Introducing Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES)

We've introduced support for Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES), enabling signers to verify their identity and apply a qualified electronic signature to documents. QES provides the highest level of assurance recognised under UK electronic signature legislation.

Existing integrations do not need to change to continue sending envelopes without QES. The additional signing stage only applies to envelopes where QES is explicitly requested.

QES will be available to eligible companies on supported Signable plans.

We're introducing a new envelope status: qes_in_progress.

Currently, an envelope transitions to signed once all recipients have finished signing the envelope.

For envelopes where QES has been explicitly requested, an additional verification stage will be introduced:

1. All recipients complete the initial signing of the envelope as normal.
2. The envelope transitions to qes_in_progress rather than signed.
3. Each QES signer completes an additional identity verification and qualified signing stage, in a predetermined order.
4. Once all required QES signers have completed signing, the envelope transitions to signed.

Existing flow: sent → signed

QES flow: sent → qes_in_progress → signed

While an envelope is qes_in_progress:

• Automatic envelope expiry no longer applies.
• Individual signers can no longer reject the envelope.
• The sender can still manually cancel the envelope.
• QES signers can be manually reminded to complete their verification.

Integrations using QES should account for the additional qes_in_progress status, particularly where workflows depend on an envelope reaching signed.

QES introduces an additional stage to the signing process. As a result, QES signers receive additional transactional emails requesting that they complete the required verification.

These changes will only apply to envelopes using QES.

To send envelopes using QES, the following requirements must be met:

• QES enabled: QES must be enabled for your company and, where applicable, each sub-account using the feature.
• Supported plan: Your company must be on a Signable plan that supports QES.
• Sufficient credits: Your company must have enough QES credits to cover all QES signers within an envelope.

Further details on eligibility, credits and pricing will be published when the feature launches.

QES support will introduce additional request parameters and response fields.

Existing integrations that do not explicitly request QES will continue to follow the existing signing process and will not encounter the new qes_in_progress status.