signNow eIDAS Compliance and EU Data Residency (2026)

signNow says it is eIDAS compliant, but its own pricing page lists only simple electronic signatures (SES) on its three self-serve plans: advanced (AES) and qualified (QES) signatures appear only on its top, sales-led tier, where QES is a paid add-on delivered through the Estonian provider eID Easy. signNow does offer data residency in the US or the EU, which its pricing comparison includes from the $15 a month plan (billed annually) upward, on AWS infrastructure that its subprocessor list places in the United States, Germany and Australia.

Below is what signNow (owned by airSlate) states on its own pricing, help, security and legal pages, checked in October 2026, then a checklist for any e-signature tool and a short look at SignQuick. This is not legal advice.

Is signNow eIDAS compliant?

A signNow help center article ("Is SignNow eIDAS compliant?", December 30, 2025) states that signNow is "fully eIDAS compliant" and that its signatures are legally recognized across the EU. It cites two articles:

• Article 25: an electronic signature cannot be denied legal effect or admissibility as evidence just because it is electronic or does not meet the requirements for a qualified signature.
• Article 26: the article states that signNow signatures meet the criteria for advanced electronic signatures (linked to and identifying the signer, under the signer's control, and revealing later changes).

"eIDAS compliant" is a broad label. The regulation defines three levels (simple, advanced and qualified), and a tool can be compliant while producing only the simple one. What matters is the level your plan and workflow produce (see our guide to SES, AES and QES).

Which signature levels signNow offers

signNow's pricing comparison table has a row labeled "eIDAS". In October 2026 it read:

• $8 a month plan (billed annually): SES
• $15 a month plan: SES
• $30 a month plan: SES
• Top tier (priced per signature invite, sold through sales): SES, QES, AES

A signNow page on EU signature validity agrees: "For EU transactions, signNow supports SES on all plans, while QES and AES are available on the Site License." So the help center wording (advanced criteria met) and the pricing table (SES on self-serve plans) differ. If you need an advanced signature, ask signNow to confirm in writing what your plan produces.

signNow showed different plan names to different visitors during our check (Starter, Professional, Business and Enterprise, or Business, Business Premium, Enterprise and Site License), so we refer to plans by price.

How QES works in signNow

signNow's help center says plainly: "QES is available on Corporate (site license) plans only." Other details from its pages:

• Partner: signNow integrates eID Easy (listed as a subprocessor in Estonia) for identity verification and qualified certificates. Its developer docs also list Edicom, required in Mexico.
• Cost: the pricing table marks QES as a "Paid add-on" on the top tier, and the help center says some authentication methods "may require additional invoicing".
• Setup: an account administrator has to ask signNow to activate QES, and methods are enabled only for the countries and providers agreed with signNow.
• Availability: the pricing table notes QES "may be unavailable in some countries", and a July 2026 signNow blog post says availability may depend on the signer's jurisdiction.

Does signNow offer EU data residency?

Yes, with conditions.

Which plans. The pricing comparison lists "Data residency in the US or EU" with the description "Choose where your data is stored to align with regional compliance and privacy preferences." In October 2026 it was checked on the $15, $30 and top-tier plans, but not on the $8 entry plan. A signNow blog post from June 2026 says EU data residency is offered "on all paid plans", so the two pages disagree. Confirm with signNow for the plan you intend to buy.

Where. signNow's subprocessor list (last updated September 18, 2026) names Amazon Web Services as a cloud provider in the United States, Germany and Australia, so Germany is the only EU hosting country listed. It also lists Google Cloud Platform, Akamai and Cloudflare, all in the United States.

When you choose. The same page says: "For certain products and offerings, you may be able to choose from an available list of countries where your account is provisioned, but the choice must be made in advance when your instance is initially provisioned." Decide on EU residency before you create the account.

GDPR: DPA, transfers and subprocessors

• GDPR and transfers: signNow's security page states that it complies with the GDPR and participates in the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework. It describes AES-256 encryption at rest and TLS 1.2/1.3 in transit.
• DPA: signNow's Data Processing Addendum (last updated July 1, 2025; executed through a button on the page) makes signNow a processor of customer personal data and incorporates the EU Standard Contractual Clauses for transfers out of the EEA. Section 7.1 reads: "Customer consents to the transfer to and the processing of EU Personal Data in the United States of America."
• Subprocessors: besides eID Easy (Estonia), the listed service subprocessors are in the United States (one in Canada): Twilio and SignalWire for calls and texts, Zendesk and Intercom for support, OpenAI, Anthropic and Google for AI features, plus fax, notarization and filing services. No email delivery provider is named.

EU storage tells you where documents live, not that every party touching your data is in the EU. And the GDPR does not require EU storage as such: it allows transfers with safeguards such as the Standard Contractual Clauses or an adequacy decision (see our GDPR e-signature guide).

