When to use an advanced and when a qualified electronic signature?

The most common mistake is dealing with the electronic signature only at the end

Electronic signing of documents is often dealt with only at the moment when the document is finished and needs to be “somehow signed”. In practice, however, this is too late. You should choose the right type of electronic signature before you send the document to a client, business partner, employee or authority.

The reason is simple: an electronic signature is not just a digital version of a pen. In reality, there are several levels of electronic signature, and each brings a different degree of legal certainty, technical security and evidentiary value.

For an ordinary document, an advanced electronic signature may be a practical choice. For more legally sensitive documents, communication with public administration or actions where the highest level of certainty is required, a qualified electronic signature may be necessary.

The most common mistake, therefore, is not that companies use an electronic signature. The mistake arises when they use the same type of signature for everything.

Why it is not enough to say: “Let’s sign it electronically”

Many users perceive an electronic signature as one universal function. A document is uploaded to the system, sent for signature and stored after signing. From the user’s perspective, this may look simple, but from a legal and process perspective, several questions are important:

• Can you prove who signed the document?
• Can you prove exactly what they signed?
• Can you prove that the document was not changed after signing?
• Can you document the signing process, the time of signing and the identity of the signing person?

Does the document require a specific form of signature by law?

These questions determine whether a simple, advanced or qualified electronic signature is suitable for a given document. The attached material emphasizes that in electronic signing, it is not only the electronic signing of the document itself that matters, but also the type of signature used, compliance with written form, identification of the signing person and the evidentiary certainty of the entire process.

Choose the electronic signature according to the type of document, not according to habit

When choosing a signature, it is worth starting with the document. You need a different level of certainty for confirmation of receipt of a document, a different one for a business contract, a different one for a submission to an authority and a different one for a document that may have significant legal or financial consequences.

Not every document needs a qualified electronic signature. At the same time, not every document should be signed only in the simplest way.

A more practical approach is to divide documents according to risk:

Low risk: ordinary confirmations, simple internal consents, administrative notices.

Medium risk: business agreements, orders, handover protocols, client consents, contracts with a standard legal impact.

Higher risk: official submissions, high-value documents, legally sensitive declarations, documents where the law or the other party requires a stronger form of signature.

This allows signing to be set up sensibly: fast where it should be fast, and secure where it should be secure.

Three levels of electronic signature in brief

An electronic signature can have different levels of trustworthiness. For an ordinary user, this mainly means one thing: not every electronic signature provides the same degree of certainty.

In practice, we most often encounter three levels:

• simple electronic signature,
• advanced electronic signature,
• qualified electronic signature.

The difference between them is not only technical. The difference lies mainly in how well we can prove the identity of the signing person, the content of the document, the integrity of the document and the legal force of the signature.

Simple electronic signature: basic level for less risky documents

A simple electronic signature is the most basic form of electronic signature. It may be, for example, confirmation by clicking, entering a name into an electronic form, ticking a consent box or another simple form of confirmation in a digital environment.

It is suitable mainly where the document is not legally or financially sensitive.

Typically, this may include, for example:

• less risky internal confirmations,
• simple consents,
• administrative statements,
• confirmation of having read information,
• ordinary internal communication without significant legal impact.

A simple electronic signature can be practical, but its evidentiary strength depends on the specific process. If you later need to clearly prove who signed the document, exactly what they signed and whether the document was changed after signing, a simple signature may not be sufficient.

A simple electronic signature is therefore more suitable where speed and simplicity are important, not a high degree of legal certainty.

Advanced electronic signature: a practical choice for most ordinary documents

An advanced electronic signature represents a higher level of certainty. In practice, it is often the most practical type of signature for companies, sole traders and organizations that want to sign documents online while needing more than just simple confirmation.

An advanced electronic signature is suitable where you need to be able to prove who signed the document, what they signed and that the document was not changed after signing.

With such a signature, it is especially important that the signature:

• is uniquely linked to the signing person,
• allows the signing person to be identified,
• is created using data that the signing person has under their control,
• makes it possible to detect whether the signed document was subsequently changed after signing.

These four conditions are also emphasized by the attached material on electronic signing, which explains the advanced signature as a signature important for processes where it is necessary to prove the identity of the signing person, the integrity of the document and the audit trail.

