E-signature legality,country by country

Throughout these pages, a standard electronic signature means what a normal online tool produces: you type or draw your name, the system records who opened the document, from where and when, and the finished PDF is sealed so later changes are detectable. There is no government ID check and no certificate issued by a licensed authority.

That is enough for ordinary business contracts in most of the world. It is not enough for the excluded document types, and in a few countries it carries no automatic presumption, meaning you would have to prove who signed rather than the other side having to disprove it. Each country page says which situation applies.

E-signature law moves. India narrowed its exclusion list in 2022 and replaced its evidence statute in 2024. Singapore removed negotiable instruments from its exclusions in 2021. The UAE replaced its 2006 law entirely in 2022. A number of published guides still describe the old rules, so each page here names the amending instrument and its date.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Laws change and the right answer depends on your document and your situation. Check with a qualified lawyer in the relevant country before relying on it for anything that matters.