Sign a Contract Online with a Foreign Company or Non-Resident

Imagine you have found the perfect foreign business partner. You have negotiated, discussed all the details, and everything is ready for the deal, but... you just need to complete the document exchange stage. And this is surprisingly the longest and most complicated stage that delays the start of cooperation: the contract needs to be signed on paper, sent to another country, and wait for the counter-signature. Considering delivery, this takes at least 2-3 weeks. 

So how can you sign a contract with a foreign company so that everything is legal and quick? With the help of the electronic document management service Documentolog, we will guide you through this process without lengthy approvals and waiting times, allowing you to sign the contract directly from your computer or smartphone. 

Step-by-step algorithm for signing a document

To sign a contract with a foreign company or non-resident, you need to follow a few simple steps:

1. Choose a service for sending and register. 

This is the very first and probably the most important point. Despite the abundance of solutions on the market, not all of them have the same functionality for signing documents online. For example, not all of them allow online signing of international documents. But you made the right choice because you are on the page of the Documentolog service, which allows you to sign documents with the international signature Adobe Sign. 

2. Create or attach a document.

You can upload the contract or international agreement in electronic form. The service allows you to add files in various formats, including JPG, PNG, PDF, and others. 

3. Sign the document. 

If you are a resident of Kazakhstan, you can sign the contract using any of the available signature options: EDS, eGov QR, SMS-signature. All these formats are legitimate and available for signing in the Documentolog service. Your foreign partner can use the Adobe Sign format signature, which does not need to be additionally paid for or obtained from certification centers. It is already integrated into the Documentolog service interface. 

4. Send the document.

To send the file to a foreign counterparty, you need to enter the recipient's email address or select it from the Directory if your partner has already registered. 

5. Wait for the partner to sign. 

After sending the document to your partner, you need to wait for their signature. After mutual signing, you can also view it in your personal account or download the document. The document is legally significant and ready for further use.

5 advantages of online signing of international contracts

Signing contracts online with non-residents has several undeniable advantages. Let’s mention just a few of them: 

Time-saving: You can sign a contract online in just a few minutes instead of two weeks for document delivery. No more wasting time on sending paper documents. 

Global access: No matter where the parties are — in another country or on another continent — the contract can be signed at any time and from anywhere with internet access.

Legal validity: Documents signed online have full legal significance. This is possible due to the use of electronic digital signature (EDS) technologies and the international signature AdobeSign. These signing methods are recognized at both national and international standards.

Security: Modern platforms for online signing of contracts offer a high level of data security and protection against unauthorized access. All documents are encrypted and stored in secure cloud storage.

Legitimacy of the Adobe Sign signature

For over 20 years, the electronic digital signature has been considered legally significant and lawful. EDS is fully equivalent to a handwritten signature. This is confirmed by the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated January 7, 2003, No. 370 "On Electronic Document and Electronic Digital Signature", paragraph 1 of article 10. 

Also, on May 21, 2024, amendments were made to the law "On Informatization" in Kazakhstan. The key change in it is the recognition of the simple electronic signature (PES) alongside EDS. Now private entrepreneurs are entitled to use the electronic digital signature when interacting with foreigners and foreign companies (p.20-1 of the Law). Contracts signed with such a signature will be equated to paper documents, except for transactions requiring notarization or state registration.

This innovation legitimizes the use of the Adobe Sign format signature for signing contracts, except in cases of mandatory registration or notarization (for example, real estate transactions). The law came into force on July 20, 2024.

Quick and easy registration for instant contract sending

Signing a contract with a foreign company or non-resident is no longer a headache. Online signing solves this task easily and quickly. You can sign a contract online immediately after a quick registration in the Documentolog service. After creating an account, you can send the contract online for free in just a few clicks. 

Business without borders, time without waiting, and all this — right in the Documentolog service!