Getting familiar with e-signatures
In the wake of digital transformation, sending electronic documents online has become common practice. Often, these documents require signatures as a showcase of the agreement. This is achieved with the help of electronic signatures. They provide an efficient way to sign documents online, reducing paperwork and enabling more streamlined transactions.
In addition to easing the process, e-signatures also help protect your documents with their
enhanced security and authentication techniques. They outweigh handwritten signatures in
various aspects, with security being the most significant. As a result, e-signatures are gaining
popularity with businesses worldwide, helping them meet their objectives efficiently.
E-signatures at the heart of modern Belgian businesses
Belgium is moving fast on the digital highway, and businesses are finding smarter ways to keep up. Electronic signatures are no longer just a convenience, they're becoming the heartbeat of smooth, secure, and compliant transactions, thanks to the eIDAS Regulation, which sets the gold standard for digital agreements across the EU.
E-signatures are a way to reclaim time, boost efficiency, and make every agreement a seamless experience. Faster approvals, secure contracts, and organised workflows mean teams can
focus less on paperwork and more on what really matters: growing the business and delighting customers.
Zoho Sign, a trusted digital signature solution, is designed to make signing documents in Belgium easier. With its intuitive interface and powerful features, Zoho Sign offers Belgian organisations a range of advantages, including:
- Faster turnaround
- Enhanced efficiency
- Strong authentication
- Advanced security
- Remote access
- Seamless user experience
- Budget-friendly solution
Belgium's top industries go paperless with e-signatures
Legal framework for Electronic Signatures in Belgium
Belgium follows the EU eIDAS Regulation (EU Regulation No 910/2014), which
provides a standardised legal framework for electronic identification and trust services across the European Union. This regulation ensures that electronic signatures are recognised as legally valid and enforceable across all EU member states, including Belgium.
Types of Electronic Signatures
1. Electronic Signature
An Electronic Signature is any data in electronic form that is attached to or logically associated with other electronic data, used by the signer to sign a document.
2. Advanced Electronic Signature (AES)
An Advanced Electronic Signature provides a higher level of security and legal
validity. To qualify as an AES, it must:
- Be uniquely linked to the signer.
- Identify the signer.
- Be created using signature creation data controlled solely by the signer with high confidence.
- Detect any changes made to the signed data after signing.
3. Qualified Electronic Signature (QES)
A Qualified Electronic Signature is a type of Advanced Electronic Signature created using a qualified signature creation device and based on a qualified certificate issued by a trusted provider.
A Qualified Electronic Signature can only be validated by a Qualified Trust Service Provider (QTSP). The validation service must comply with the eIDAS, provide results that are both automatic and reliable, and carry the provider's advanced Electronic Signature or Seal to guarantee trust.
The eIDAS also specifies that only a QTSP can offer a qualified long-term preservation service for QES. Such services must employ technologies and procedures that maintain the signature's trustworthiness well beyond its standard validity period.
How Electronic Signatures are
recognised in Belgium
Under Belgian law, an Electronic Signature cannot be denied legal effect or rejected as evidence solely because it is in electronic form or does not meet the requirements of a Qualified Electronic Signature.
- A Qualified Electronic Signature carries the same legal weight as a handwritten signature.
- If a QES is based on a qualified certificate issued in one EU Member State, it must be recognised as valid across all other Member States.
Exceptions to E-Signature use in Belgium
Belgium's Code of Economic Law restricts the use of Electronic Signatures for certain contracts. In these cases, Electronic Signatures cannot replace formal written or
notarial requirements:
Real estate transfers:
Contracts that create or transfer rights in immovable property (except rental agreements).
Contracts requiring public authority involvement:
Situations where courts, public authorities, or officials with public authority (e.g., notaries) must intervene.
Certain guarantees or security contracts:
Agreements provided by a person acting outside their professional or commercial activity (e.g., a private individual acting as guarantor)
Family and inheritance matters:
Contracts or documents under family law (e.g., marriage, adoption) or inheritance law (e.g., wills)
Digital Signature Certificate
A Certificate for Electronic Signature is a digital document that links an Electronic Signature to a specific individual and verifies at least their name or chosen pseudonym.
A Qualified Certificate for Electronic Signature is issued by a trusted provider and meets the standards set out in Annex I of eIDAS, providing a higher level of assurance for Electronic Signatures.
Trust Service Provider
A Trust Service Provider is any individual or organisation that offers one or more trust services, which can be either qualified or non-qualified.
A Qualified Trust Service Provider is a provider that delivers one or more qualified trust services and has been officially recognised as qualified by the relevant supervisory authority.
