Running a business in Poland today means dealing with several different “electronic signature” tools, and it’s easy to mix them up. This guide explains what each one actually is, when you’re required to use it, and which one makes sense for a foreigner running a JDG or a company.

Three different tools, one word: “signature”

In everyday Polish, people say “podpis elektroniczny” for three legally different things:

  • a qualified electronic signature (kwalifikowany podpis elektroniczny, KPE): a paid, commercial product, legally equivalent to a handwritten signature across the whole EU;
  • Profil Zaufany (Trusted Profile): a free government identity tool, mainly for dealing with Polish public administration;
  • the personal signature (podpis osobisty) built into the chip of a Polish e-ID card (e-dowód), usable via a card reader or the mObywatel app.

Only the first one is a “qualified” trust service under the EU’s eIDAS Regulation and Poland’s 2016 Act on trust services and electronic identification. The other two are not recognized outside Poland and have specific legal limits even inside the country.

Qualified electronic signature (kwalifikowany podpis elektroniczny)

A qualified signature is issued by a small number of commercial providers listed on the trusted list kept by NCCert (Narodowe Centrum Certyfikacji): Szafir / mSzafir (KIR), Sigillum (PWPW), SimplySign/Certum, EuroCert, and CenCert. In 2026, a basic card-based signature costs roughly PLN 240-300 net per year, and a cloud-based (mobile) signature costs roughly PLN 300-350 net per year, with renewal usually cheaper than the first purchase. Certificates are typically valid for 1-5 years.

Why it matters: because it’s an eIDAS-qualified service, a document signed this way is treated as legally equivalent to a handwritten signature not just in Poland, but in any EU member state. This is essential if you sign contracts, board resolutions or powers of attorney with foreign counterparties.

Profil Zaufany (Trusted Profile): free, but Poland-only

Profil Zaufany is a free government tool. You can create it entirely online through your Polish bank’s online banking (if your bank supports it) or with your e-dowód, or start it online and confirm it in person at a tax office or municipal office (Punkt Potwierdzający). To register one you generally need a PESEL number.

It works well for CEIDG registration, ZUS filings, tax matters and most day-to-day dealings with Polish authorities, but it is not an eIDAS-qualified signature. It has no automatic legal force outside Poland, and it explicitly cannot be used for some corporate acts, such as closing a spółka z o.o. or amending KRS data for a company that wasn’t originally registered online.

e-dowód and the personal signature (podpis osobisty)

Polish ID cards issued since November 2021 (e-dowód) contain a chip with a personal signature function. You can use it with a card reader and dedicated software on a PC, or, since a 2025 update, directly from the mObywatel app’s “Podpisz dokument” (“Sign document”) feature, using NFC on your phone. This signature is treated as equivalent to a handwritten signature in dealings with public administration; for private contracts, its validity depends on both parties agreeing to accept it. Like Profil Zaufany, it is not a qualified eIDAS signature.

Which one do you need for CEIDG, S24 or KRS?

For most day-to-day formalities, you don’t actually need a paid qualified signature:

  • CEIDG (sole proprietorship / JDG) registration on biznes.gov.pl accepts Profil Zaufany, a qualified signature, or the e-dowód personal signature: any one of the three.
  • Company registration or changes via S24 or PRS (KRS) work the same way: all filings are signed through the Ministry of Justice’s UCPE service, which also accepts all three options.

A qualified signature becomes genuinely necessary once you’re dealing with cross-border contracts, high-value agreements, or counterparties who need EU-wide legal certainty about the signature, which is common for B2B/IT contractors working with foreign clients. In that context it’s also worth keeping a signed, dated PDF of every B2B service agreement: solid documentation of a genuine business-to-business relationship (separate deliverables, own tools, multiple clients) is one of the things that can help if a contract is ever scrutinized under the 2026 PIP reform on B2B misclassification here.

FAQ

Do I need to buy a qualified signature just to register a JDG? No. Profil Zaufany (free) or the e-dowód personal signature are enough for CEIDG registration on biznes.gov.pl.

Can I use a qualified signature from another EU country in Poland? Yes, a qualified signature issued by any EU-listed provider is recognized across the whole Union, including Poland, under eIDAS.

Is Profil Zaufany the same as a qualified signature? No. It’s free and works for most public-administration matters in Poland, but it’s not an eIDAS-qualified trust service and has no automatic legal force abroad.

Bibliography and Legal Basis

  • Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 (eIDAS).
  • Act of September 5, 2016, on trust services and electronic identification (Journal of Laws, consolidated text).

Not sure which signature tool fits your situation as a foreign entrepreneur in Poland? Book a free consultation with our team.

Author: MojaFirma team.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Every situation depends on the specific contract and individual circumstances.