e-Tafakna
Draw your signature on screen, type it or upload an image of it, then place it on the document. Company seals are also supported.
Limited legal value: an image of a signature is not, on its own, a reliable way to identify the signer. If it is challenged, the signer's identity will have to be proven by other evidence.
For: internal documents, purchase orders, low-stakes agreements.
The signer validates their signature with a one-time code sent by SMS to their number. Their signature appears on the document and every step is time-stamped.
Stronger legal value: the link between the signer, their phone number and the document is recorded and dated.
For: NDAs, quotes, service agreements, commercial contracts, HR documents.
The signer must hold a certificate issued by TunTrust, Tunisia's national certification authority: DigiGO for businesses, Mobile ID for individuals. The document is signed in PAdES or XAdES format, with a validation report.
The highest level of assurance in Tunisia: identity verified by the certification authority, document integrity and non-repudiation.
For: high-stakes contracts, banking and insurance agreements, shareholder agreements.
| Criterion | Level 1 · Simple | Level 2 · OTP | Level 3 · Qualified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Signer identification | Self-declared | One-time code sent to the signer's phone number | Certificate issued after identity verification by TunTrust |
| Visible signature and time-stamp | Visible signature, platform date | Visible signature, every step time-stamped | Visible signature, certificate and date embedded in the document |
| Document integrity | Platform history | Time-stamped audit trail | PAdES or XAdES cryptographic seal |
| Evidential weight | Low, needs supporting evidence | Stronger | Highest |
| EU reference (eIDAS) | Simple electronic signature | Simple or advanced, depending on the setup | ETSI standards of the qualified signature |
| Typical uses | Internal documents, purchase orders | NDAs, quotes, services, HR | Banking, insurance, high-stakes contracts |
Indicative mapping. The Tunisian qualified signature relies on the same ETSI standards as the EU qualified signature, but it is not automatically recognised as such in the European Union, as no recognition agreement is in place.
Deeds for which the law requires an authentic instrument or a certified signature (real-estate sales, gifts, transfers of company shares, personal status) cannot rely on an electronic signature alone. This guidance is general and does not replace legal advice.
Already hold a TunTrust certificate? Sign directly on E-Tafakna, with no new issuance. Individuals can also sign with Mobile ID.
A short guide to signature levels, their legal value and how to sign with E-Tafakna.
An electronic signature identifies the person who signs and guarantees that the document has not been altered after signing. It replaces the handwritten signature on paper, with no printing or travel.
In Tunisia, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates, an electronic signature can be equivalent to a handwritten signature if it identifies the signatory and guarantees the integrity of the document. The higher the signature level, the stronger the evidence in case of a dispute.
In Tunisia, the reference text is Law No. 2000-83 of 9 August 2000 on electronic exchanges and commerce, and TunTrust is the national certification authority.
Some documents remain excluded or subject to specific formalities (personal status, certain real-estate deeds, notarial deeds): check case by case. This information is general and does not replace legal advice.
Law No. 2000-83 of 9 August 2000 on electronic exchanges and commerce applies the rules of written contracts to electronic contracts (art. 1) and recognises a preserved electronic document as evidence, on the same footing as a written one, provided it is kept intact (art. 4).
The signature must rely on a reliable device whose technical characteristics are set by ministerial order (art. 5, order of 19 July 2001). Certification providers need prior authorisation from the National Digital Certification Agency (art. 9 and 11); TunTrust, operated by this agency, is the national certification authority.
The Code of Obligations and Contracts gives an electronic document the value of a private deed when it is kept in its final form through a reliable process and backed by an electronic signature (art. 453 bis).
Certificate holders must protect their signature data and report any illegitimate use (art. 6 and 21 of Law No. 2000-83); using another person's signature without right is punishable by imprisonment and a fine (art. 48).
In the European Union, the eIDAS Regulation (EU) No 910/2014, as amended by Regulation (EU) 2024/1183, distinguishes simple, advanced and qualified electronic signatures (art. 3). A signature cannot be denied legal effect solely because it is electronic, and a qualified signature has the legal effect of a handwritten signature (art. 25).
TunTrust's qualified certification authority has been assessed against ETSI EN 319 411-2, the technical standard for eIDAS qualified certificates. The Tunisian qualified signature therefore relies on the same standards, without being automatically recognised as a qualified signature in the EU, as no recognition agreement is in place.
In Morocco, Law No. 43-20 on trust services for electronic transactions follows the same three levels: simple, advanced and qualified.
In the United Arab Emirates, Federal Decree-Law No. 46 of 2021 on electronic transactions and trust services distinguishes the electronic signature, the advanced electronic signature and the qualified electronic signature, the latter having the same force as a handwritten signature.
Any document you create or import into E-Tafakna: commercial contracts, service agreements, NDAs, HR documents, subject to the excluded documents mentioned above.
As a TunTrust AED, E-Tafakna centralises DigiGO certificate requests for your executives and staff. They then sign your contracts with a qualified signature, directly on the platform.
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