2026-04-27

Qualified Signature Validation Online with CertumSign – Fast and Trusted Verification

Signature validation – an essential component of digital document workflows

In the era of digitalization of business and administrative processes, increasing importance is placed not only on signing electronic documents but also on their reliable verification. A key role in this area is played by the qualified validation service, which enables confirmation of the authenticity and validity of electronic signatures. On the Polish market, the platform available under a subscription model that offers this service as an integral part of the document signing process is CertumSign. The platform uses the WebNotarius qualified validation service.

What is a qualified validation service?

Qualified electronic signature validation confirms the authenticity and validity of electronic signatures and electronic seals in accordance with the EU eIDAS Regulation. During the process, the service checks whether the signature was created using a valid qualified certificate. It also verifies whether the signed content has been modified after signing.

In addition to the validation result itself, a key element is the confirmation obtained in the form of a generated qualified validation report. This report constitutes a legally binding piece of evidence in court and arbitration proceedings throughout the European Union. Such a service may be provided only by a qualified trust service provider, such as Asseco Data Systems, which has passed a rigorous compliance audit.

Qualified validation should be used whenever:

• you are not certain whether a document has been signed with a qualified electronic signature or electronic seal,
• the document originates from an external source and will be used in legal or procurement procedures.

Screen of a generated qualified validation report.

Signature verification vs. qualified validation – what is the difference?

There are free signature verification tools available on the market that allow you to check basic information about a signature, such as the signature status or the date it was created. They also allow a report containing the result of this verification to be generated. In such cases, we are dealing with non-qualified validation. However, the issued report does not constitute evidence benefiting from a legal presumption of validity.

What does this mean in practice?

• Non-qualified verification (e.g., free online tools or system signature verifiers), even if it correctly informs us about the status of an electronic signature at the time of verification, does not provide evidence that has legal evidentiary force and could serve as the basis for recognizing a signature as valid after the expiration of the qualified certificate on which the verified signature is based.
• The result of a non-qualified verification/validation application or service does not guarantee compliance with the requirements of the eIDAS Regulation. This may lead to an incorrect assessment of the legal effect of the accepted signature. Moreover, the provider of a non-qualified application/service does not bear legal liability for this.
• In the event of a court dispute, such a result may be rejected as insufficient evidence, and an additional expert opinion may not always provide a definitive conclusion.

By contrast, qualified validation is a service for whose result, under EU law, full responsibility is assumed by the qualified trust service provider. Only a report from a qualified validation service may be recognized in court as full legal evidence in civil, administrative, and commercial cases.

Qualified signature validation in CertumSign – available to everyone

Thanks to integration with the WebNotarius service, the CertumSign platform combines the document signing process with the ability to use qualified validation. All signatures created using the platform are verified, even if they are sent to individuals who do not have an account in the service. Every signed document automatically returns to the sender with information detailing the signatures applied. This means that CertumSign users can be certain that the documents they accept contain signatures required by law.

An additional advantage of CertumSign is the ability to add documents that were signed in other external signing applications. It is sufficient to upload the document to the platform to obtain information about the signatures applied to the received document. This is particularly helpful when receiving documents from foreign contractors or business partners and there is uncertainty about the signatures visible on the document.

Screen showing document upload and verification of the validity of its signature or seal.

Users of the CertumSign platform can:

• verify signatures free of charge – including those created outside the platform, for example in external signing applications;
• if necessary, use qualified validation, a paid service that generates a legally binding report – it only requires creating a free account;
• purchase a paid plan on the platform and use the validation service within the applicable monthly limits.

What documents can be validated?

Qualified validation can be used for any electronically signed document originating from the Europen Union. These may include, among others:

• procurement and public tender documents,
• commercial agreements and contracts,
• official correspondence and administrative decisions,
• business offers,
• court documents,
• electronic invoices,
• shipping documents,
• HR documentation (e.g., employment contracts, annexes, consents),
• medical documents.

What does a sample validation report look like?

The result of validation is a PDF report that returns one of the following outcomes: Positive, Negative, or Indeterminate.

Example of the first page of a validation report with a Positive result:

The WebNotarius qualified validation service, available on the CertumSign platform, sets a standard for the security and reliability of electronic signatures. It is a solution that combines intuitive browser-based document signing with legally recognized validation.

Thanks to its easy availability—both within subscription plans and as a one-time purchase—the qualified validation service is not only an advantage for individual users but also a strategic component of digital processes in companies and institutions.