What distinguishes QES from a regular signature — and what it means for your processes

By 2025, the qualified electronic signature (QES) has become a common practice for businesses, government agencies, and even individual employees. However, many still confuse it with a ‘scanned signature,’ ‘approval in a messenger,’ or ‘clicking a button in a system.’

The IQusion team explains the fundamental difference between QES and other forms of ‘electronic approval’ — and why QES guarantees legal validity, security, and automation in your processes.

🔐 What is QES?

Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) is a digital signature created using a secure medium (token, cloud, or smart card) and a certificate from an accredited certification authority (ACA).

📌 It is the equivalent of a handwritten signature in a legal sense, according to the Law of Ukraine «On Electronic Trust Services».

QES ensures:

• signer identification;
• document integrity (cannot be changed after signing);
• timestamp;
• proof of legal significance during audit or court proceedings.

📄 And what is a ‘regular electronic signature’?

In everyday use, ‘electronic signature’ often refers to:

• a scanned signature inserted into a PDF or Word document;
• clicking the ‘Approve’ button in a system;
• agreement in correspondence, messenger, etc.

⚠️ These actions have no legal force without additional evidence. In case of conflict or inspection, such documents may be deemed invalid.

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🔍 Key Differences Between QES and ‘Pseudo-Signature’

Criterion	QES	Regular signature / scan / button
Legal Validity	✅ Full, according to legislation	❌ Absent or questionable
Identity Verification	✅ Confirmed by ACA certificate	❌ Absent
Document Integrity	✅ Cannot be changed after signing	❌ File can be changed without a noticeable trace
Timestamp	✅ Recorded in the certificate	❌ Absent or unreliable
Acceptance in court/during inspection	✅ Accepted as evidence	❌ Requires additional confirmation

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⚙️ What Does This Mean for Your Processes?

• Approval of contracts, acts, orders — only QES allows avoiding printing and manual signatures.
• Automation — the system can verify the signature, automatically set statuses, and save an action log.
• Savings — no need for printing, scanning, or delivering documents.
• Transparency and accountability — it is clearly visible who signed the document and when.

Platforms like Scriptum, implemented by IQusion, already support full-fledged work with QES, including cloud signatures, OTP identification, and integration with Ukrainian ACAs.

IQusion: Implementing EDMS with QES Correctly

We help to:

• set up QES processes in internal document management;
• integrate the signature with your platforms;
• ensure the preservation and control over all approval stages;
• train employees to use the signature securely.

QES is not complicated. With us, it works simply, quickly, and reliably. Only QES guarantees that your document is valid, secure, and legally significant. Don’t risk important files — contact IQusion, and we will set up your processes turnkey.