The use of qualified timestamps in the above areas brings a number of tangible legal and practical benefits:
Meeting formal and industry requirements. In some sectors and situations, the use of a time stamp is absolutely necessary to meet the requirements of regulations or standards. For example, as mentioned above, registered e-delivery platforms must attach time stamps to proofs of delivery. Also in the financial sector and public administration, internal regulations or good practices often require the use of time stamps (e.g. banks may require that documents electronically signed by the client contain a time stamp for acceptance). By using a qualified time stamp, we ensure compliance with applicable regulations regarding the time of documenting legal actions, which reduces the risk of challenging the document on formal grounds.
Despite the numerous advantages, it is worth asking whether every electronic document requires a time stamp. The answer depends on the nature of the document and the needs.
According to the law, there is no general obligation to use a time stamp when signing or sealing electronic documents. Therefore, a valid electronic signature can be made without adding a time stamp - such a document will still be legally effective, provided that the signature itself meets the requirements (e.g. a qualified signature made by an authorized person).
In practice, however, the lack of a time stamp means that the date shown with the signature comes only from the signing device (the computer's system time). Such a date can be changed or disputed because it is not authenticated by an external, independent entity. Therefore, if the precise moment of signing is not of major importance or the document is purely internal or working, omitting the time stamp is possible and does not violate the regulations. For example, when signing an email with a personal certificate for your own convenience, adding a time stamp may be a triumph of form over substance.
However, it is worth considering the risk: could someone potentially challenge the date of creation of this document? If the document is later submitted as evidence or is required to be kept for years, the lack of independent confirmation of the time weakens its credibility. In the event of doubts as to the date of creation, such a document may require additional procedures (e.g. expert opinion or other evidence) to determine when it was created. Therefore, in most business and official situations, it is recommended to use a time stamp - as it provides significant added value. Many modern solutions automatically attach a time stamp to each signature precisely so that the user does not have to think about it. To sum up - a time stamp is not formally required for every signature, but except for trivial or temporary documents, omitting it is rarely beneficial . It is definitely better to have a "friendly" proof of time in case of potential disputes than to regret later that you did not use it.
Electronic time stamps have become an essential element of secure digital document circulation. They enable precise confirmation of the date and time of preparation or submission of a document and protection of its content from changes from that moment on. They are commonly used when signing contracts and important electronic letters, in e-invoicing systems, digital archives and when sending electronic correspondence where time is critical .
The use of a qualified time stamp brings tangible benefits: from legal certainty (certain date, presumption of the date's truthfulness) and compliance with regulations, to practical security (document integrity, protection against signature challenge in the future). Although adding a time stamp is not always mandatory, in most cases it is a good practice that increases the credibility of electronic documents. In the era of digitization of administration and business, this service is easy to implement and significantly increases trust in electronic documents and their evidentiary value.
It can be safely stated that currently a qualified time stamp is one of the pillars of digital trust services , facilitating the functioning of the economy and administration in electronic form in accordance with legal requirements and security expectations.
An electronic time stamp is an essential element of digital document circulation. It allows for secure documentation of the moment of creation or transmission of information and effectively protects against manipulation. The use of a qualified time stamp is particularly important for documents of great legal and financial importance.
We encourage you to read the first part of the article, in which we discuss in detail the practical applications of electronic timestamping in various sectors.
