QES
A QES, a qualified electronic signature, is the only kind of electronic signature that eIDAS gives the same legal effect as a handwritten one, in every member state and regardless of where it was created.
Two things make a signature qualified. It has to be created with a qualified signature creation device, hardware or a certified remote service that keeps the signing key out of everyone’s reach including the provider’s, and it has to be based on a qualified certificate issued by a trust service provider listed as qualified on a national Trusted List. A signature that misses either is still valid evidence as an advanced or simple electronic signature, but a court weighs it rather than being obliged to accept it. eIDAS 2.0 puts this in reach of ordinary users: the EUDI Wallet must let a citizen create qualified signatures, free of charge for non-professional use. A QES signs a document; a QEAA attests attributes about a person or organisation. Both come from qualified trust service providers, but they answer different questions.