Secured Signing now supports Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) 

Secured Signing now supports Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) header

Secured Signing officially supports the use of Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES) under eIDAS in the EU and equivalent UK electronic signature regulations.

Giving organisations across Europe and the UK access to the highest legal standard of e-Signature. 

This is a major step for any organisation that needs its digital signatures to carry the exact same legal weight as a wet signature, with no compliance gaps and no separate vendor required. 

What Is a Qualified Electronic Signature (QES)? 

A Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) is the highest and most secure standard of electronic signature recognised under EU (eIDAS) and UK law. Unlike a standard or advanced electronic signature, a QES: 

  • Meets the requirements for an advanced electronic signature. Signatures must be uniquely linked to an identifiable signatory who retains sole control of the data used to create the signature and must ensure that any later change to the signed documents can be detected. 
  • Is created with a qualified signature creation device (QSCD), certified hardware or software meeting strict EU technical standards. 
  • Is backed by a qualified certificate, issued by a qualified trust service provider (QTSP) after rigorous identity verification. 

Because of these requirements, a QES is legally non-repudiable: the signer cannot later dispute that they signed. This is what gives QES the same legal standing as a wet-ink signature across the EU and UK.

What Does QES Support Mean for Secured Signing? 

Organisations can now use a QES with Secured Signing’s platform, which means the signing process, and identity verification have been independently certified against the strictest technical and legal standards set for electronic signing in the EU and UK.  

It places Secured Signing among a small, trusted group of digital signatures providers able to support the use qualified electronic signatures directly within the platform. 

QES directly adds to Secured Signing’s existing Remote Online Notarization (RON) capability, meaning qualified signing and remote notarisation can now run through the same connected document signing workflow. 

Why QES Approval Is Necessary 

Organisations operating across EU and UK borders have historically faced a trade-off: use a simple e-signature tool that doesn’t meet strict compliance requirements, or bring in a separate, specialist QES provider for their most sensitive transactions.  

QES approval removes that trade-off. Organisations can now access maximum legal assurance without adding a separate provider to their compliance stack. 

How Secured Signing Clients Benefit from QES 

  • One platform for every level of signature assurance — from advanced e-signatures to full QES, without switching tools or vendors. 
  • Simplified compliance — a single audit trail and a single point of accountability, instead of managing a separate QES vendor relationship. 
  • Stronger cross-border confidence — QES gives both parties certainty a signature will hold up wherever it’s challenged in the EU or UK. 
  • QES plus Remote Online Notarization in one workflow — qualified signing and remote notarisation combined, instead of coordinated across separate tools. 
  • Faster high-stakes transactions — fewer handoffs and fewer vendors mean legal, finance, and HR teams can move sensitive deals forward with less friction. 

Who Needs a Qualified Electronic Signature? 

QES is designed for transactions where non-repudiation and strict legal compliance are mandatory, including: 

  • Legal, finance, and corporate HR — industries with strict regulatory and evidentiary requirements. 
  • Cross-border EU agreements — where the signature must be enforceable regardless of jurisdiction. 
  • Government and enterprise transactions — requiring the maximum available level of legal assurance. 

Frequently Asked Questions about QES

Is a Qualified Electronic Signature legally binding in the EU and UK?

Yes. Under eIDAS in the EU and equivalent UK regulations, a Qualified Electronic Signature carries the same legal weight as a handwritten signature.

A QES must be created using a qualified signature creation device (QSC) and backed by a qualified certificate from a qualified trust service provider (QTSP) — requirements that standard and advanced e-signatures don’t meet.

Secured Signing is partnered with an approved QTSP to issue Qualified Electronic Signatures under EU and UK regulations to support the QES requirements of an organisation, business, or individual.

Yes. Secured Signing clients can combine QES with Remote Online Notarization (RON) in a single, connected signing workflow.

Organisations in highly regulated industries such as legal, finance, and HR, as well as those managing cross-border EU agreements or government and enterprise transactions requiring maximum legal assurance.