What an advanced signature solves in practice

For many documents, the biggest problem is not the signature itself. The problem arises only when it is later necessary to determine who signed the document, which version they signed and whether the document was changed after signing.

An advanced electronic signature helps precisely in these situations.

It makes it easier to prove:

• who signed the document,
• when the document was signed,
• exactly what was signed,
• whether the document remained unchanged after signing,
• what the signing process was.

It is therefore suitable, for example, for business documents, contracts with standard risk, orders, protocols, client consents, real estate documents, service confirmations, documents in e-commerce or internal company administration.

An advanced signature is a good compromise between the simplicity of online signing and higher evidentiary certainty.

Qualified electronic signature: the highest level for legally sensitive actions

A qualified electronic signature is the highest level of electronic signature. It is used where exceptionally high legal certainty is needed or where it is required by law, an authority, an institution or the other contracting party.

A qualified electronic signature has the strongest position especially for legally significant documents and communication with public administration.

Typically, you may encounter it in:

• electronic submissions to public administration,
• documents for authorities, courts or the land registry,
• selected powers of attorney,
• legally sensitive declarations,
• documents with high value or high risk,
• situations where a qualified signature is expressly required by law or the other party.

A qualified electronic signature is therefore suitable mainly where practical online signing of a document is not enough, but the highest level of legal certainty must be achieved.

However, it is not always necessary to use it for every document. In ordinary business or operational administration, a qualified signature may be unnecessarily complicated, especially if the document does not require this level of signature.

Quick comparison: simple, advanced and qualified signature

Signature type	When does it make sense	Typical use
Simple electronic signature	With low risk and easy confirmation	Internal confirmations, simple consents, less risky statements
Advanced electronic signature	When you need to prove the identity, content, integrity of a document, and the signing process	Business documents, orders, protocols, common risk contracts, client consents
Qualified electronic signature	When required by law, authority, other party, or high legal risk	Official filings, court or cadastral documents, legally sensitive acts

 

Basic rule: the higher the risk, the stronger the signature

When choosing an electronic signature, you do not need to immediately ask technical questions. In practice, it is better to start more simply: what risk is associated with the document you are signing?

You need a different level of certainty for an ordinary confirmation, a different one for a business order, a different one for a high-value contract and a different one for a document you send to an authority.

The higher the legal, financial or evidentiary significance of the document, the stronger the type of electronic signature you should choose.

Why the risk of the document is more important than habit

Many companies set up electronic signing in one way and then use it for everything. This can be practical, but it is not always correct.

For some documents, it may be unnecessary to use a qualified electronic signature because it would unnecessarily complicate the process. For other documents, simple confirmation may not be enough because in a dispute it would be difficult to prove who signed the document, exactly what they signed and whether the document was changed after signing.

The goal is not always to use the strongest signature. The goal is to use an appropriate signature.

An appropriate signature means that the chosen type of signature corresponds to:

• the nature of the document,
• the value or significance of the legal act,
• the likelihood of a dispute,
• the requirements of the law or the other party,
• the need to prove the identity of the signing person, the content of the document and the signing process.

When an advanced electronic signature is suitable

An advanced electronic signature is suitable for ordinary business, administrative and operational documents where you need to reliably prove the identity of the signing person, the integrity of the document and the signing process.

In practice, these are documents that have real significance, but for which you usually do not need the highest level of signature. What matters especially is that, if necessary, you can document:

• who signed the document,
• when they signed it,
• which version of the document they signed,
• that the document was not changed after signing,
• what the signing process was.

An advanced signature therefore makes sense for documents used in the everyday operation of a company or business. For example, for orders, price offers, contracts with standard risk, handover protocols, service protocols, client consents, delivery documents or internal company administration.

It is a practical choice where you need more than ordinary confirmation, but at the same time do not want to complicate signing unnecessarily.

When to use a qualified electronic signature

Use a qualified electronic signature where the law expressly requires a stronger form of signature, where the action has a higher legal impact or where you want to achieve the effect of a handwritten signature with the highest possible degree of legal certainty.

Typically, these are situations where practical online signing of a document is not enough. You need a signature that has the highest credibility and is suitable for legally sensitive or formal actions.

Consider a qualified electronic signature especially when:

• the document is intended for an authority, court, land registry or another public institution,
• the law or a specific institution requires a qualified signature,
• the document has high financial value,
• the document may have significant legal consequences,
• there is a higher risk of dispute,
• the other party expressly requires a qualified electronic signature.

