Can you sign a document with the European wallet?

Yes. The European digital identity wallet will be able to embed a qualified electronic signature certificate, allowing you to sign directly from your smartphone with the highest legal value recognized by eIDAS.

What is the legal value of a signature via the wallet?

A qualified electronic signature (QES) has legal effect equivalent to that of a handwritten signature throughout the European Union. It also benefits from automatic cross-border recognition.

Is signing with the wallet chargeable?

For natural persons, the regulation provides for the possibility of creating qualified signatures via the wallet at no cost for non-professional use. Professional uses may be subject to dedicated offerings.

Must we wait for the wallet to sign in QES?

No. Qualified electronic signature already exists under eIDAS and is offered by trusted service providers such as Certyneo. The wallet will generalize access to the general public as it is deployed.

What is the difference with a simple or advanced signature?

Simple signature and advanced signature offer increasing levels of assurance. Only qualified signature (QES) is legally equivalent to handwritten signature; it is the one the wallet will make accessible.

Guide · eIDAS 2.0

Sign with the European digital identity wallet (QES)

The European digital identity wallet will be able to carry a qualified electronic signature certificate: everyone will thus be able to sign, from their smartphone, with the highest level of legal value recognized in the Union.

Updated on 31 July 2026

eIDAS 2.0 regulatory framework

Regulation (EU) 2024/1183 provides that the European digital identity wallet enable its holder to create qualified electronic signatures (QES). Under eIDAS, qualified signature is the only one to benefit from a legal effect equivalent to that of a handwritten signature.

To move from theory to practice, discover the Certyneo electronic signature solution and its offer dedicated to your sector — eIDAS compliant, no installation required.

QES is based on a qualified certificate and a qualified signature creation device; the wallet facilitates access to these means for the general public.
For natural persons using the wallet, the creation of qualified signatures is provided free of charge for non-professional use.
A qualified signature issued in one Member State is recognized as such in all others, ensuring the cross-border validity of signed documents.
The verified identity of the signer, carried by the wallet, strengthens the reliability of the link between the signer and their signature.

Affected components

The qualified electronic signature certificate associated with the holder.

The qualified signature creation device (QSCD), if necessary hosted on the server side.

The verified identity (PID) confirming who is signing.

The document to be signed and its fingerprint (hash) sealed by the signature.

The qualified timestamp attesting to the date of signature.

The audit trail and signature file are kept for evidentiary value.

Steps

1
Authentication via the wallet
The signer authenticates strongly in their wallet and selects the document to sign transmitted by the platform.
2
Confirmation of intent to sign
The wallet presents the content and collects explicit consent from the signer using their authentication method.
3
Creation of the qualified signature
The qualified certificate and creation device generate the signature, sealed on the document's fingerprint and timestamped.
4
Verification and archiving
The platform verifies the validity of the QES and archives the signed document with its audit trail of evidentiary value.

Frequently asked questions

Can you sign a document with the European wallet?: Yes. The European digital identity wallet will be able to embed a qualified electronic signature certificate, allowing you to sign directly from your smartphone with the highest legal value recognized by eIDAS.
What is the legal value of a signature via the wallet?: A qualified electronic signature (QES) has legal effect equivalent to that of a handwritten signature throughout the European Union. It also benefits from automatic cross-border recognition.
Is signing with the wallet chargeable?: For natural persons, the regulation provides for the possibility of creating qualified signatures via the wallet at no cost for non-professional use. Professional uses may be subject to dedicated offerings.
Must we wait for the wallet to sign in QES?: No. Qualified electronic signature already exists under eIDAS and is offered by trusted service providers such as Certyneo. The wallet will generalize access to the general public as it is deployed.
What is the difference with a simple or advanced signature?: Simple signature and advanced signature offer increasing levels of assurance. Only qualified signature (QES) is legally equivalent to handwritten signature; it is the one the wallet will make accessible.

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