This question links the foundational international treaty for apostilles with the modern technology used for secure electronic signing, particularly in the UK and Europe.

The Hague Apostille Convention, established in 1961 (see FAQ: When was the Hague Convention ratified?), brilliantly simplified international document authentication but didn’t anticipate digital signatures. It set the legal framework for the apostille system.

As the world went digital, the body overseeing the Convention (the HCCH) introduced the e-APP (electronic Apostille Programme) to allow the Convention’s principles to be applied electronically (as explained in FAQ: What is the e-APP?)

The e-APP provides guidelines but doesn’t mandate a specific technology standard worldwide for electronic signatures.

This is where eIDAS comes in for the UK.

eIDAS (electronic Identification, Authentication and trust Services) is a regulation (originally EU, with its standards adopted mainly into UK law) that sets high legal and technical standards for electronic identification and signatures within Europe and the UK.

It defines different levels of electronic signature, with the Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) being the most secure and offering the same legal standing as a handwritten signature. (We define these signature types in our FAQ What is an Advanced/Qualified Electronic Signature?).

The relationship:

The electronic signatures used must meet a very high standard for the UK’s e-apostille system to be robust, secure, and trusted internationally (in line with the aims of the Hague Convention and the e-APP).

The UK’s FCDO has adopted the eIDAS QES standard for this purpose.

Therefore, the FCDO requires that any PDF document submitted for a UK e-Apostille must bear an eIDAS-compliant Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) applied by a UK-registered solicitor or Notary Public.

In essence:

  • The Hague Convention provides the why (simplified international authentication) and the what (the apostille).
  • The e-APP provides the framework for doing it digitally.
  • eIDAS (QES) provides the how – the specific, high-security signature technology standard mandated by the UK’s FCDO to implement the digital process reliably.

Using this top-tier eIDAS QES standard ensures the integrity and legal validity required for documents needing an urgent apostille. It underpins the security of the express apostille services we offer from London.