The “gold standard” of Qualified Electronic Signatures will be accepted for signing land registration applications. The HM Land Registry has been piloting QES requiring every signatory to sign using this method, as the organisation is keen to open up the benefits of new signature technology to lawyers, their clients and lenders.
A long-established, well- regulated technology, electronic and digital signatures are forming an important use case for European wallets subject to rigorous requirements for security.
A huge incentive to adopt the QES is that no third-party is required to attest the execution of the signature under the Land Registration Act 2002.
The acceptance of the qualified electronic signature provides the most secure technology, affording greater flexibility and simplicity in confirming the signatory’s identity in a property transaction without the need for attestation.
Andy Roddy, Deputy Director – Digital Services at HM Land Registry, said: “We are excited to enable our customers the option to use Qualified Electronic Signatures in their land registration applications. This marks another major step forward in our ongoing digital transformation, as we keep pace with – and meet the needs of – our most technologically advanced customers. We hope all of our customers will be able to benefit from this new and valuable technology”.
