What is the difference between eIDAS and ZertES?

eIDAS (EU Regulation 910/2014) governs electronic signatures across all 27 EU member states. ZertES (SR 943.03) is Switzerland's parallel federal law covering the same ground for Swiss jurisdiction. They are not competing standards. They are separate legal frameworks for different territories. Switzerland is not an EU member, so eIDAS does not apply there by default.

Is a ZertES-qualified signature legally valid in Germany or France?

ZertES-qualified signatures are not automatically recognized under eIDAS. Switzerland and the EU maintain a mutual recognition agreement for certain trust services, but cross-border legal validity depends on the specific use case and the receiving jurisdiction. For EU contracts, an eIDAS-qualified signature is the safer choice.

What are the three signature levels under eIDAS?

eIDAS defines three levels: Simple Electronic Signature (SES): any digital mark; Advanced Electronic Signature (AES, AdES): uniquely linked to the signer, capable of detecting changes; Qualified Electronic Signature (QES): created with a qualified certificate from an accredited Trust Service Provider, legally equivalent to a handwritten signature under Article 25.

Do I need both eIDAS and ZertES compliance if I work in Switzerland and the EU?

If your contracts span Swiss and EU jurisdictions, you may need a provider that supports both. Some accredited providers, including Swiss Trust Layer, which uses Swisscom Trust Services, issue signatures that satisfy requirements under both frameworks, allowing a single signing workflow to cover CH-based and EU-based agreements.

What happens if I use a Simple Electronic Signature for a contract that requires a Qualified one?

Under eIDAS Article 25(2) and ZertES Article 14, only a qualified electronic signature carries the legal equivalence of a handwritten signature. Using a lower-level signature for contracts requiring QES, such as employment contracts or real-estate transactions in some EU member states, may render the signature legally unenforceable.

Standards Compliance

eIDAS与ZertES：非法律专业人士的并排法律比较（2026）

Swiss Trust Layer Editorial Team · Legal Content

2026年6月12日 10 分钟阅读最后更新 2026年9月8日

返回博客

In short

对eIDAS和ZertES感到困惑？这份简明指南解释了欧盟与瑞士电子签名法律之间的区别——附有比较表格，以及针对自由职业者、创作者和小型经营者的真实场景。

2026年3月，一位驻巴塞尔的音乐制作人就三首曲目与一家苏黎世出版商签署了授权协议。他使用的是一直沿用的电子签名平台，该平台通过一家法国信托服务提供商获得了eIDAS认证。当这些曲目登上排行榜并产生了6万瑞士法郎的流媒体收入后，出版商对其中一个条款提出异议，声称制作人的签名在ZertES框架下不具有法律效力。该平台并未获得瑞士法律的认证。在瑞士法院，他的签名不具备他所预期的法定法律推定效力。这场价值6万瑞士法郎的纠纷，最终归结为一个问题：哪个签名框架适用？

如果你在瑞士和欧盟之间跨境工作，你将面对两套独立的电子签名法律：规范欧盟27个成员国的eIDAS，以及规范瑞士的ZertES。它们不是相互竞争的标准，而是针对不同地区的平行法律。本指南将解释每套法律的适用范围、何时适用于你，以及如何通过一项封存服务同时满足两套要求，无需开设两个独立账户。无需任何法律背景知识。

使用 Swiss Trust Layer AG 保护您的作品

使用由 Swisscom Trust Services 支持的司法认可 e-Seal 封存您的知识产权。

预约免费演示

相关文章