Other certifications signNow lists

Across its security page, help center and pricing page, signNow lists:

• SOC 2 Type II: the report is available on request; the help center says compliance documentation goes to Corporate/Site License subscribers and requires a mutual NDA.
• PCI DSS: described on the security page as compliance "by cooperating with the compliant payment processing providers".
• HIPAA: "HIPAA compliance through BAA" is a paid add-on on the top tier.
• 21 CFR Part 11: a paid add-on on the top tier.
• CCPA: listed on the security page and in the help center.
• ISO 27001: the pricing page attributes it to hosting: "Our infrastructure is hosted on AWS, which has ISO 27001 certification."

To be fair to signNow: for a team that needs QES, a BAA, SSO or audited controls, it covers a lot, and every plan includes unlimited users and templates.

What to check in any e-signature tool for EU residency or eIDAS

These questions apply to every vendor, SignQuick included. Ask in writing and keep the answers.

• Where are documents stored at rest? Name the storage provider and the region. Can you choose the region, and only at sign-up?
• Where does the app run? The servers that process your PDF may sit somewhere other than the storage.
• Who sends the emails, and from where? Invitations carry names, addresses and links, so the email provider is a processor too.
• Who are the subprocessors? Support desks, SMS providers, AI features and CDNs often sit outside the EU even when storage is in the EU.
• What does the DPA say about transfers? Look for the Standard Contractual Clauses or the Data Privacy Framework, and for any clause where you consent to processing in the US.
• Which signature level does your document need? Most business contracts only need a simple electronic signature, which eIDAS article 25 says cannot be denied legal effect because it is electronic. AES or QES matters when a law, a regulator or the other party requires it. See the [SES, AES and QES guide](/blog/eidas-electronic-signatures-ses-aes-qes-guide) and, if in doubt, ask a lawyer.
• Is it on your plan? Residency, QES and BAAs are often limited to higher tiers or sold as add-ons.

SignQuick: an EU-run option, with clear limits

SignQuick is a smaller tool for people who send a contract now and then without a subscription. Here is where its data goes, including the parts outside the EU:

• App server: Hetzner, Germany (EU).
• Emails to signers: Amazon SES, Ireland (EU).
• Documents: encrypted in your browser with AES-256-GCM before upload. With an email and password account, the key derives from your password; with Google sign-in, SignQuick's server holds the key.
• Signing your own PDF without an account: the file never leaves your browser.
• Files saved to an account: stored on Vercel Blob storage. We do not claim this storage is in the EU.
• Payments: Stripe, United States. Documents are not sent to Stripe.
• Sent requests: SignQuick keeps the document key, sealed with a server secret, until the request is signed, declined, canceled or expired, then deletes it. In optional private mode, SignQuick does not keep the key and does not email signers; you send each link yourself.

SignQuick makes simple electronic signatures only. It does not make AES or QES; if you need those, use a qualified trust service provider (or signNow's QES add-on). It also has no saved templates, no bulk send and no teams.

Pricing: sending one document for signature costs $2.99 once, with up to 3 signers, an account and no subscription. Regular senders can take Pro ($9/month or $72/year, 25 documents a month) or Business ($19/month or $144/year, no monthly limit). There is no free plan. Details are on the security page and in our full signNow comparison.

signNow vs SignQuick at a glance

Prices and features as of October 2026, from each vendor's own pages.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is signNow eIDAS compliant?

signNow's help center states that it is "fully eIDAS compliant". Its pricing page lists simple electronic signatures (SES) on the three self-serve plans, and SES, AES and QES only on the top tier, so check which level your plan produces.

Does signNow offer qualified electronic signatures (QES)?

Yes, on its Corporate (site license) tier only, as a paid add-on. It uses eID Easy, an Estonian provider, for identity verification and qualified certificates, and an administrator has to ask signNow to activate it. It may be unavailable in some countries.

Where does signNow store EU data?

signNow offers data residency in the US or the EU, listed on its pricing table from the $15 a month plan up. Its subprocessor list names AWS in the United States, Germany and Australia, so Germany is the only EU location listed. Where a country choice is offered, signNow says it must be made when the account is first provisioned.

Do I need an advanced or qualified signature for a business contract?

Usually not. Under eIDAS article 25, a simple electronic signature cannot be denied legal effect just because it is electronic, and most business contracts only need this level. AES or QES matters when a specific law, regulator or counterparty requires it, so check your case or ask a lawyer.

Does SignQuick store documents in the EU?

Not as a guarantee. The app server is in Germany and emails go out from Ireland, but files saved to an account are on Vercel Blob storage, which we do not claim is in the EU. Documents are encrypted in your browser before upload, and a PDF you sign yourself without an account never leaves your browser.

Do signers need a signNow account?

No. signNow states that a signer can complete a signature request without creating a signNow login. SignQuick signers also need no account: they sign in the browser and never pay.