QES - Qualified E - Signature: What it is and how to get it

Read LetsGoSign’s guide on qualified electronic signatures: what they are, how they are obtained and how they guarantee the integrity and authenticity of documents.

What is a qualified electronic
signature and how it is obtained

Full potential of digital signature

The qualified electronic signature (QES) is the tool that allows the digitization of the signing of paper documents through the use of an IT procedure and a QES certificate. Also known as a digital signature, the QES guarantees the highest level of security: it ensures the integrity, authenticity and non-repudiation of signed documents.

Simplicity and full legal value

This instrument therefore gives full legal value to IT documents and is therefore the safest and most efficient solution for signing high-risk deeds, contracts and agreements.

Speed and efficiency for citizen and companies

Citizens, employees and administrators of companies and public administrations can equip themselves with a qualified electronic signature to sign a multitude of contracts. Examples are real estate and banking contracts, financing agreements with customers and documents related to the onboarding process.

How QES works?

Regulatory compliance provided by InfoCert

This type of electronic signature is based on a QES certificate, issued by a qualified provider following the completion of a recognition process that allows the identity of the signatory to be proven. It is based on an asymmetric key cryptography system, a technology that uses two types of code: a private key made available to the owner and a public key, which allows it to be decrypted. The document signed in this way has the legal value of a handwritten signature and a much higher level of security: it is impossible to forge it and very difficult to steal it from its legitimate owner.

Most innovative and sustainable solution on the market

Physical devices are available on the market that enable the use of the QES certificate provided by the provider for the management of signature processes valid throughout Europe. Examples are Smart Cards to be connected to the computer, devices designed for fixed locations that resemble a credit card, and USB sticks that allow documents to be signed without the need to install programs. The service offered by Let’s GoSign makes it possible to subscribe to documents in just a few clicks: simply choose one of the proposed plans, activate the plan using a dedicated application and perform biometric verification of the holder’s identity, which guarantees a passwordless experience.

How to obtain a qualified electronic signature

To obtain a qualified e-signature, simply contact one of the eIDAS qualified trust service providers to purchase a QES certificate, choosing the solution that best suits your needs. Next, you will have to perform identity recognition, the process by which the Trust Service Provider (TSP) verifies and certifies the applicant’s data. The applicant will then have to complete the recognition process foreseen by the chosen provider: an example is InfoCert’s eDoc ID, the automatic identification method that allows one to prove one’s identity autonomously, using an electronic identity document and NFC technology. Once you have obtained your qualified electronic signature, you can use it to sign any type of document quickly and easily, improving workflows and reducing paper and ink waste.