eIDAS advanced signature
Signer identification, process evidence and qualified timestamping.
eIDAS electronic signature
Legally valid signature, built into the process
Contracts, delivery notes, sign-offs and HR documentation signed remotely or on a tablet, with evidence and timestamping. Without leaving Kimobox or paying for another license.
Which signature level each document needs
The eIDAS Regulation recognises three levels of electronic signature: simple, advanced and qualified. Only the qualified one has, by law, the same legal effect as a handwritten signature — but that does not mean the others are worthless: article 25.1 forbids denying legal effect to an electronic signature merely because it is electronic. What decides its evidential weight is the evidence surrounding it, and that is where Kimobox contributes a complete record of the signing act.
- European regulation
- Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 (eIDAS) Applicable since 1 July 2016
- eIDAS 2 revision
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1183 In force since 20 May 2024; creates the European Digital Identity Wallet
- Spanish law
- Law 6/2020 of 11 November Regulates certain aspects of electronic trust services
- Equivalence to handwriting
- Qualified signature only Art. 25.2 of the eIDAS Regulation
- Qualified timestamp
- Presumption of accuracy Art. 41.2 eIDAS: presumption of date, time and data integrity
Remote signature
Sent by email or SMS with a one-time code.
In-person signature
Signature pad or touchscreen with biometric stroke capture.
Evidence dossier
Supporting document with hashes, IP addresses, timestamps and full traceability.
What gets signed
Common use cases
- Employment contracts and addenda, and payslip receipts
- Delivery notes and client sign-offs
- Quotes and commercial terms
- Safety policy acceptance and PPE delivery
- Meeting minutes and quality approvals
- Consent forms and data protection clauses
Regulatory framework
Signatures valid across the whole European Union
Real examples
Signatures that fall over, and signatures that hold
Field service
Customer sign-off on the work report
Before A finger signature in an app that only stores an image of the stroke. If the customer denies signing, the image alone proves little.
After A handwritten signature captured with biometric stroke data, encrypted and bound to the document, plus a record of the device, time and location of signing.
HR · employment paperwork
Acknowledging an internal policy
Before A printed copy signed and scanned, filed in a folder. Finding a specific person's takes a while.
After Advanced signature from the employee portal, with evidence of prior identification and sealing. Findable by worker and document in seconds.
Sales · remote contracting
A contract signed by two parties in two provinces
Before Couriered back and forth, two weeks of delay and a document that has to be rescanned.
After A signing circuit with signer order, automatic reminders and a sealed document on completion, filed straight into the customer record.
Vocabulary
The three levels, kept straight
- Simple electronic signature
- Any data in electronic form used by the signatory to sign, from an acceptance click to a name at the foot of an email. It cannot be denied legal effect, but its evidential weight depends on context.
- Advanced electronic signature
- One uniquely linked to the signatory, capable of identifying them, created with means under their sole control, and able to detect any subsequent change to the document. It is the usual level for employment and commercial paperwork.
- Qualified electronic signature
- An advanced signature created with a qualified device and based on a qualified certificate. It is the only one the Regulation gives, by itself, the legal effect of a handwritten signature.
- Timestamp
- Proof that data existed at a given moment. When qualified, the law presumes the accuracy of the date and the integrity of the document.
- Signature evidence
- The data surrounding the act: prior identification, device, IP address, time, the exact document signed. It is what makes a signature defensible against challenge.
- Qualified trust service provider
- A supervised entity on the national trusted list, authorised to issue qualified certificates and seals.
Frequently asked questions
What people ask us before getting started
Is it valid in court?
It's an advanced electronic signature under the eIDAS regulation, with an evidence dossier that supports the burden of proof.
Is there a limit on signatures?
It's contracted by annual volume; there's no per-user cost for external signers.
Can I sign several documents at once?
Yes, in bulk, with several signers in whatever order you define.
What is the difference between simple, advanced and qualified?
A simple signature is any electronic data used to sign. An advanced one is uniquely linked to the signatory and detects any later change to the document. A qualified one is an advanced signature created with a qualified device and certificate, and is the only one art. 25.2 of eIDAS gives the effect of a handwritten signature.
Is an advanced signature legally valid?
Yes. Art. 25.1 of eIDAS forbids denying legal effect to an electronic signature merely because it is electronic. What varies between levels is not validity but where the burden of proof falls if it is challenged.
Which level do employment documents need?
In practice an advanced signature with good evidence covers most cases: policy acknowledgements, contract addenda, work reports. Qualified is reserved for acts with specific formal requirements or where the counterparty insists.
What is a timestamp and why does it matter?
It is proof that data existed at a given moment. When qualified, art. 41.2 of eIDAS establishes a presumption that the date and time are accurate and the document intact.
What changes with eIDAS 2?
Regulation (EU) 2024/1183, in force since May 2024, keeps the three levels and adds the European Digital Identity Wallet, which over time will simplify prior identification of signatories in cross-border transactions.
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Sources
Where each figure comes from
References to the official text in force. If a standard is revised, this page is updated and the review date says so.
- Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 (eIDAS), arts. 25, 26 and 41 EUR-Lex · 23 July 2014
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1183 amending eIDAS (European Digital Identity Wallet) EUR-Lex · 11 April 2024
- Law 6/2020 regulating certain aspects of electronic trust services BOE-A-2020-14046 · 12 November 2020
Advanced eIDAS electronic signature built into management
Kimobox includes an advanced electronic signature under the eIDAS regulation, with signer identification, timestamping, biometric capture on a tablet, and remote signing by email or SMS with a one-time code.
Every signature generates an evidence dossier with document hashes, IP addresses, timestamps and process traceability, applicable to employment contracts, delivery notes, client sign-offs, quality approvals and data protection consents.