Latvia has become the first country to legally recognize
Ukrainian state-issued qualified electronic signatures (QES), Ukraine’s Digital
Transformation Ministry announced on Feb. 26.
Under changes to Latvia’s Law on Electronic Documents that took effect in 2026, Ukrainian QES now carry the same legal force in Latvia as handwritten signatures, the ministry said.
The ministry added the move will make communication and cooperation much easier for Ukrainians in Latvia. More than 31,000 Ukrainian nationals are currently in the country, the ministry noted.
Among the uses now possible with a Ukrainian-issued electronic signature:
- interacting with banks and signing electronic documents such as contracts and invoices with full legal effect;
- applying for Latvian state and municipal services;
- doing business and signing contracts with Latvian partners online.
“Recognition of our e-signatures in Latvia is a joint example of the highest level of digital trust,” Deputy Digital Transformation Minister Zoriana Stetsiuk said. She noted that Ukraine recognized EU-issued QES in 2023.
Qualified electronic signatures were introduced in Ukraine on Nov. 7, 2018.