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Signing

Qualified signatures (QES)

How qualified electronic signatures work in fynk, which providers are available and what signatories need to do.

Written By Sebastian

Last updated About 13 hours ago

A qualified electronic signature (QES) has the same legal effect as a handwritten signature in the EU. For a QES, each signatory verifies their identity with a qualified trust service provider that fynk connects to.

Available on all plans. Qualified signatures are included under fair use. [CHECK: all plans incl. Free, or paid plans only?]

Send a document for qualified signature

  1. Prepare the document as usual: parties, signatories and signature blocks.

  2. Click Start signing and choose Qualified (QES).

  3. Check the signing order. With QES, signatories always sign one after another.

  4. Click Start signing again.

What signatories do

  1. Open the signing link from the email.

  2. Choose their country and a QES provider from the list.

  3. They're redirected to the provider and verify their identity there, for example with an ID app, a mobile ID or a video identification.

  4. After verification, they return to fynk and the signature is applied.

The first verification with a provider takes a few minutes. Signatories who are already registered with a provider sign in seconds.

Available providers

fynk connects to more than 30 qualified signature methods across Europe and beyond. Signatories see the methods available for their country. The full, current list is on the signature methods page. The most common ones:

MethodCountriesHow the signatory verifies
Adacom232 countriesNo account needed beforehand
ZealiD26 European countriesMobile app with photo ID
D-Trust sign-meGermany and 51 other countriessign-me account
ID AustriaAustriaBrowser, with ID Austria
Swisscom Mobile IDSwitzerlandMobile ID account
itsme23 European countriesBrowser, with the itsme app
InfoCert104 countriesInfoCert account
Evrotrust57 countriesEvrotrust account
National ID cards and mobile IDsfor example Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal, Czechia, CroatiaID card, mobile ID or app
Certificate on Device181 countriesA qualified certificate installed on the signatory's device

Some providers charge signatories for their identity verification. These costs are billed by the provider, not by fynk.

Good to know

  • QES signatures can't be pre-signed in templates.

  • The signing order is mandatory with QES and can't be switched off.

  • QES signature blocks can't be placed side by side in columns. [CHECK]

  • If a provider reports "Expired signature found" on an uploaded PDF, flatten the PDF first (fynk offers this on upload), then place the QES block.

  • For a QES, the trust service provider issues a qualified certificate for the signatory.

  • A PDF that already has a qualified signature can't be counter-signed in fynk without losing it. Flattening removes existing signatures, and a simple signature added after a QES invalidates the QES. Store such a PDF with Import without signing.

Troubleshooting

The provider shows an error? The signatory's verification with the provider isn't complete, or they used a different mobile number than the one they registered with. The signatory needs to resolve this with the provider, or choose another provider.

No suitable method for the signatory's country? Ask them to use a method that works internationally, such as Adacom (no prior account needed) or ZealiD, or use an advanced signature if the document doesn't legally require a QES.

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