In these cases, not only the speed of signing is important, but above all legal certainty and the formal correctness of the entire action.

A qualified signature should be used where the consequences of choosing the wrong signature could be significantly more serious than the administration associated with its use.

Signature and delivery are not the same thing

With electronic documents, one more important thing is often forgotten: signing a document does not automatically mean that the document has also been properly delivered to the other party.

A signature mainly addresses the question of who signed the document and what content they confirmed. Delivery addresses a different question: whether the document demonstrably reached the other party.

This can be important especially for documents where the law or contractual terms require the document not only to be signed, but also properly delivered to the other party.

The attached material correctly points out that written form does not automatically mean paper form. A document can also be in written form electronically if it is captured in text and signed in a way that makes it possible to identify the signing person and prove the content of the action. At the same time, however, it adds that delivery of the document to the other party is a separate issue.

Practical difference between signature and delivery

Imagine that you are sending an amendment to a contract to a business partner. If the partner signs it electronically, you are mainly dealing with the signing process: who signed, what they signed and when they signed.

For some legally sensitive documents, however, it may be equally important whether you can prove that the document was actually delivered to the other party. It is therefore not enough to simply have a signed file. You also need to have control over the process around the document.

For ordinary documents, the signature and audit trail are often decisive. For sensitive documents, demonstrable delivery may be equally important

That is why, for every more significant document, you should ask yourself two separate questions:

• What signature do I need for valid or evidentially secure signing of the document?
• How will I prove that the document reached the other party?
• A simple decision-making aid

If you are not sure which type of signature to use, a simple rule helps:

Question	What this means for signature selection
Is it just a simple confirmation or a less risky consent?	A simple electronic signature may be enough
Do you need to prove who signed a document, what they signed, and that the document has not been changed?	An advanced electronic signature is suitable
Is this an official, legally sensitive, or high-risk document?	Consider a qualified electronic signature
Does the law, the authority, or the other party require a specific type of signature?	Follow this requirement
Is proof of delivery important for a document?	Manage both signature and delivery method

 

When to use an advanced electronic signature

An advanced electronic signature is a practical choice for documents where you need evidentiary certainty, but the law or the other party does not require a qualified electronic signature from you.

In other words: it is suitable where an ordinary “I confirm” is not enough, but at the same time you do not want to complicate signing unnecessarily.

Suitable situations in practice

An advanced electronic signature makes sense especially for ordinary business, administrative and operational documents, for example for:

• price offers and their acceptance,
• orders and order confirmations,
• cooperation agreements with standard risk,
• handover and acceptance protocols,
• service protocols,
• client consents,
• minutes from meetings,
• confirmations of receipt of a document, goods or equipment,
• documents in online sales or service provision,
• ordinary rental, reservation or business documents,
• internal company and operational forms.

In these situations, it is especially important that you can prove who signed the document, what they signed, when they signed it and that the document was not changed after signing.

Why an advanced signature specifically

An advanced electronic signature is suitable mainly because it combines the practicality of online signing with higher evidentiary certainty.

For companies, sole traders and organizations, this means that signing can be:

• fast,
• available remotely,
• simple for the signing person,
• clear for the sender,
• without printing, scanning and manually chasing signatures.

With a solution such as OKdokument, the process around the signature itself is also important. It is not enough just to send the document. You need to see what status it is in, who has already signed it and where the process has stopped.

The attached material on digital signing recommends monitoring four basic elements: identification of the signing person, document protection, audit trail and overview of the document status.

When to use a qualified electronic signature

Use a qualified electronic signature for documents where you need the highest degree of legal certainty or where it is required by law, an authority, an institution or the other party.

It is not a signature that you have to use for everything. In many ordinary business situations, an advanced electronic signature may be more practical. However, a qualified signature makes sense where the wrong form of signature could have more serious legal consequences.

Suitable situations in practice

Consider a qualified electronic signature especially for documents where:

• the law requires written form and a higher degree of certainty,
• it is an electronic submission to the state or public administration,
• the document replaces a handwritten signature in a legally sensitive situation,
• it is a document with high financial or legal value,
• the other party expressly requires a qualified signature,
• there is an increased risk of dispute.

