eIDAS 2 and electronic signatures: what changes, what stays
eIDAS 2 keeps the three signature levels and their legal effect, adds wallet signing and new trust services. What it means for contracts and signers.
eIDAS 2, Regulation (EU) 2024/1183, amends the eIDAS Regulation of 2014. Most attention goes to the EU Digital Identity Wallet, but the changes also matter for anyone who signs contracts electronically.
What stays the same
- Three levels of electronic signature: simple, advanced and qualified. The definitions did not change.
- Legal effect: an electronic signature may not be refused as evidence in court just because it is electronic, and a qualified electronic signature has the same legal effect as a handwritten signature in every Member State.
- National form rules: whether a contract needs a particular form, such as writing, a qualified signature or a notary, is still decided by national law.
What is new
- Signing with the wallet: the EU Digital Identity Wallet must let people sign with a qualified electronic signature. For natural persons, qualified signatures for non-professional purposes must be free of charge, although Member States may set proportionate limits.
- Remote qualified signatures: the regulation now sets out how qualified trust service providers manage qualified signature creation devices on behalf of the signer, the basis of signing in the cloud.
- New trust services: electronic attestations of attributes (for example a qualification or a power to represent a company), electronic archiving and electronic ledgers.
- Wallets for businesses: relying parties register with their Member State and state what data they request, which makes it clearer who is asking for what.
What it means in practice
For most everyday documents, such as NDAs, quotes, purchase orders and many HR documents, an advanced electronic signature remains a sound choice. A qualified signature is needed where the law or the other party asks for the written form or a qualified signature explicitly. As wallets become available from December 2026, more people will be able to create a qualified signature without buying a separate certificate.
Which level fits which document, with notes for six countries: Which signature do I need?
Sources
- Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 (eIDAS), as amended
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1183 (eIDAS 2)
- European Commission: eIDAS Regulation
For information only, not legal advice. Last updated 19 October 2026.
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