Recognition of Foreign Digital Certificates
According to recital 54 of eIDAS, Qualified Electronic Signatures can be recognised across EU borders as long as their certificates comply with the core rules of the eIDAS Regulation. Individual countries may include extra details, such as unique identifiers, but only if these additions don't interfere with cross-border use or recognition.
Electronic Seal
An Electronic Seal is electronic data attached to, or associated with, other electronic data to guarantee its origin and integrity.
An Advanced Electronic Seal meets specific criteria under eIDAS. It must:
- Be uniquely linked to its creator
- Clearly identify the creator
- Be created using data that only the creator controls with high confidence
- Detect any changes made to the sealed data
A Qualified Electronic Seal is an Advanced Electronic Seal created using a qualified electronic seal creation device and based on a qualified certificate for Electronic Seals.
Legal effect
An Electronic Seal cannot be dismissed as evidence just because it is in electronic form or does not qualify as "qualified." A Qualified Electronic Seal is assumed to ensure the authenticity and integrity of the associated data. If issued with a qualified certificate in one EU Member State, it must be recognised as valid across all Member States.
Electronic Timestamp
An Electronic Timestamp is data in electronic form that links other electronic data to a specific point in time, providing proof that the data existed at that moment.
A Qualified Electronic Timestamp meets the standards set out in Article 42 of eIDAS.
- Securely bind the date and time to the data, preventing undetectable alterations
- Use an accurate time source connected to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)
- Be signed with an Advanced Electronic Signature or sealed with an Advanced Electronic Seal from a qualified trust service provider, or use an equivalent method.
Legal effect
An Electronic Timestamp cannot be rejected in legal proceedings just because it is electronic or does not meet the criteria for a Qualified Timestamp. A Qualified Electronic Timestamp is assumed to provide an accurate date and time and maintain the integrity of the linked data. If issued in one EU Member State, it must be recognised as valid across all other Member States.
Establishing legal confidence in Belgium's digital agreements with Zoho Sign
Identification and reliability:
Zoho Sign employs strong authentication techniques, such as OTP authentication and PKI-based digital signatures using digital certificates, to ensure that the e-signature is uniquely identifiable.
Control over the data being signed:
Only the signatory is allowed to review the document before signing and reject the document if necessary.
Detectable alterations:
Zoho Sign ensures any alterations to the electronic signature or the document to which the signature is affixed are detectable through an elaborate audit trail of occurrence of all activities during the signing process. This audit trail comprises critical information such as the identity of the signatory, the timestamp of the signature, and changes made to the document.
Detectable alterations:
Zoho Sign ensures that any alterations to the electronic signature or the document to which the signature is affixed are detectable through an elaborate audit trail of all activities during the signing process. This audit trail comprises critical information, such as the identity of the signatory, the timestamp of the signature, and changes made to the document.
Enhanced security:
Zoho Sign employs robust encryption protocols, such as the military-grade AES-256 encryption at rest and the TLS/SSL protocol in transit, to ensure that the data transmission between the signing platform and the data being signed is secure. This prevents exposure of documents and data from data breaches.
Audit trails:
Audit trails provide a comprehensive itemized record of every action taken on a document, ensuring full transparency and accountability throughout the signing process. This detailed log enhances security and serves as legal evidence in case of disputes, making it a vital tool for businesses to maintain compliance and trust in their digital transactions.
Document Timestamping:
Zoho Sign offers document timestamping or Qualified Electronic Seals through its partnership with Uanataca, a QTSP recognized in the EU. This helps validate the authenticity of a digital signature and aids in verifying that the signed document existed in the given form at the time of signing and remains unaltered.
Qualified Electronic Signatures via itsme
itsme is a trusted digital identity solution widely used in Belgium. It allows individuals to securely identify themselves online, authenticate transactions, and digitally sign documents with legal validity.
For Zoho Sign users in Belgium, integrating with itsme allows them to:
- Quickly and securely verify their identity before signing.
- Use eIDAS-compliant Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES) that are legally valid across the EU.
- Ensure every signed document is secure, traceable, and tamper-evident.
To learn more, visit our Zoho Sign + itsme help documentation.
Key takeaway
Business in Belgium is moving fast, and paperwork shouldn't hold you back. Zoho Sign helps companies go fully digital, ensuring every agreement is legally valid, secure, and easy to track. With eIDAS-compliant signatures, teams can finalise contracts confidently, stay audit-ready, focus on growing the business, and keep up in a world that never stops.
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Disclaimer
The information provided in this document is for general informational purposes only and shall not be construed as legal, regulatory, or any other form of professional advice. Zoho Sign disclaims any liability for any error in the information provided herein. We recommend that you consult your legal counsel for any questions that you may have in this regard.