What is eIDAS.
What is eIDAS.
What is eIDAS?
eIDAS stands for "electronic IDentification, Authentication and trust Services". It is the EU regulation (Regulation (EU) No 910/2014) that sets common rules for electronic identification and trust services, such as electronic signatures, seals and time stamps, across the EU and EEA. It was adopted in 2014 and has applied since July 2016.
Two main regulations support digital trust for businesses operating in the EU: the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and eIDAS. The GDPR protects customers' personal data. eIDAS provides the legal framework for secure, legally recognised electronic transactions and identity verification between businesses, customers and public authorities.
eIDAS was introduced to increase efficiency, security and legal certainty for businesses and customers in the EU's digital single market.
What does eIDAS entail?
eIDAS focuses on two areas: electronic identification and trust services. Under eIDAS, national electronic ID schemes notified by one member state must be recognised by the others. This means formerly in-person identity checks can be carried out digitally and are accepted across borders.
It also standardises the requirements for trust services and the providers who offer them. Providers that meet the highest requirements and are supervised by a national authority can be granted qualified status and are listed on the EU Trusted Lists.
Under eIDAS, an electronic signature cannot be denied legal effect solely because it is electronic. A qualified electronic signature has the same legal effect as a handwritten "wet" signature in every EU member state.
What measures does eIDAS use?
eIDAS defines three levels of electronic signature:
Simple electronic signatures cover any data in electronic form used to sign, such as a typed name or a tick box.
Advanced electronic signatures (AdES) are uniquely linked to the signatory, capable of identifying them, and reveal any later change to the signed document.
Qualified electronic signatures (QES) are advanced signatures created with a qualified signature creation device and based on a qualified certificate issued by a qualified trust service provider (QTSP).
All three can be legally valid. The right level depends on the document, the risk involved and any legal requirements for that transaction.
eIDAS also covers electronic time stamps, which bind a document to a specific date and time and prove it existed in that form at that moment.
Electronic seals are the organisational equivalent of a signature. Where a signature is applied by a person, a seal is applied by a legal entity, such as a company, to guarantee a document's origin and integrity. Any change made to a sealed or signed document afterwards can be detected.
eIDAS 2.0 and the European Digital Identity Wallet
In May 2024, eIDAS was significantly updated by Regulation (EU) 2024/1183, commonly known as eIDAS 2.0. Its central change is the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI Wallet), an app that lets citizens, residents and businesses store and share verified identity data and official credentials, and sign documents.
eIDAS 2.0 sets out the following:
Every EU member state must offer at least one certified EUDI Wallet by December 2026.
Regulated private-sector organisations, such as banks and other providers that require strong customer authentication, must accept the wallet from December 2027.
Wallet users can create qualified electronic signatures free of charge for non-professional use.
New qualified trust services are introduced, including electronic attestation of attributes, electronic archiving and electronic ledgers.
For businesses, eIDAS 2.0 means customer onboarding and identity verification can increasingly rely on government-issued digital credentials instead of document scans and manual checks.
How does eIDAS affect businesses?
eIDAS gives businesses a secure, legally recognised way to identify customers and sign agreements online. This helps protect both businesses and consumers from fraud and identity theft.
Beyond security, eIDAS offers several practical benefits:
Reduced operating costs: Moving paper-based processes online cuts administrative and material costs.
Improved efficiency: Electronic signatures and online identity verification speed up processes that used to require in-person meetings.
Enhanced security: eIDAS-compliant identification and signatures protect the identity of everyone involved in a transaction.
Better customer experience: A fast, secure process builds trust and makes customers more likely to come back.
Implementing eIDAS-compliant processes can seem complex at first, but once they're in place the benefits are clear. Customers feel their data is protected, and companies can be more confident about who they're dealing with.
Online transactions keep evolving, and the rules that protect them do too. eIDAS replaced the earlier Electronic Signatures Directive (1999/93/EC), and eIDAS 2.0 now extends it with the European Digital Identity Wallet. Together they form the EU's current framework for digital identity and trust.
