How to Get a Document Signed Remotely: Complete Guide (2026)

Your client is in another city. Your business partner works from a different country. The freelancer you just hired lives three time zones away. And you need all of them to sign a contract by the end of the week.

Welcome to the reality of remote work in 2026, where the people signing your documents are almost never in the same room as you. The old approach of printing, signing, and scanning is dead, and honestly, it should have died years ago. Getting a document signed remotely is now faster, cheaper, and more legally sound than meeting in person with a stack of papers and a pen.

In this guide, I'll cover everything you need to know about remote document signing, from choosing the right tool to handling the legal side, along with practical tips that make the whole process smoother for everyone involved.

Why Remote Document Signing Is the New Default

Remote signing isn't a workaround anymore. It's how business gets done. Here's why it makes sense even when both parties happen to be in the same city:

Speed matters. A contract sent electronically gets signed in under 24 hours on average. A physical contract? Five to seven business days, assuming nobody loses it in the mail or leaves it on their desk for a week.

Geography stops being a factor. Whether your signer is across the street or across the Atlantic, the process is identical. No courier fees, no waiting for international mail, no scheduling an in-person meeting that both parties cancel twice.

You get a better paper trail. Ironically, digital signatures create better documentation than ink on paper. Every e-signed document comes with timestamps, IP addresses, and a complete audit trail showing exactly who signed what and when. Try getting that from a scanned PDF.

It's legally valid everywhere that matters. Electronic signatures are recognized under the ESIGN Act in the US, the eIDAS Regulation across the EU, and equivalent legislation in over 60 countries. For a detailed breakdown of the legal framework, see our electronic signature legal guide.

What You Need to Get a Document Signed Remotely

Before you send anything, make sure you have these four things sorted:

1. The Final Document

This is the number one source of problems. People send drafts, realize a clause needs changing, void the document, and start over. Don't be that person. Finalize all terms, have the contract reviewed if needed, and only then move to signing.

Format: PDF is the standard for remote signing. It preserves formatting across every device and operating system. Word documents work too, but PDFs prevent accidental edits by the signer.

2. Signer Contact Information

You need an email address for each person who will sign. Some platforms also support signing via SMS link, which can be useful when your signer checks email infrequently.

Make a list of:

• Full legal name (as it should appear on the signature)
• Email address
• Signing role (e.g., "Client," "Contractor," "Landlord," "Tenant")

3. A Remote Signing Platform

This is the tool that handles everything: sending the document, collecting signatures, storing the signed version, and generating the audit trail. Here are the main options:

If you only need a few contracts signed per month, paying per contract makes far more sense than a monthly subscription you might barely use. CanUSign charges €1 per signed contract with no monthly commitment, or €15/month for unlimited use if you sign regularly.

For detailed comparisons: DocuSign alternatives, Dropbox Sign alternative, PandaDoc alternative.

4. A Clear Signing Deadline

Remote signing makes things fast, but without a deadline, contracts still languish in inboxes. Set an expiration date of 7 to 14 days and communicate it clearly.

Step-by-Step: Getting a Document Signed Remotely

Here's the actual process, using CanUSign as the example. Other platforms follow a similar flow.

Step 1: Upload or Create Your Document

Go to canusign.com/create and upload your contract. Accepted formats include PDF and Word. If you don't have a contract ready, CanUSign offers free templates for common agreement types:

• Freelancer contract
• NDA / non-disclosure agreement
• Consulting agreement
• Service agreement
• Employment contract
• Rental agreement

Step 2: Add Remote Signers

Enter each signer's name and email address. The beauty of remote signing is that it doesn't matter where your signers are located. Someone in Tokyo and someone in London get the same experience.

Signing order options:

• Parallel: Everyone receives the document simultaneously and signs in any order. Best for co-founders, roommates on a lease, or situations where no hierarchy exists.
• Sequential: Signers go one at a time in a specific order. The next person only sees the document after the previous one signs. Useful when a manager needs to approve before the client signs.

Step 3: Place Signature Fields

Drag and drop signature fields, date fields, and any other required fields onto your document. Mark which fields belong to which signer.

This step is optional on CanUSign. If you skip it, signers can place their signature wherever the contract indicates they should sign, which works perfectly for most straightforward agreements.

Step 4: Write a Personal Note

Include a short message with the signing request. Something like:

"Hi Marcus, attached is the service agreement we discussed last week. Please review and sign at your earliest convenience. The link is valid for 14 days. Reach out if you have any questions."

Contracts with a personal note get signed faster than those sent with the default system message. It adds context and a human touch.

Step 5: Send and Track

Hit send. Each signer receives an email with a secure link to the document. They can review it on any device — desktop, tablet, or phone — and sign without creating an account or installing software.

Your dashboard shows the real-time status:

• Sent — Email delivered
• Viewed — The signer opened the document
• Signed — That person has signed
• Completed — All parties have signed

If someone hasn't signed after a few days, you can send a reminder with one click. CanUSign also handles automatic reminders, so you don't have to track timelines manually.

Step 6: Download the Completed Document

Once all signers have signed, everyone receives a copy of the completed document with:

• All signatures embedded in the document
• A certificate of completion with timestamps
• An audit trail documenting each action (viewed, signed) with dates and IP addresses

Download and store this document securely. While your signing platform keeps a copy in your account, it's always wise to maintain your own backup.

