The Evolution of E-Signatures in Latvia: From Early Adoption to Widespread Use in Higher Education

Description

This presentation offers an overview of Latvia’s progress in the development and widespread adoption of electronic signatures (e-signatures), with a special focus on their integration into higher education. Presented as a plenary session at the international conference “Universitas Europaea: Towards a Knowledge-Based Society through Europeanisation and Globalisation,” the talk highlights key milestones, usage statistics, and the broader European context.
Latvia’s e-signature journey began in 2002 with the introduction of the first qualified e-signature (eDoc). Over the years, the system has evolved through several important stages:
•Integration with national eID cards,
•Launch of the mobile signing solution eParaksts mobile,
•Adoption of advanced formats such as XAdES, PAdES, ASiC-E (EU standard, adopted in 2021), and the recent JAdES format for JSON-based signatures.
Usage figures illustrate rapid growth:
•In 2015: ~10,000 daily signatures,
•In 2020: ~26,000 daily signatures (boosted by the pandemic),
•In 2024: ~380,000 daily authentications,
•By August 2025: ~802,000 authentications per day. Since introduction, Latvia has recorded over 420 million signatures, with more than 19.5 million uses (including 11.9 million signatures) in the first eight months after launching eDoc 2.0.
Higher education institutions have played a leading role in mainstreaming e-signature use. Since 2020, digital admission processes and remote signing have become standard practice. Universities such as RSU, LU, RTU, and LBTU now routinely use e-signatures for student contracts and certificates, with most contracts handled online by 2023–2025. RSU enables full online application and authentication via eID and e-signature, while other universities officially recommend or require e-signatures for study-related documents.
The RSU digital ecosystem, including the MyRSU portal, integrates studies and administration, offering secure login (Latvija.lv, eID, eParaksts mobile), e-services, communication tools, and document workflows, optimized for mobile and desktop use. Staff benefit from digital HR and payroll management tools, such as the HOP system by Visma Latvija.
In the European context, Latvia is among the leaders in digital public services:
•77% of internet users utilize e-government services (EU average: 74%),
•87% of citizen services are digitally available (EU average: 77%),
•Latvia ranks above the EU average in the “Digital Public Services” dimension (DESI 2022).
Latvia’s experience demonstrates the potential of e-signature technologies to enhance efficiency, security, and accessibility in education and public administration. The Latvian model provides valuable insights for countries seeking to advance digital transformation and integrate secure digital solutions into institutional practices.

Period	16 Oct 2025
Event title	The International Scientific Conference UNIVERSITAS EUROPAEA: TOWARDS A KNOWLEDGE-BASED SOCIETY THROUGH EUROPEANISATION AND GLOBALISATION
Event type	Conference
Conference number	7th Edition
Location	Chisinau, Moldova, Republic ofShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International