The technical and legal requirements for advanced and qualified signatures are specific and demanding, which is why they’re trusted by the FCDO for e-Apostille applications.

Unique linking to the signer: The signature must be created using data that only the signer can control, such as a private encryption key protected by passwords or security tokens. This ensures no one else can create signatures on behalf of the signer.

Unique linking to the document: The signature must be mathematically connected to the specific document being signed. If even a single character in the document changes after signing, the signature becomes invalid. This tamper-evident feature is fundamental to document security.

Identification of the signer: Advanced signatures must reliably identify who signed the document. Qualified signatures go further, requiring the signer’s identity to be verified by a qualified trust service provider before the signing certificate is issued.

Signature creation device security: The technology used to create the signature must meet security standards that prevent unauthorised use or duplication. For qualified signatures, the signature creation device must meet even higher security requirements certified under European standards.

Certificate authority approval: Qualified signatures specifically require certificates from trust service providers who have been approved and supervised by national regulatory bodies (in the UK, this is overseen by regulatory frameworks aligned with eIDAS). These providers maintain secure infrastructure and undergo regular audits.

The FCDO requires advanced or qualified electronic signatures for the e-Apostille because they need to verify that documents have actually been signed by a recognised legal official in the UK. Basic electronic signatures lack the security features necessary for linking the signature to the identify of the signatory.

When you submit a document with a qualified or advanced electronic signature for the e-Apostille, the FCDO can verify the signature through the certificate authority that issued it. They can confirm who signed the document, when they signed it, and whether the document has been altered since signing. This verification process happens digitally and usually instantly, which is why e-Apostilles can be issued much faster than traditional paper apostilles.

Without these high-security signatures, the FCDO cannot verify signature authenticity remotely, which is why basic electronic signatures or scanned wet-ink signatures don’t qualify for the e-Apostille without additional, valid electronic certification.

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