What if I am signing outside the EU or Switzerland?
According to EU law, it's permitted to get verified online to sign documents with the qualified electronic signature (QES) in the EU. This means you can also verify your identity online if you’re located outside the EU or Switzerland.
Identity verification for QES according to both EU and Swiss law enables you to sign in a legally valid way worldwide. The qualified electronic signature has a higher legal weight than a handwritten signature on paper. Generally, it’s also acknowledged by courts in countries where it’s not embodied in the law or at least not in the exact same form. The effort to prove that the signature actually comes from the person indicated is significantly lower than with a handwritten signature on paper.
Some companies and authorities explicitly require the qualified electronic signature regulated by the law of a particular country. If this is not the QES as defined by the EU law, the identification required by EU law might not be sufficient to sign with QES. We recommend that you consult legal advice for your specific case.