eSignature Legality in Argentina

Use Cases for eSignatures

Use cases where an SES is typically appropriate include:

• Speedy HR document preparation with preapproved templates, easy update of each employee, new employee onboarding processes as well as 360 degree view of employee files.
• End user agreements including sales & service terms, new retail account opening documents, invoices, shipment details, user manual, EULAs, policies
• Formal contracts including service agreements

Use Cases for Qualified Signatures

Use cases where an AES is typically appropriate include:

• Purchase, procurement and commercial agreements including invoices, trade and payment terms, certificates, NDAs, sales & distribution agreements, order acknowledgements.
• Real estate lease agreements for residential and commercial purpose
• License agreements for software, end user license agreements EULAs
• Intellectual property licenses including technology licensing, copyright licensing, trademark licensing and franchising agreement

Use Cases that are not appropriate for Electronic Signatures

Use cases that are specifically barred from digital or electronic processes or that include explicit requirements, such as handwritten (e.g. wet ink) signatures or formal notarial process that are not usually compatible with electronic signatures or digital transaction management.

• Handwritten - corporate minutes containing shareholder and/or board resolutions, including but not limited to, resolutions destined to the appointment or removal of officers and directors
• Handwritten - certain labor documents, such as resignation letters from employees, need to be formalized with a registered letter (Section 240 of Law No. 20,744)
• Public deed - agreements related to the acquisition, modification or extinction of real estate rights (Section 1017 CCC)
• Public deed - agreements which subject matter are dubious or controversial rights over real estate (Section 1017 CCC)
• Public deed - all acts that are accessory to agreements written in public deed (Section 1017 CCC)
• Public deed - all other agreements that, by agreement between the parties or by legal obligation, must be granted through public deed (Section 1017 CCC)
• Public deed - leasing agreements (Section 1234 of the CCC)
• Public deed - appointment of legal guardians of minors (Section 106 of the CCC)
• Public deed - marital agreements (Section 448 of the CCC)
• Public deed - donations of real estate, or registered goods and periodic benefits or annuities (Section 1552 of the CCC)
• Public deed - declaration of wills (Section 1618 of the CCC)
• Public deed - mortgages (Section 1618 of the CCC)
• IP Transfers

List of Local Trust Service Providers

General Definitions

Simple Electronic Signature (SES)

A Simple Electronic Signature (SES) refers to any electronic data that is logically associated with other electronic data and used by a person to sign. This can include:

• Typing a name at the end of an email,
• Clicking an “I accept” button,
• Pasting a scanned image of a signature, or
• Using a stylus or finger to draw a signature on a touchscreen.

While SES can indicate intent to sign, it lacks advanced identity verification, integrity protection, or security features, making it the least secure type of electronic signature. It is legally valid in many jurisdictions but may not carry strong evidentiary weight without additional context or proof.

Advanced Electronic Signature (AES)

An Advanced Electronic Signature (AES) is a more secure form of electronic signature that must meet the following criteria:

• it is uniquely linked to the signatory
• it is capable of identifying the signatory
• it is created using means that are under the sole control of the signatory, and
• it is linked to the signed data in such a way that any subsequent change in the data is detectable.

AES provides enhanced legal reliability compared to SES and is often supported by multi-factor authentication, encryption, and audit trails.

Qualified Electronic Signature (QES)

A Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) is a type of Advanced Electronic Signature that additionally:

• is created using a qualified signature creation device (such as a secure token or smart card); and
• is backed by a qualified digital certificate issued by a recognized or accredited trust service provider.

QES provides the highest level of trust and legal assurance, and in many jurisdictions (like the EU under eIDAS, India IT Act, etc), it holds the same legal status as a handwritten signature.

Digital Signature

A Digital Signature is a specific technological implementation of an electronic signature that uses asymmetric cryptography. It allows a verifier to:

• confirm that the signature was created using the private key corresponding to the signer’s public key; and
• ensure that the signed message or document has not been altered after signing.

Digital signatures are the underlying cryptographic mechanism used in both AES and QES. They offer strong security guarantees such as authenticity, integrity, and non-repudiation and are often implemented through Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) systems.

External Resources