What is an eID signature (AES)?
An eID signature is an advanced electronic signature (AES) under the EU's eIDAS Regulation, made with the signer's own national eID or bank ID, such as BankID, MitID or iDIN. It ties the signature to an identity that a bank or government has already verified. It is not a qualified signature: for that, see QES. Verdocs offers it as a paid add-on.
How is it different from a standard eSignature, and from QES?
A standard Verdocs signature is a simple electronic signature (SES): it is legally valid, and the evidence behind it is how the signer was reached and authenticated, plus the audit trail. An advanced signature must be uniquely linked to the signer and capable of identifying them, which the signer's eID provides. A qualified signature (QES) goes one step further, with a qualified certificate from a qualified trust service provider, and is the only level with the legal effect of a handwritten signature across the EU.
When is it the right choice?
When you want strong evidence of who signed but nothing requires a QES. If your signers are in a country whose national eID or bank ID gives an AES, it lets them sign with an ID they already have, instead of a separate verification step. If a law, a regulator or the other party requires the highest level, use QES.
How does it work for the signer?
The signer opens the document in your product and completes their fields. When they sign, they choose their country and their eID without leaving the Verdocs signing view, confirm with that eID, and finish in Verdocs. You get back a signed PDF with the Verdocs certificate and full audit trail.
Where can signers use it?
Every method below gives an advanced signature.
| Country | AES methods |
|---|---|
| Czech Republic | MojeID |
| Denmark | MitID |
| Finland | Finnish Trust Network (bank IDs) |
| Italy | SPID |
| Netherlands | iDIN |
| Norway | BankID |
| Sweden | BankID, Freja eID+ |
| United Kingdom | OneID |
| Provider | Coverage |
|---|---|
| Veriff | Remote check of an ID document and a selfie; ask us about coverage for your signers |
What does it cost?
$2.50 per signature, the same for every method and country, charged only when the signature completes, so a failed or abandoned attempt costs nothing. It is available on paid plans and activated for your account on request, with no setup fee.
How do developers turn it on?
It is set per signer, from the API or the web app, so one document can mix it with signers who use a standard signature. We activate it for your account on request, and you can run the full flow in your own account before you go live. Start with the developer documentation, and talk to us when you are ready to switch it on.
Going deeper on eID signatures
Qualified Electronic Signatures Are Now Available in Verdocs
Verdocs now offers Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES), the highest signature level under the EU's eIDAS Regulation, as a paid add-on. Signers choose a qualified provider from their own country, and your document never leaves Verdocs.
Read the post2025-11-28Audit Trails and Identity Verification for Fintech APIs
What an audit trail has to contain for a financial document, how identity verification should scale with the amount, and what returns through the API.
Read the post2025-12-14Is an eSignature API Legally Binding? ESIGN and UETA
Signatures captured through an eSignature API are legally binding when four conditions are met. Here is what those are, and what evidence to keep.
Read the postRelated
- What is a qualified electronic signature (QES)?
- The three eIDAS levels, on our compliance page
- Verdocs developer documentation
Prices sit with the other identity add-ons on the pricing page.
Talk to us about itGeneral information, not legal advice; consult your own advisors for the signature level your documents require.