Society is gradually getting used to modern solutions, such as the convenient m-Citizen app, which allows an individual user to use a free qualified signature and handle many matters from 23 October 2025.
The year 2026 also brought significant progress in the level of digitisation of legal services in our country, thanks to the implementation of e-deliveries replacing registered mail with delivery confirmation, which have full legal force.
The obligation for e-deliveries from 1 January 2025 also applies to people performing public trust professions, lawyer Warsaw, legal adviser, notary. This allows secure exchange of correspondence between a citizen, a company and a public office (public entity). The guarantee of digital confirmation of dispatch and receipt of messages maintains legal force, just as in the case of the traditional paper form.
The rapid development of remote legal assistance, online case handling, communication with e-Courts or offices is possible thanks to the use of a qualified signature as a modern and standard tool in a lawyer’s work, which allows signing procedural documents.
What is the difference between a trusted profile and a qualified signature?
The differences between a trusted profile and a qualified signature concern:
- scope of application
- legal force
- method of acquisition
- validity period.
For most citizens, the trusted profile (trusted signature) within the government ePUAP platform is a free and legally effective method of signing documents and authenticating identity in Polish public administration offices. It has legal force equivalent to a handwritten signature. It is freely available via the m-Citizen app and valid for 3 years. It allows handling official matters (ePUAP, PUE ZUS, IKP, taxes, CEIDG) or signing simple and less formal agreements.
From October 2025, a free qualified signature for private, non‑commercial purposes is available in the m-Citizen app (requirements are adulthood, a valid m‑ID and an e‑ID with an NFC electronic layer). It is recognised across the EU, enabling, for example, the secure signing of a rental agreement or car sale. The limitation is the current signature limit (5 documents per month), and PDF documents: applications, submissions or statements must be no larger than 5 MB.
For entrepreneurs, people who frequently enter into contracts (including lawyers) a dedicated commercial electronic qualified signature is available, which has legal force in offices, courts and institutions across the European Union. It can be purchased online, may have a validity period of 1, 2 or 3 years. It has wide business applications and allows participation in electronic auctions on tender platforms. Contracts, commercial documents or invoices can be signed with it.
Qualified signature for a lawyer
Not every electronic signature has full legal force – an electronic qualified signature, which allows verification of the person signing, has the same legal force as a handwritten signature across the EU (according to the EU eIDAS regulation).
For lawyers, an electronic qualified signature provides the highest level of security and reliability, the safest method for high‑value contracts, complex cases or powers of attorney. With it you can:
- handle official matters, sign official or court documents
- enter into distance contracts (civil‑legal contracts)
- sign contracts that require the highest level of trust.
How to obtain an electronic signature for business purposes – purchase online
We can purchase a qualified signature from a reputable online store that offers it from one of the commercial certified providers, e.g. Certum or EuroCert (the full list is available at the National Certification Centre).
When choosing, pay special attention to:
- qualified certificate – the electronic document contains data identifying the signer and their public key
- price
- validity – the number of signatures you can use or the certificate’s validity period; each variant in the offer has its own validity period (1, 2, 3 years), which affects the price of the set from a specific provider.
The electronic signature set includes hardware and software components:
- qualified certificate – a special cryptographic card or a small USB token with a stored qualified certificate, used to securely store the user’s private key
- a card reader, which is used to connect the cryptographic card to the computer; for tokens the reader is integrated
- software to install and manage the signature (application for signing documents, their verification and certificate management).
The latest version of the standard qualified signature is the cloud‑based qualified signature (mobile app or browser) – it allows signing without using a physical card or reader.
After purchasing a qualified signature, stationary identity verification takes place only once (at the store’s premises or via a service that travels to the client), and renewal of the subscription for the next validity period can be done online in the store and is cost‑effective.
Remote signing of a contract with a lawyer
An example from life could be a situation where a client from another city needs a lawyer for a driver in a road accident or driving licence loss case. By browsing offers on websites they can choose a professional lawyer from Warsaw specialising in the relevant field and quickly sign a contract.
From January 2026, concluding a contract with a lawyer from another city online is fully legal, and free remote assistance is also possible, increasing accessibility of services for people from smaller towns.
After the lawyer estimates the service, they send the contract electronically, e.g. a PDF file, which can be approved via an electronic signature – a method equivalent to a handwritten signature. Payment is made via online transfer.
If the lawyer must represent the client before a court or office, a power of attorney must be granted in advance. A quick power of attorney can be granted and signed, e.g. with a qualified signature and sent electronically. This means no need to visit the office and a great time saving.
Thanks to the digitisation of legal services and the use of a qualified electronic signature, a client from anywhere can remotely sign a contract with a Warsaw lawyer, who will have valuable experience in complex criminal cases.
