How to Sign a PDF Legally in the EU

Electronic signatures are legally recognised across the European Union under eIDAS (Regulation (EU) No 910/2014). You do not need to print, sign, and scan — and for most everyday agreements you don’t need any special hardware or eID either.

Are electronic signatures legal in the EU?

Yes. Under eIDAS Article 25, an electronic signature cannot be denied legal effect or admissibility in court simply because it is electronic. The regulation defines three levels:

• Simple Electronic Signature (SES) — e.g. typing or drawing your name, with a record of who signed and when. Valid and admissible; suitable for most rental agreements, NDAs, freelance contracts, and everyday deals.
• Advanced Electronic Signature (AES) — uniquely linked to the signer, tamper-evident, under their sole control. Stronger evidence.
• Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) — AES plus a qualified certificate from an accredited provider. The only level that is legally equivalent to a handwritten signature. Required for a small number of documents (e.g. certain property transfers).

Some documents legally require notarisation or a qualified signature. When in doubt, check your national rules.

How to sign a PDF in two minutes

1. Upload your PDF. With DigiSig, it’s encrypted in your browser first — the server never sees its contents.
2. Add the other person’s email and place your signature.
3. They open a secure link, review, and sign. Both of you get the signed PDF with a tamper-evident audit trail.

That’s it — no account, no app, no hassle.

What makes the signature trustworthy?

A good electronic signature ties who signed, what they signed (a cryptographic hash of the document), and when into a tamper-evident record. DigiSig produces exactly this, and offers an optional independently timestamped certified copy you can verify online.

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Ready? Sign a document now — free, private, in 24 EU languages.