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    Sign a PDF online for free

    Open the PDF, draw or import your signature, place it and download.

    or drop your file here

    Your files stay on your device: your browser processes them and nothing is sent to a server.

    1. Your signature

    Sign here

    Thickness

    Ink

    Thickness and colour apply to the strokes that follow.

    2. Position and wording

    Open a PDF, draw or import your signature and place it on the preview: the signed PDF will be ready here.

    The page preview will appear here.

    Sign a PDF online for free in three steps

    To sign a PDF online for free, open the file in the box above, draw your signature with a mouse or your finger (or import a photo of a signature on white paper), then drag it into place on the page preview: the last page is suggested by default, and the signature takes 25% of the page width, adjustable from 8 to 60%. Tick the date, written the French way as « Le 27/10/2026 », and if a French recipient asks for it the wording « Lu et approuvé » (read and approved), then press "Sign and prepare the PDF" to download the signed document. Nothing is uploaded. The main limit: under the EU eIDAS regulation this is a simple electronic signature, an image without a certificate, fine for a quote or a consent form but not for a deed where your identity must be proven.

    Simple, advanced or qualified: what this signature is

    This tool places an image of your signature on the PDF. Under Regulation (EU) No 910/2014, known as eIDAS, that counts as an electronic signature: electronic data attached to the document and used by the signatory to sign. It is, however, the lowest level, the simple electronic signature.

    It is neither advanced nor qualified. An advanced signature must, under Article 26, be uniquely linked to the signatory, identify them, be created with data under their sole control, and make any later change to the document detectable. A qualified signature adds a qualified device and a qualified certificate issued by a trust service provider. None of that happens here: anyone can draw a scribble, and the PDF can still be edited without a trace.

    What the law says: Article 25 forbids rejecting an electronic signature as evidence solely because it is electronic or not qualified, and only a qualified signature has the effect of a handwritten one. In France, Article 1367 of the Code civil (Civil Code) requires "a reliable identification process guaranteeing its link with the deed", and a 2017 decree presumes that reliability only for qualified signatures. With a simple signature, the person relying on it has to convince the judge. In March 2024 the Cour de cassation, France's highest court, held, in a dispute over a promise to sell, that a scanned signature identified neither its author nor their consent.

    When it is enough in France, and when it is not

    It is usually enough when the other party just wants a "signed" document and the risk of a dispute is low: approving a quote with « Bon pour accord », a school trip consent form, a statement for a relative, a form returned to your letting agency or your mutuelle (top-up health insurer), a routine order. It is the digital version of printing, signing in pen and scanning, only cleaner.

    Use an electronic signature provider (advanced or qualified) when the stakes are high: a lease, a property sale, a loan, acting as guarantor (caution), a large commitment, a public tender, or whenever the other party or a rule sets a signature level. ANSSI, the French cybersecurity agency, recommends choosing the level after a risk analysis, and lists qualified providers on the national trusted list. A notarial deed (acte authentique) gets its force from the notaire's signature: no online tool replaces it.

    How to use it, and privacy

    Draw your signature in the white box with a mouse, a stylus or your finger on a phone; "Clear" lets you start again. Or import an image: a transparent PNG, or a photo of a signature in black ink on white paper, whose background is removed automatically. On the preview, tap the page to move the signature there, or nudge it with the arrow keys. The "every other page" option initials each page of a contract in the same spot, as French contracts often require.

    The PDF and your signature stay on your device: nothing is sent, nothing is kept once you close the page. Keep a copy of the signed document and of the email showing who you sent it to and when; with a simple signature, that context matters. If the signed file is too heavy to send, run it through the tool to compress a PDF.

    Frequently asked questions

    Is a signature added with this tool legally valid in France?

    It is what EU law calls a simple electronic signature: an image of your signature placed on the document. Under the eIDAS regulation it cannot be rejected as evidence just because it is electronic, but it proves neither who you are nor that the file was not changed afterwards. If it is disputed, the person relying on it has to convince a French judge it is reliable.

    What does « Lu et approuvé » mean, and do I need it?

    It means "read and approved". French landlords, schools and employers often ask for it above the signature, and quotes often carry « Bon pour accord » (agreed). The law does not require it for most documents: your signature alone shows consent. If someone asks for it, tick the mention box; the text stays in French because that is what the French recipient expects.

    Which documents is a drawn signature enough for?

    It works when the risk of a dispute is low and the other side accepts it: approving a quote, a school trip consent form, a statement for a relative, a routine order form, returning a signed form to your letting agency. If the recipient requires a certificate-based signature, or a rule sets a signature level, use a trust service provider instead of this tool.

    When do I need a qualified electronic signature provider?

    When the stakes call for solid proof: a major contract, a property sale, a loan, a guarantee, a public tender, or whenever a rule or the other party sets a signature level. Only a qualified signature has the legal effect of a handwritten one and enjoys, in France, a presumption of reliability. Qualified providers appear on the trusted list published by ANSSI, the French cybersecurity agency.

    How do I get a transparent background for an imported signature?

    Sign in black ink on white paper, take a flat, well-lit photo and import it with the option that makes the white background transparent left ticked: light pixels are removed and the signature sits on the document lines without a white box. A PNG that is already transparent is used as it is. Crop the photo tightly if a shadow remains.

    Sources

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