How valid are documents signed with Viafirma?

Many users who receive a request to sign a document through Viafirma ask us whether the document will be legally valid once it’s signed. In a world where document forgery and penalties are commonplace, this is a very common question. But there’s no need to worry. In today’s article, we’ll examine the validity of documents signed with Viafirma and what factors strengthen that validity from both a practical and legal standpoint.

The Validity of Documents Signed with Viafirma: The Legal Framework That Supports Us

Viafirma’s digital solutions (electronic signatures and trust services) have full legal validity because they comply with the eIDAS Regulation, the legislation governing digital identity and trust services throughout the European Union. This ensures recognition in all EU member states and internationally, with the same legal effect as a handwritten signature. In this way, it protects not only the user who signs a document with an electronic signature but also the company that issues the document.

For transactions between companies operating across borders, it also complies with relevant regulations such as the ESIGN Act and UETA in the United States, and Law 527/1999 in Colombia.

So the short and direct answer is a resounding yes. Signing a document through Viafirma is fully legal and binding in any court or before any public administration.

Two Key Strengths That Reinforce Viafirma’s Electronic Signature

In addition to strictly complying with the relevant regulatory framework, Viafirma offers a wide range of digital authentication and electronic signature solutions. Among these are a number of strengths that reinforce the validity and integrity of the electronic signature in the event of potential disputes. Considered specific safeguards, there are two key points that support Viafirma’s legal robustness:

The Audit Trail

Every signing process carried out with Viafirma generates an audit trail. This document certifies the validity of the signed document and provides detailed information about the signing process for a digital document. For this very reason, it includes essential information:

• General Document Information
• Issuer and Requestor Information
• Types of Electronic Signatures
• Attached Electronic Evidence
• Process Traceability, including who signed, how the process was carried out, date and time, and device and operating system

Timestamping

This is a mechanism that proves that a set of data was created at a specific time and that its integrity has been maintained—that is, it has not been modified. We integrate this functionality free of charge into our cloud services for electronic signature processes, enabling the necessary verifications to be performed.

Viafirma is a Qualified Time-Stamping Service Provider under eIDAS, and the service complies with the specifications of RFC 3161.

Frequently Asked Questions About Document Validity

What is the international validity of Viafirma?

Viafirma is legally recognized internationally. Our digital solutions comply with the world’s most stringent digital identity regulations, including the eIDAS Regulation in the European Union. Throughout our 25 years of experience, we have worked with organizations in more than 10 different countries, many of which are members of the European Union. And Europe extends beyond the European Union. There are countries that, while not part of the EU, have developed regulatory frameworks that are compatible with or aligned to European digital trust standards.

In addition, we also comply with the legal frameworks of the United States, Canada, and various countries in Latin America. Whether you’re in the United States, France, or Germany, you can sign digital documents using Viafirma’s digital solutions.

Can the signer deny having signed a document?

No, a signer cannot deny having signed a document. It’s that simple. However, if you need to refute the signer’s denial, you can present the definitive technological evidence provided by Viafirma as proof: the audit report or evidentiary document.

Does the document’s validity expire?

There is a common misconception that if a digital signature expires, so do the documents in which that signature has been embedded. This belief is incorrect.

While it is true that a digital certificate may expire (its validity cannot exceed five years), the digital signature that has already been applied to a document does not. In other words: a document that has already been digitally signed does not expire, nor does the signature on that document. Digitally signed files remain legally valid.

For future signatures, you’ll need to renew your digital certificate to ensure you can sign without any issues.

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