eIDAS e-signature legal value

Legal value of the iFillPDF e-signature

iFillPDF uses electronic signatures compliant with EU eIDAS Regulation (910/2014). Three signature levels are recognised — Simple (SES), Advanced (AES) and Qualified (QES) — all admissible as evidence in court (eIDAS Article 25), with probative value increasing per level. eIDAS 2.0 and the EU Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI Wallet) — which every EU Member State must roll out by 31 December 2026 — extend cross-border interoperability further; in the UK, the ICO updated its eIDAS guidance in February 2026 following the Data Use and Access Act 2025.

Signature level

Free: "simple" signature (sufficient for most everyday use).

Start and Pro: "advanced eIDAS" signature with qualified timestamp + certificate.

Legal admissibility

EU Regulation 910/2014 (eIDAS): an electronic signature has the same probative force as a handwritten signature, provided it is reliable.

The advanced eIDAS signature meets the 4 conditions of the regulation: signer identification, document integrity, exclusive control, link to the document.

Cross-border equivalence: recognised in the UK (Electronic Communications Act 2000), the US (E-SIGN Act and UETA), Canada (PIPEDA), Australia (ETA 1999).

Audit trail

Each signature comes with a PDF + JSON audit trail: who signed (verified email, IP, user-agent), when (RFC 3161 timestamp by qualified third party), which document (SHA-256 hash). Admissible as written evidence before any civil or commercial court in the EU.

Retention: 10 years (standard limitation period under most EU jurisdictions) — exportable at any time from Workspace > Documents > "Download evidence".

Sign a document now

To sign or have a PDF signed with eIDAS legal value, use the iFillPDF e-signature tool: import the document, place the signature zones, send the magic link to the signer.

Production-tested cases: real estate offers, employment contracts, NDAs, internship agreements, SEPA mandates.