Signing contracts and documents is increasingly moving to digital form. An electronic signature saves time and paper, yet not every signature has the same legal weight. Let us explain how it works and where a company will use it.

What an electronic signature is

An electronic signature is a digital way to confirm a document and express agreement with its content. It is not just a scanned signature, but a technical solution that can prove who signed the document and when, and that it has not changed since signing.

Three levels under eIDAS

The European eIDAS regulation distinguishes three levels that differ in security and legal strength:

  • Simple electronic signature. For example signing with a mouse or agreement by click. Fast, but with the lowest evidential strength.
  • Advanced electronic signature. Uniquely linked to the signer, can detect a later change to the document.
  • Qualified electronic signature. The highest level, legally equivalent to a handwritten signature. It requires a qualified certificate from a trusted authority.

Which level you need depends on the type of document. For an ordinary contract a lower level is enough, for official filings a qualified signature is usually required.

How a qualified signature is created

In Slovakia you most often create it via an ID card with a chip (eID). In practice it looks like this:

  • You have an eID with an activated chip and know your BOK (a personal security code) that you chose at the office.
  • A qualified signing certificate is loaded on the card. If you do not have one, you upload it via the eID client app (free of charge).
  • You need a chip card reader and an installed signing application.
  • When signing you enter the BOK and a signing PIN. For legal entities there is also a mandate certificate, with which a person signs on behalf of the company.

Qualified certificates are issued by trusted authorities (in Slovakia, for example, NASES or Disig). You can also sign via the Slovensko v mobile app without a reader.

The difference from a scanned signature

A scanned handwritten signature is just an image. Anyone can copy it, paste it into another document, and no one can tell whether it is genuine. A qualified electronic signature, by contrast, is tied to a certificate and cryptographically seals the whole document: with any later change the signature breaks and the verification app reports it. That is why it has a completely different evidential strength before an authority or a court than a pasted image of a signature.

Electronic seal and timestamp

  • An electronic seal is the equivalent of a signature for a company as a whole, not for a specific person.
  • A timestamp provably confirms the time of signing, which is important for deadlines.

Where a company will use it

  • Contracts and orders signed remotely without printing and scanning.
  • Invoices and internal documents as part of a paperless office.
  • Communication with authorities via electronic mailboxes.

What to keep in mind

  • Choose the right level based on what you are signing.
  • Store signed documents so they remain verifiable even years later.
  • Combine it with order in documents, ideally also with correct work with PDF and with GDPR rules.

Want to introduce electronic signing and paperless document flow in your company? Get in touch, we will advise on choosing a solution and on setup.