The top tier is reserved to locally-licensed providers.
1
country listed
—
no statutory tiers
In these jurisdictions ordinary electronic signatures are recognised, but a higher evidentiary status — often a presumption of authenticity or non-repudiation in court — is reserved to signatures issued through providers licensed, accredited or registered locally. India is representative: the Information Technology Act 2000, as amended in 2008, recognises electronic signatures generally, while digital signatures issued under certifying authorities licensed by the Controller of Certifying Authorities carry the stronger statutory position. The distinction matters commercially rather than legally: a signature from an unlicensed provider remains valid and admissible, but the party relying on it carries the evidential burden that the reserved tier would otherwise have discharged.
Two effective tiers: an ordinary electronic signature, and a stronger form reserved to locally-licensed providers. ⚠️ Further instruments — China, Russia, Vietnam, Guatemala and others — are added in T2 as each primary source is verified. The Guatemalan RPSC copy of Decreto 47-2008 returned 404 on 2026-08-10 and is deliberately not cited.
Every statement above traces to one of these. Open any of them.
Placement follows the published source named on each entry, not a reading of every national statute. A country moves to a more specific family only once its own law has been sourced.
Countries with a gold outline have a full page of their own.
General information — not legal advice
This page summarizes electronic signature legislation drawn from primary legal sources and international bodies including UNCITRAL and UNCTAD. It is not legal advice and creates no solicitor–client or attorney–client relationship. Laws change, and how they apply depends on the transaction, the parties, and the document type. Before relying on electronic signatures for a regulated, high-value, or cross-border transaction — or for any document type listed as excluded — take advice from qualified counsel in the jurisdiction whose law governs that transaction. That is a separate question from the governing law of your agreement with SignForge, which is set out in our Terms of Service.
Last reviewed: 10 August 2026