Handwritten signature

A handwritten signature is the graphic trace affixed by hand by a person at the bottom of a paper document, recognisable by their personal style. It remains the historical reference in French civil law. The eIDAS regulation establishes the principle of non-discrimination: an electronic signature, whatever its level, cannot be refused as evidence solely because it is electronic. A qualified signature (QES) has the same evidentiary value as a handwritten signature across the entire EU. Advanced signatures (AES) often provide superior traceability (timestamped audit trail) compared to their paper equivalent.