Legally valid across the European Union
Electronic signatures via BuiltSign are legally valid in all EU member states thanks to the eIDAS Regulation and supporting national legislation.
The foundation: eIDAS Regulation (EU 910/2014)
eIDAS is the European regulation that gives electronic signatures legal force in all 27 EU member states. It applies directly — no national implementation required.
Simple Electronic Signature (SES)
Minimal requirements — e.g. a scanned signature image or clicking 'I agree'.
Advanced Electronic Signature (AES)
Uniquely linked to the signer, capable of identifying the signer, created using data solely under the signer's control.
BuiltSign levelAdvanced Electronic Signature (AES)
BuiltSign uniquely links every signature to the signer's email address, timestamp, and IP address, recorded in an immutable audit trail.
Recognised by national law
eIDAS takes precedence over national law. But national laws confirm and reinforce it.
Civil Code art. 3:15a
Electronic signatures carry the same legal force as written ones, provided eIDAS requirements are met.
Law of 21 July 2016
Fully implements eIDAS into Belgian law. AES signatures are legally recognised.
Vertrauensdienstegesetz (VDG)
The German eIDAS implementation act recognises AES signatures as legally valid for most documents.
Evidential value in court
In a dispute, it is not enough that someone signed — you need to prove it. BuiltSign records this automatically.
Email address verified
The signer opened the unique link sent to their email address. Recorded with a timestamp.
IP address logged
The IP address at the time of signing is recorded and included in the certificate.
Timestamp
Exact date and time of every action, including opening the document and placing the signature.
Identity verification (optional)
With ID verification enabled: government ID and selfie automatically matched to the signer. The strongest form of evidence in a dispute.
When do you actually need a notary?
BuiltSign covers the vast majority of business documents. But for certain legal acts, a notarial deed is required by law:
- Wills and inheritance
- Transfer of real estate (notarial deed)
- Articles of incorporation (LLC/Ltd)
- Mortgage deed
For everything else — employment contracts, NDAs, tenancy agreements, service agreements, purchase contracts — an AES signature via BuiltSign is fully legally valid.
Common legal questions
- Yes. Thanks to eIDAS, a BuiltSign signature is legally valid in all 27 EU member states, including Belgium and Germany.
- The audit trail shows exactly when, from which IP address, and via which email address the signature was placed. With identity verification there is also a verified ID document. This makes disputes virtually impossible.
- An electronic signature has no expiry date in principle. As long as the audit trail and certificate are preserved, the signature remains provably valid.
- Yes, absolutely. Employment contracts are not among the exceptions and can be fully and legally signed digitally via BuiltSign.
- The audit trail records every action: who opened the link, from which IP address, at what time, and when the signature was placed. With identity verification enabled, it also contains a verified match between the signer's government ID and selfie.