Signing documents from anywhere, with anyone: what is possible

SignSafe is a tool for electronic document workflow and for collecting signatures from anyone, including people who cannot easily sign, such as foreigners or older people: a phone, internet and a finger are enough, and it takes about a minute. In SignSafe a document can be signed on a phone or computer, in a browser, with no account and no app to install, also from abroad and with many people at once. According to a 2023 legal opinion, a signature in SignSafe is handwritten and meets written form. The limits: for the electronic form of Art. 78¹ of the Polish Civil Code we can connect a qualified signature, and a notarial deed is not possible.

In SignSafe a document can be signed on a phone or computer, in a browser, with no account and no app to install, also from abroad and with many people at once. According to a 2023 legal opinion by the law firm Gałecki and Associates, a signature in SignSafe is handwritten and meets written form (see Legal security). The limit is a notarial deed (not possible in SignSafe); where the law requires the electronic form of Art. 78¹ CC (a qualified signature), we can connect one. This summarises the opinion and is not legal advice; the legal points refer to Poland.

Can I sign a document on a phone?

Yes. The recipient opens the PDF in a browser on a smartphone or tablet (with a one-time code from the e-mail, no password) and signs with a finger on the screen. There is also a mobile app (login: system.signsafe.app) for people who send and manage documents. The same process works on any device with a browser. There are four ways to sign: after an e-mail with a one-time code, after an e-mail with your own account password, on a device standing at a point of service (workshop, shop, collection point) without logging in, and on a courier’s or driver’s tablet.

Can I sign on a computer?

Yes. You can fill in the document’s fields and sign on a computer, drawing the signature with a mouse or touchpad. The sender gets the finished PDF once everyone has signed. More about filling in fields: fill in documents and sign.

What about a person without an account?

There is no need to create an account. The signer does not register or install an app. This matters in practice, because a customer, employee or contractor often does it once and does not want to spend time on registration. You, as the sender, have an account and see your documents in a list with status. A person with no PESEL (for example a foreign national) ticks “Brak” and gives another identifier.

What about a person abroad?

Technically a browser and a connection are enough, so location does not matter for the act of signing. Whether this form is sufficient in law for a contract with a foreign counterparty depends on the type of act and the governing law. If in doubt, consult a lawyer who knows that country’s law.

What about many people at once?

SignSafe lets you send a document to one or many people. You can choose any order (everyone is told at the same time that a document awaits them) or a fixed order (one after another), and, with several signature places, one signature for all places or a separate one each time. Someone with many documents to sign can select them and sign in bulk. The document must be a PDF in A4 portrait format. Good practice:

• collect correct e-mail addresses before sending,
• use the contact list if you send to the same people often,
• use a document template with fields when each recipient has to fill in their own data,
• check the status dot in the document list (red, yellow, green) instead of chasing people by e-mail,
• resend the invitation to unsigned recipients with the “resend for unsigned” button.

What is the scope?

It is worth knowing them up front:

• Electronic form (Art. 78¹ CC). It requires a qualified signature. A SignSafe handwritten signature is not one, but when a document requires this form, we can connect a qualified signature in SignSafe.
• Special form, such as a notarial deed, requires exactly that form.
• The other party’s requirements. An office, bank or counterparty may impose its own way of signing.
• Storage space. The standard plan includes 1 GB for documents.

The legal basis (a handwritten signature meeting written form according to the 2023 G&A opinion, documentary form as a fallback, and the possibility of forensic comparative verification according to the 2024 handwriting expert opinion) is described on the Legal security page.

An everyday example

A company sends a consent to a customer who is travelling. The customer receives the document, opens it on a phone, fills in their data and signs. The company sees the status in the list, and once everyone has signed the signed PDF arrives in its e-mail together with the signature summary page (certificate identifier, e-mail, IP address, device, date and time). Nobody prints, scans or drives to the office.

How to prepare a document so it gets signed without questions

• Use a clear PDF of reasonable size.
• Mark the fields to fill in and the place for the signature (or use a template with fields).
• Add a short message saying what to do and by when.
• If the recipient is abroad, prepare a version in their language.

Is it safe?

SignSafe servers are in the EU (OVH hosting), and business and API customers receive a data processing agreement. Payments are handled by the operator Tpay. We describe the legal security of the signature separately, because it is a different matter from technical security.

What next

• See how to sign a document step by step.
• Learn about remote signing.
• Find out how to send a document for signature.
• Check pricing or contact us.