Remote Signing Across Borders: What to Know

When your signers are in different countries, a few extra considerations come into play.

Legal Validity

Electronic signatures are legally binding in most countries, but the standards vary slightly:

For standard business contracts, service agreements, NDAs, and employment documents, simple electronic signatures (the kind you create on platforms like CanUSign) are legally sufficient in all of these jurisdictions.

Exceptions exist for a small number of document types: certain real estate deeds, wills, court orders, and notarized documents may require wet ink signatures or qualified electronic signatures in some countries. When in doubt, consult a local attorney for the specific document type.

For more on US-specific rules, see our guide to the ESIGN Act. For a broader comparison of signature types, check out digital signature vs. electronic signature.

Time Zones

When setting deadlines for remote signers across time zones, be specific. "Please sign by Friday" is ambiguous when your Friday evening is their Saturday morning. Use a specific date and include the time zone if necessary.

Language

If your contract is in English but your signer primarily speaks another language, consider providing a translated summary of the key terms. The signing platform interface (including CanUSign) supports multiple languages, so the signing experience itself adapts to the signer's browser language.

5 Tips to Get Remote Documents Signed Faster

Based on thousands of contracts processed, here's what actually moves the needle:

1. Send at the Right Time

Contracts sent between 9 and 11 AM on Tuesday through Thursday get signed fastest. Monday inboxes are flooded, and Friday afternoons are a black hole for action items. If your signer is in a different time zone, target their morning, not yours.

2. Keep It Short

A 3-page contract gets signed faster than a 15-page one. If your agreement can cover all necessary terms in fewer pages, cut the filler. Nobody reads 15 pages of boilerplate, and a shorter document feels less intimidating to sign.

3. Make the Subject Line Specific

"Document for signature" is generic. "Marcus — Service Agreement for Q2 Project" tells the signer exactly what to expect and makes the email easy to find later.

4. Pre-fill Everything Possible

Fill in dates, amounts, addresses, and any other details before you send the contract. The less work the signer has to do, the faster they'll complete it.

5. Follow Up With a Phone Call

If an email reminder doesn't get results after three days, pick up the phone. Not to pressure anyone, but to check if they have questions or if the email ended up in spam. A two-minute call often resolves what a week of email reminders couldn't.

Remote Signing Without a Subscription

Not everyone needs a monthly plan. If you're a freelancer who signs one or two contracts per month, or a landlord who needs one lease signed per year, a subscription doesn't make sense.

Pay-per-use options:

• CanUSign: €1 per signed contract. No account required to get started. Upload your document at canusign.com/create, add your signers, and pay only when the document is actually signed. If someone declines, you pay nothing.
• DocuSign: Free trial with 3 signature requests. After that, minimum $10/month.
• Dropbox Sign: Free trial with 3 requests. Then $15/month.

For occasional use, the per-contract model eliminates waste entirely. You're not paying for months when you don't send anything.

FAQ: Remote Document Signing

Can I get a legal document signed remotely?

Yes. Electronic signatures are legally binding for the vast majority of business documents, including contracts, agreements, NDAs, employment offers, and lease agreements. The ESIGN Act (US), eIDAS (EU), and similar laws in 60+ countries give e-signatures the same legal weight as handwritten ones. A few document types like certain wills and notarized deeds may still require in-person or wet ink signatures depending on your jurisdiction.

Does the signer need to create an account?

Not with most modern platforms. On CanUSign, the signer simply clicks the link in their email, reviews the document, and signs. No account creation, no app installation, no login required. This is important for remote signing because every additional step is a barrier that slows things down.

How do I know if someone has signed my document?

Your signing platform sends you a notification when each signer completes their signature. You can also check your dashboard at any time to see the current status of every document: sent, viewed, or signed. The completed document includes a certificate of completion with exact timestamps.

What if my signer doesn't have a printer or scanner?

That's the whole point of remote electronic signing. No printing or scanning needed. The signer reviews the document on their screen (computer, tablet, or phone) and signs electronically by typing their name, drawing their signature, or uploading an image of their signature. The signed document is a digital file, never a physical one.

Can I get multiple people to sign the same document remotely?

Absolutely. Add all signers' email addresses when you create the signing request. You can choose parallel signing (everyone signs independently) or sequential signing (one person signs, then the next person receives the document). This works whether you have 2 signers or 20, and regardless of where they're located.

Is remote signing secure?

Reputable e-signature platforms use encryption for both document transfer and storage. CanUSign uses TLS encryption in transit and encrypted storage at rest. Every signature includes an audit trail with timestamps and device information, which makes e-signed documents more verifiable than traditional paper signatures.

Start Getting Documents Signed Remotely

You don't need to be in the same room, the same city, or even the same country to get a contract signed. The process takes less than five minutes:

1. Upload your document at canusign.com/create
2. Add your signers' email addresses
3. Hit send
4. Wait for signatures (average: under 24 hours)

Whether you're a freelancer closing a deal with an overseas client, a landlord signing a lease with a tenant who hasn't moved in yet, or a startup getting all three co-founders to sign from three different countries, the process is the same.

No printers. No scanners. No "can you FedEx me the original?" emails. Just upload, send, and get it signed.

Get your first document signed remotely →