QES providers from Germany

The qualified electronic signature (QES) is the most secure form of digital signature and is legally equivalent to a handwritten signature. It meets the highest requirements of the European eIDAS Regulation and is recognized in all 27 EU countries. Unlike simple e-signatures, the QES requires certified identity verification. It offers maximum legal certainty for business-critical documents such as employment contracts, real estate purchase agreements, and notarial deeds.

In less than 5 minutes. You create an account, upload your first document, and you're ready to go. For more complex workflows with multiple signers, you'll need about 10 minutes to set up.

All of our plans include an onboarding session with a product expert. Video tutorials and German-language support are also available.

Identification takes 1–3 minutes via eID (digital ID card) and 5–10 minutes via video identification. The signature certificate issued is then valid for 3 years—without the need for re-identification.

No, only once. After the initial identification, your contractual partner can store their digital identity in a wallet. For all subsequent documents, they simply authenticate themselves via the wallet—without having to identify themselves again. This saves time for repeat signatories and makes the process much more efficient. See how authentication works in practice here.

Three key differences:
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-> Unlimited users in all plans: You pay based on document volume, not per user. Your entire team can use Paperless without costs skyrocketing.

-> 24/7 German-speaking support: Phone, live chat, and email. No offshore call centers with days of waiting times. Real people who understand and solve your problem.

‍-> Made & Hosted in Germany: Developed in Frankfurt, hosted exclusively in German data centers. No US dependency, no GDPR compromises. Your data stays in Germany.

Prices for qualified electronic signatures start at €2.50 per signature (plus identification costs, if necessary). We offer attractive volume discounts for larger quantities – please contact us for more information.

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Yes, you can try out the qualified electronic signature free of charge during your trial period. Our product experts will activate the function for you and assist you with the setup.

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When choosing a QES provider, you should pay attention to three key criteria:

‍→ Server location & data protection:
Check where the servers are hosted. Providers with hosting in Germany or the EU offer stronger data protection than U.S.-based vendors. Make sure the provider is truly GDPR-compliant — not just on paper.

‍→ Identification methods:
A reliable provider offers several identification methods (Video Ident, eID, Auto Ident), giving you and your customers flexibility. Important: identity verification should only be required once, not for every signature.

‍→ Support quality & availability:
Good providers offer German-based support within 24 hours via phone, email, and live chat. Offshore call centers with long waiting times are a red flag. Ensure you can reach real experts who understand your issue.

‍Bonus tip:
Test the provider for at least 14 days using real documents. This is the best way to see whether the software truly fits your processes.Want to try Paperless? Start your free 14-day trial — no credit card, no auto-renewal.

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Yes, completely. The QES is legally equivalent to a handwritten signature — in Germany and all 27 EU countries. It complies with the eIDAS Regulation and is just as valid in court as a paper contract.

Yes. Agreements signed with QES are legally binding and enforceable. QES meets all legal requirements for written form.

Yes, and in most cases this makes sense. An advanced e-signature (FES) is sufficient for around 80% of all contracts. This is faster and more cost-effective than a QES. The QES is only necessary for contracts that are subject to the written form requirement by law. You can choose the appropriate signature level for each document yourself. Learn more about the different levels of digital signatures directly from the Federal Printing Office.

Yes, completely. Paperless supports industry-specific solutions such as SAP, Propstack, Cobra CRM, enaio, and Microsoft SharePoint, among others. In addition, over 7,000 integrations are available via Make and Zapier.

A fully documented REST API is also available for custom connections. The typical process: Create a contract in CRM → send it automatically to Paperless → QES process starts → signed document returns automatically to CRM. Our technical support team will be happy to assist you with implementation.