E-signature legality in Austria
Österreich
Electronic signatures are legally binding in Austria under eIDAS and the SVG.
The law in plain language
Austria implements eIDAS through the Signatur- und Vertrauensdienstegesetz (SVG), in force since July 2016. The SVG replaced the older Signaturgesetz and aligns Austrian law with the EU regulation. Electronic signatures are admissible as evidence in Austrian courts; qualified electronic signatures are legally equivalent to handwritten signatures under § 4(1) SVG.
- Primary framework
- eIDAS Regulation 910/2014 + national Signatur- und Vertrauensdienstegesetz
- National act
- Signatur- und Vertrauensdienstegesetz (SVG), in force 17 July 2016
Signature tiers recognised in {country}
Austria recognises the three eIDAS-aligned tiers. The right tier depends on the contract — most B2B documents are fine with SES; AES adds an identity-binding factor; QES carries the legal force of a handwritten signature for documents that require written form.
The baseline — admissible as evidence in court. Suitable for everyday commercial contracts.
SES + a second factor (typically SMS) that uniquely binds the signature to the signer.
AES + a qualified certificate from a Qualified Trust Service Provider. Equivalent to a wet signature.
Routinely signed electronically
- B2B service agreements, SaaS contracts, supplier MSAs
- NDAs, sales orders, partner agreements
- Employment offer letters, onboarding paperwork
- Independent contractor + freelance engagement letters
- Quotes, invoices, statements of work
- Internal HR documents (policy acknowledgements, training)
Still need wet ink
- Real estate transfers and mortgages (notarisation required)
- Wills, testaments, and inheritance documents
- Marriage, divorce, adoption and other family law instruments
- Some employment-termination documents under national labour law
- Certain employment-termination agreements where written form is mandated (§ 884 ABGB, "Schriftlichkeit")
Specifics for Austria
- The Austrian "Bürgerkarte" / "Handy-Signatur" issues qualified certificates to natural persons free of charge — citizens can sign QES from their phone.
- Notarial deeds remain a mandatory format for many real estate and corporate transactions; e-signatures don't substitute for a notary.
Local Qualified Trust Service Providers
We recognise certificates from these providers when verifying signed PDFs on /verify.
- A-Trust Gesellschaft für Sicherheitssysteme
- D-Trust Austria
Underlying standards
The legal force above comes from these technical + regulatory standards. Each has its own page with the full detail.
Signed contracts in Austria, in 90 seconds
Free to start. No credit card. Branded subdomain available on paid tiers — your legal team will recognise the chrome.