Typically, this may include, for example, electronic submissions on the public administration portal, documents intended for a court, land registry or state authorities, selected powers of attorney, legally significant declarations, high-value contracts or actions where a qualified signature is required by law or by the contracting party.

Why a qualified signature is specific

A qualified electronic signature is the closest thing to a handwritten signature in the electronic environment. Slovensko.sk describes it as the equivalent of a handwritten signature for legal acts in paper form and states that it is used to authorize legal acts in electronic form when communicating with public authorities as well as commercial entities.

At the same time, it is not just “clicking to sign”. To create a qualified electronic signature, a qualified certificate and a signing application are required; an identity card with a chip may serve as the certificate carrier. On the public administration portal, specialized applications and components are used for signing, such as the KEP application package available through Slovensko.sk.

When a qualified signature is the best choice

Use a qualified electronic signature when quick online signing of a document is not enough, but you need the highest legal certainty, formal correctness or compliance with the requirements of an authority or the law.

For documents with a higher legal impact, it is not worth deciding based only on convenience. If you are not sure whether a specific document requires a qualified signature, check the requirements of the relevant authority, the law or consult a lawyer.

Which signature to use for a specific document?

The easiest way to decide is to start with the specific situation. Do not first ask which electronic signature is “best”. Ask what document you are signing and what you need to prove with it.

The following table serves as practical guidance for common situations. For documents with high legal value or a specific legal requirement, it is always advisable to verify the specific rules.

The situation	Recommended signature type	Why
Document receipt confirmation	Advanced electronic signature	You need proof of who signed the document and when.
Normal business agreement	Advanced electronic signature	A good balance between signing speed and evidentiary certainty.
Price offer or order	Advanced electronic signature	A practical solution for quick online approval without printing or scanning.
Service or handover protocol	Advanced electronic signature	The content of the document, the time of signing, and the identity of the signer are important.
Client consent to processing the request	Advanced electronic signature	You need a demonstrable record that the client has consented to the processing.
Filing against public administration	Qualified electronic signature	Public administration requires KEP for many electronic submissions.
Document for the cadastre, court or office	Qualified electronic signature	The requirements of the specific authority and greater legal certainty are decisive.
High value or high risk contract	Rather, a qualified electronic signature	Suitable for higher risk of litigation or significant legal consequences.
Regular internal confirmation	Simple or advanced electronic signature	It depends on whether you just need a simple confirmation or an audit trail.

 

How OKdokument helps with this

The right type of electronic signature is important, but the process around the document itself is equally important. In practice, it is often not only about someone signing the document. You need to prepare it, send it to the right person, monitor the status of the signature, obtain the final version and be sure that the document continues to be handled clearly.

OKdokument helps where companies and sole traders need to sign quickly, online and without unnecessary paperwork.

Instead of printing, scanning, forwarding attachments and manually chasing signatures, you can send the document for electronic signature, monitor its status and work with the final signed version in digital form.

Less paperwork, more control over documents

In ordinary administration, signing is often delayed by details: the document waits in an e-mail, the signing person does not know what to do, the sender has no overview of the status and the final version is searched for among multiple attachments.

OKdokument simplifies the entire signing process — from sending the document to having it signed.

In practice, this means:

• online signing of documents without printing and scanning,
• quickly requesting a signature from a client, partner or co-worker,
• an overview of what status the document is in,
• working with the final signed version of the document,
• protection of digital content against subsequent changes,
• an audit trail of signing.

Where OKdokument makes the most sense

OKdokument is suitable especially for situations where documents are signed often, repeatedly or remotely. Typically, these are ordinary business, administrative and operational processes in which both speed and evidentiary certainty are important.

It can be used, for example, for:

• price offers and orders,
• contracts and agreements with clients or partners,
• handover and acceptance protocols,
• service documents,
• real estate and reservation documents,
• documents in financial services,
• e-commerce and sales processes,
• internal confirmations and company forms.

The greatest benefit arises where signing is not meant to be a one-off exception, but a natural part of a digital workflow.

Choose the signature according to the document, set up the process digitally

In electronic signing, it is not true that one type of signature is right for everything. An advanced electronic signature is a practical choice for a large part of ordinary company and business administration. A qualified electronic signature belongs mainly where it is required by law, an authority, the other party or a higher legal risk.