Glossary
What is a qualified signature
The highest level of electronic signature, and when it is genuinely required.
Qualified electronic signature
One made with a certificate issued by a qualified provider and a secure signature creation device. In the European framework it is the only one legally equivalent to a handwritten signature.
The three levels
| Level | What it requires | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Simple | Little beyond acceptance | Internal approvals, acknowledgements |
| Advanced | Identifying the signer and detecting changes to the document | Most commercial contracts |
| Qualified | A qualified certificate and secure device | Whatever the law expressly requires |
Most day-to-day work is handled by a well-executed advanced signature. Qualified adds real friction — the signer needs their certificate — and only pays off when it is required.
Important
If a specific document requires a qualified signature, the rule governing it says so, not the platform. Ask your adviser before deciding on your own judgement: getting this wrong invalidates the whole document.
Watch out
Raising the level "just in case" has a cost: every signer without a certificate is locked out, and the document goes unsigned.
›Do I need qualified for a supplier contract?
Usually not. Advanced is the norm.
›Does a national eID work?
It is a qualified certificate, yes, if the signer can use it.
›What about outside the EU?
Qualified is a European concept. Other countries have their own schemes.
A real case
The situation
A company wants qualified signatures on every contract.
What you do
- Checks which documents genuinely require it
- Keeps qualified only for those
What you get
The rest are signed same-day instead of waiting for every supplier to obtain a certificate.
The situation
A client demands a qualified signature and the supplier has no certificate.
What you do
- Checks whether that document really requires one
What you get
The requirement applies where it is needed rather than by habit.
The situation
A process stalls because three signers cannot obtain their certificate.
What you do
- Separates the documents that require it from those that do not
What you get
What can move, moves, while the rest is sorted out.
The situation
Nobody knows what it adds over an ordinary signature.
What you do
- Compares what proof each level leaves
What you get
The decision rests on the real difference rather than the name.
The situation
A document is signed with a certificate and the resulting file cannot be validated.
What you do
- Keeps the document exactly as it was signed
What you get
Later validation works because nothing has been saved over it.
The situation
A foreign signer holds a certificate from another country.
What you do
- Checks with the adviser whether it serves that use
What you get
The question is settled before the document goes out.
This article answers
- what is a qualified signature
- difference between simple advanced and qualified signature
- when is a qualified signature required
- qualified signature certificate