Is a signature with an ID check an advanced electronic signature?

BuiltSign calls this SES+: a simple electronic signature with a strong identity check. The evidential value is higher than with an ordinary SES, but the formal eIDAS classification remains simple.

How long does the ID check take?

Usually under 90 seconds. The signer only needs a device with a camera.

What does an ID check cost?

Business, Business Plus and Enterprise include checks. Beyond that you pay per check. See pricing.

How do you verify the identity of someone who signs online?

Updated September 29, 2026

Short answer

With an ordinary electronic signature you record that the signer had access to an email address and, with an SMS code, to a phone number. If you also want to establish who it is, you have the ID document and a selfie checked. In BuiltSign that's called SES+: the signer only sees the document once that check is approved.

Two levels: SES and SES+

SES (email and SMS code). The signer gets a personal link by email and confirms with a one-time SMS code right before signing. A simple electronic signature under eIDAS, appropriate for many business documents.
SES+ (plus ID check with selfie). Everything in SES, plus a check of the ID document and a selfie. For documents where identity really matters, such as employment contracts, rental agreements or financial agreements.

How the ID check works

The signer opens the link. The document stays closed for now.
They photograph their passport, ID card, driving licence or residence permit with the camera of their phone or computer. No app needed.
They take a short selfie. A liveness check confirms a real person is in front of the camera, and the face is compared with the portrait photo.
The name on the ID document is compared with the signer's name. Only when everything is approved does the document open.

What is checked?

An automated check looks at, among other things:

the machine-readable code and the document number on the ID document;
whether the document has expired (then it's rejected);
whether it's a photo of a screen, a printed copy or a replaced portrait photo;
whether the selfie is of a real person and matches the portrait;
whether the name matches the signer.

What if the check is in doubt?

There are three outcomes. If everything checks out, the signer continues. If it's clearly wrong, the attempt is rejected and the signer can try twice more. If the check is in doubt, for example because the name differs, the document stays closed until you, the sender, decide. Doubt is never approved automatically.

Does this work with foreign ID documents?

Yes. The check accepts passports, ID cards, driving licences and residence permits from 237 countries and territories. Useful for international employees, tenants or clients.

Who sees the photos?

Nobody. The photo of the ID document and the selfie are not in the document or the certificate. They're kept for 10 years by the verification partner, so they can be requested in a dispute, and deleted afterwards. The audit certificate contains the result: the name check, the type of ID document and whether the face matches. See also how to check a signing.

When should you choose SES+?

Choose SES+ when you may later need to show who the signer is, not just that someone had access to a mailbox and phone. For example with employment contracts, rental agreements and agreements involving money. For quotes and order confirmations SES is usually enough. Read more about the legal side on legal validity, and how it works in BuiltSign on identity verification.

Frequently asked questions

: BuiltSign calls this SES+: a simple electronic signature with a strong identity check. The evidential value is higher than with an ordinary SES, but the formal eIDAS classification remains simple.
: Usually under 90 seconds. The signer only needs a device with a camera.
: Business, Business Plus and Enterprise include checks. Beyond that you pay per check. See pricing.