Romania Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Romania
- Documents that require notarization
- Some real estate agreements of immovable property
- Personal guarantee agreements
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Russia Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Russia
- Documents that require notarization
- Powers of attorney
- HR documents
- Some real estate agreements
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Saudi Arabia Yes (Not used by most businesses) Tiered
Exclusions for Saudi Arabia
- Documents that require notarization
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Singapore Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Singapore
- Documents that require notarization
- Wills
- Negotiable instruments
- Powers of attorney
- Some real estate agreements
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- South Africa Yes Tiered
Exclusions for South Africa
- Documents that require notarization
- Long-term real estate agreements
- Changes in real estate property ownership
- Wills
- Bills of exchanges
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- South Korea Yes Tiered
Exclusions for South Korea
- Documents that require notarization
- Changes in real estate property ownership
- Transfers of intangible assets
- Wills
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Spain Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Spain
- Documents that require notarization
- Marriage agreements
- Some real estate agreements
- HR documents
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Sri Lanka Yes Open
Exclusions for Sri Lanka
- Documents that require notarization
- Wills
- Powers of attorney
- Contracts governed by family law or the law of succession
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Sweden Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Sweden
- Documents that require notarization
- Government agreements
- Share certificates
- Employee termination letters
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Switzerland Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Switzerland
- Documents that require notarization
- Wills
- Trusts
- Some real estate agreements
- Inheritance contracts
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Slovakia Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Slovakia
- Documents that require notarization
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Slovenia Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Slovenia
- Documents that require notarization
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Taiwan Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Taiwan
- Documents that require notarization
- Agreements with government agencies
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Thailand Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Thailand
- Documents that require notarization
- Contracts of immovable properties
- Mortgage contracts
- Some agreements of ships
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- United Arab Emirates Yes Open
United Arab Emirates
E-signatures are valid in the United Arab Emirates. They derive their validity under the Federal Law No. 1 of 2006 on Electronic Commerce and Transactions ("E-commerce Law)".The act further identifies the specific criteria of e-signatures called "Secure Electronic Signatures" under Article 17.
Documents signed with 最新博彩网站 Sign meets the requirements for Secure Electronic Signature in the following manner:
- Unique to the person using it
- Capable of identifying such person
- Was, at the time of signing, under the sole control of the Signatory in terms of the creation data and the means used
- Linked to the Electronic Record to which it relates in a manner that provides reliable assurance as to the integrity of the signature such that if the record was changed the Electronic Signature would be invalidated
The use of Secure Electronic Signatures gives a greater level of security and evidentiary value but is not essential for an electronic document or e-signature to be valid in law. According to the E-commerce Law, you cannot use e-signatures and will require a wet-ink or physical signature for the following:
- Transactions and issues relating to personal law such as marriage, divorce, and wills
- Deeds of title to immovable property
- Negotiable instruments
- Transactions involving the sale, purchase, lease (for a term of more than 10 years) and other disposition of immovable property and the registration of other rights relating to immovable property
- Any document legally required to be attested before a notary public
As 最新博彩网站 Sign will be a foreign service provider having a foreign Electronic Attestation Certificates issued by a foreign Certification Service Provider, we recommend to you as a good practice to add a "Use of E-Signature clause," which states that you use 最新博彩网站 Sign to digitally sign your agreements and it is binding pursuant to Article 23 Clause 6 of the E-commerce Law. Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- United Kingdom Yes Tiered
Exclusions for the United Kingdom
- Documents that require notarization
- Marriage agreements
- Some real estate agreements
- Negotiable instruments
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- United States Yes Tiered
Exclusions for the United States
- Documents that require notarization
- Some real estate agreements
- Wills
- Divorce agreements
- Codicils
- Terminations of insurance
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Turkey Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Turkey
- Documents that require notarization
- Wills
- Contracts under family law
- Inheritance agreements
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Ukraine Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Ukraine
- Documents that require notarization
- Real estate agreements
- Contracts under family law
- Inheritance agreements
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Uruguay Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Uruguay
- Documents that require notarization
- Real estate agreements
- Labor agreements
- Insurance agreements
- Country Court- Admissible Legal Model Government Resources
- Vietnam Yes Tiered
Exclusions for Vietnam
- Documents that require notarization
- Transfers of movable assets
- Real estate agreements
- Intangible property transfers
Start signing your business documents with 最新博彩网站 Sign
Frequently asked questions:
Are digital signatures legally binding?
Documents signed with digital signatures are legally valid in many regions, including the United States, the European Union, and India. However, the legal validity differs from country to country, and it鈥檚 important to check the laws in your region.
Why is it valuable to use e-signatures in legal documents?
Signing your documents with e-signatures can help prove the authenticity and integrity of legal documents, as the accompanying encryption and audit trails make it difficult for documents to be tampered with.
Do all countries recognize digital signatures?
There are some countries that have not yet adopted digital signatures.
Are my documents secure in 最新博彩网站 Sign?
Yes. 最新博彩网站 Sign stores your documents in secure data center and encrypts them with industry-standard encryption algorithms.
What kind of signatures does 最新博彩网站 Sign offer?
最新博彩网站 Sign offers three types of electronic signatures: standard electronic signatures, advanced electronic signatures (AES), and qualified electronic signatures (QES).
Does 最新博彩网站 Sign offer digital signing through Sign with Singpass?
Yes, you can use your 最新博彩网站 Sign account to get your documents digitally signed through Sign with Singpass.
Does 最新博彩网站 Sign offer digital signing with Aadhaar eSign?
Yes, you can use your 最新博彩网站 Sign account to sign documents with Aadhaar eSign. The app is compliant with the Information Technology Act, 2000. Learn more
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