Qualified Electronic Signature for Indian Businesses Signing with EU Clients
The eIDAS Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) is the highest legal level of electronic signature in the European Union — legally equivalent to a wet signature in all 27 EU Member States. For Indian businesses signing with European clients, it is the only signature level your EU procurement and legal teams will accept without exception.
Why your EU customer is asking for QES
Three patterns we see repeatedly across India-EU contracts in 2026:
SaaS contracts above €50,000
EU procurement templates increasingly default to QES for vendor master agreements at this threshold.
Data Processing Agreement renewals
Post-GDPR, EU customers require QES on DPAs to satisfy their own internal audit trail.
M&A side letters and representations
Acquirers' counsel insist on QES across all closing documents to simplify enforcement.
What makes a signature 'qualified' under eIDAS
Three technical requirements separate a QES from any other electronic signature:
Qualified Signature Creation Device (QSCD)
The cryptographic operation is performed on hardware certified to Common Criteria EAL4+ — typically a hardware security module operated by the QTSP.
Face-to-face or notified eIDV identity proofing
The signer's identity is verified against an official identity document (passport for non-EU signers) with a live biometric check.
ETSI EN 319 series audit trail
Every signature event is recorded in a tamper-evident audit trail compliant with the technical standard accepted by EU courts.
Certyneo: QES designed for cross-border contracts
Certyneo is a French Qualified Trust Service Provider listed on the EU Trust List. We have built our QES flow specifically for cross-border use cases, including Indian businesses signing with European clients.
Pay-per-use pricing — €9.90 per QES signature
No subscription, no minimums, no annual commitment. You only pay for the signatures you actually need.
EU data residency in Frankfurt and Paris
Your contract data never leaves the EU, satisfying GDPR requirements and your EU client's data-protection clauses.
Mobile identity proofing from any Indian state
The signer scans their Indian passport, completes a live selfie, and confirms with OTP. The entire flow takes 4-7 minutes the first time, and is instant for every subsequent signature.
Audit trail accepted in 27 EU courts
Our audit trail is compliant with ETSI EN 319 122-1 and 319 142-1 — the technical standards accepted across all EU jurisdictions.
Invoice in INR via Wise or Razorpay
We accept GST-compliant invoicing in Indian Rupees, with monthly billing aligned to your fiscal year.
How it works for an Indian signer
1. Receive the signing link
Your EU counterpart sends you a Certyneo signing link by email. No account creation required.
2. Scan your Indian passport
Using your smartphone, scan the machine-readable zone of your Indian passport. The data is verified against international document standards.
3. Live selfie + OTP
A short live selfie matches you to the passport photo. An OTP confirms ownership of your phone number.
4. Sign — instantly from now on
Your QES certificate is bound to your identity. Every subsequent signature with any Certyneo customer takes one tap.
Pricing for Indian businesses
QES is billed €9.90 per signature, on top of your Certyneo subscription. No setup fees, no minimums.
| QES signatures / month | Monthly cost (EUR) | Monthly cost (INR approx) | Typical use case |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-5 signatures | €9.90 - €49.50 | ₹900 - ₹4,500 | Indian SaaS signing one or two EU DPAs per month |
| 10-20 signatures | €99 - €198 | ₹9,000 - ₹18,000 | IT services firm with multiple active EU client engagements |
| 50+ signatures | €495+ | ₹45,000+ | Export-heavy manufacturer or pharma with continuous EU contracting |
All prices in EUR are exclusive of VAT. INR equivalent is indicative — exchange rate at invoice date applies.
Frequently asked questions
Will my EU customer accept a Certyneo QES?
Yes. Certyneo is a French Qualified Trust Service Provider listed on the official EU Trust List. Our QES is automatically recognised by all 27 EU Member States under Article 25 of the eIDAS Regulation.
What if I need to sign 100 contracts per month?
Our pay-per-use pricing scales linearly: 100 signatures = €990/month. We do not require an annual commitment or volume minimum. For larger volumes, talk to our sales team for a custom quote.
Is GST applicable on Certyneo invoices?
Certyneo invoices are issued from France with reverse-charge VAT treatment for B2B Indian customers. Indian GST is handled on your side per applicable rules — we provide GST-compliant invoice formatting on request.
Can I use my Aadhaar instead of my passport for the identity proofing?
No. eIDAS rules require an identity document recognised by the QTSP's identity-proofing scheme. Indian passport is the supported document for India-based signers. Aadhaar is not on the eIDAS list.
How long does my QES certificate stay valid?
Your QES certificate is valid for 12 months and renews automatically with a quick re-verification step (typically under 1 minute) before each renewal cycle.
Can my whole team sign with QES?
Yes. Each signer onboards individually with their own Indian passport — the QES is a personal certificate, not a corporate one. Your role and company are recorded in the audit trail of every signature.
Ready to unblock your next EU contract?
Set up your Certyneo account in 5 minutes. Onboard your first signer in 7 minutes. Sign your first QES — €9.90, no commitment, no card required to start.
Note: Aadhaar is not accepted for eIDAS identity proofing. Indian passport is the supported document for first-time signers.