In times of remote work, it has become clear that digitalisation brings both opportunities and challenges to light—especially when it comes to managing internal and external workflows that were previously handled in person. Yet, the benefits are also evident: digital tools can significantly simplify everyday work. Alongside video conferencing, one key enabler of this shift is the digital signature.
However, uncertainties remain regarding the legal value and technical use of digital signature solutions, often preventing their wider adoption. The situation is made more confusing by similar-sounding terms. One of the most common questions is: what exactly is an “electronic seal”? When is it used in addition to—or instead of—a digital signature, and what advantages does it bring to businesses?
Electronic seals and digital signatures – a comparison
When is a digital signature used?
Put simply, a digital (or “electronic”) signature represents an individual person’s consent or declaration of intent. If, for instance, a contract does not legally require a written form, a simple electronic signature—such as an email signature—may suffice. However, where a statutory or contractual requirement for written form exists, the signatories must each use a qualified electronic signature (QES) in accordance with the eIDAS Regulation (EU 910/2014).
What is an electronic seal?
An electronic seal becomes relevant when a legal entity (such as a company or public authority) needs to sign a document digitally without requiring the direct involvement of a specific individual.
According to Article 3(24) of the eIDAS Regulation, a seal is created by a legal person. In other words, while a signature represents a person, a seal represents an organisation—for example, the company itself rather than a director or authorised officer. The process of applying the seal may still be carried out by an employee, but it does not depend on the availability of a particular individual.
The legal validity of an electronic seal
Important: If written form is legally or contractually required, an electronic seal alone is not sufficient. Nonetheless, an electronic seal offers clear legal effects:
- It confirms that the document was issued by a specific organisation and is authentic.
- It ensures that the document’s content has not been altered after sealing (integrity).
- Under Article 35(1) eIDAS, an electronic seal may serve as admissible evidence in legal proceedings.
In essence, the electronic seal functions as a digital company stamp, offering verifiable proof of origin and integrity in the digital space.
Why use an electronic seal?
In short, an electronic seal removes the need for manual, analogue stamping. Organisations benefit particularly from the resulting efficiency gains—for example, in incoming and outgoing mail processes, where automated sealing ensures authenticity at scale.
Secure long-term archiving with e-seals
Electronic seals also play a key role in technically secure long-term archiving. In Germany, for example, integrity protection measures are required under the Technical Guideline 03138 of the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) governing “substitute scanning”. Sealing ensures that archived digital documents remain verifiably unchanged over time.
Preventing fraud through electronic seals
Electronic seals also strengthen fraud prevention. Recipients of e-sealed documents—such as invoices—can independently verify both the authenticity of the issuer and the integrity of the content, ensuring that no data manipulation has occurred after issuance.
The benefits of a qualified electronic seal
The range of applications for digital seals is growing—driven by evolving legislation and regulatory standards.
Secure communication and customer authentication
Under the Revised Payment Services Directive (PSD2), the EU introduced requirements for strong customer authentication and secure communication standards. The Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/389 stipulates that data exchange between third-party providers (e.g. fintechs) and banks must be secured using qualified electronic seals, helping to mitigate fraud risks in financial transactions.
Structured public procurement procedures
Public contracting authorities, under Section 53(3) of the German Public Procurement Ordinance (VgV), may require that expressions of interest, participation requests or tenders be submitted with an advanced or qualified electronic seal.
This ensures authenticity, integrity, and traceability throughout the tendering process.
Driving digital transformation
These examples illustrate only a small portion of potential use cases.
They highlight that organisations across industries—both public and private—are increasingly obliged or incentivised to use qualified seals, or at least benefit from their application in ensuring compliance and trust.
Electronic seals for workflow optimisation
For both companies and public authorities, electronic seals provide a powerful tool for further digitalising internal and external workflows, reducing processing times and minimising manual interventions.
Forward-thinking organisations are already leveraging qualified e-seals to enhance efficiency, security, and trust in their digital ecosystems.