E-signature legality · Europe
Is electronic signature legal in Switzerland?
Yes. Most Swiss contracts need no particular form, so they can be concluded with a simple electronic signature. Where the law requires written form, only a qualified electronic signature (with a qualified time-stamp) counts as handwritten.
The law
- Federal Act on Electronic Signatures (ZertES/SCSE)
- Code of Obligations, art. 11 — freedom of form; art. 14 para. 2bis — a qualified electronic signature equals a handwritten one
What still needs wet ink, a notary or a qualified signature
- Contracts requiring written form under the Code of Obligations unless a QES is used (e.g. assignments of claims, certain guarantees)
- Acts requiring public notarisation, such as real estate sales
- Wills
Where Clinch fits
Clinch is built for everyday commercial agreements — freelance and agency contracts, statements of work, NDAs, quotes and service agreements — which in Switzerlandneed no special form. Every signature is captured with the signer's explicit consent, and the signed PDF carries an audit trail (name, email, timestamp of every event, hashed IP) plus a SHA-256 fingerprint of the exact document, so anyone can check it was not changed after signing.
It is a simple electronic signature, not a qualified one: for the documents listed above, use the formality the law requires.
Draft and send a contractOther countries in Europe
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This page is general information, not legal advice, and laws change. For a document with high stakes or a formality requirement, check with a lawyer in Switzerland.
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