Entrust & Veyco enable digital signing for UK deeds

Entrust and Veyco have partnered to support digital signing in UK property transactions, combining identity verification and qualified electronic signatures in a single workflow. Nationwide is the first mortgage lender to use the integrated system for an electronically signed mortgage deed.

The partnership combines identity checks aligned with ETSI TS 119 461 and qualified electronic signatures issued through a qualified trust service provider. The process runs within Veyco's Know Your Customer platform, which is used in property and legal workflows.

Electronic signing in property has gained momentum since HM Land Registry said it would accept qualified electronic signatures for relevant documents. It has encouraged adoption of qualified signatures for improved security and easier residential and commercial transactions.

Regulatory context

Under the UK version of eIDAS, a qualified electronic signature has the same legal effect as a handwritten signature, subject to sector-specific requirements. Entrust and Veyco are positioning the integrated offering around compliance expectations across regulated property activity, including anti-money laundering rules and Know Your Customer obligations.

UK property transactions often involve multiple parties and extended timelines. Many steps still rely on printing, physical signatures, scanning, and posting. Witness requirements for some documents also keep face-to-face appointments in the process, particularly for deeds.

The joint solution is intended to remove paperwork, in-person appointments, and witnessed signatures for relevant use cases. It also aims to reduce administrative steps associated with printing and manual follow-ups.

How it works

The signing flow sits inside the Veyco app. Signers capture an image of a government-issued identity document and record a short selfie video. Entrust's identity verification checks the document for authenticity and matches biometric features from the selfie video to the document.

The process is designed to confirm the person presenting the document is the legitimate holder and is present during the check. After verification, the user reviews documents and signs digitally within the app.

A qualified certificate is issued by Namirial, Entrust's qualified trust service provider partner for this arrangement. The qualified electronic signature is then applied to the document, which is delivered to the solicitor or agent through the app-based workflow.

Mortgage deeds

Nationwide is using the system for mortgage deeds, which have traditionally required wet-ink signatures and witnessing. Entrust and Veyco describe Nationwide as the first lender to apply the integrated identity verification and qualified signature workflow to an electronically signed mortgage deed.

Mortgage lenders, conveyancers, and solicitors have increased scrutiny of identity and fraud controls in recent years. The sector continues to face concerns about impersonation fraud and document tampering, which can be difficult to detect in fragmented or paper-led processes.

Veyco said the approach strengthens fraud prevention while keeping the steps in a single workflow for buyers and sellers. Entrust said combining qualified signing with identity verification could change how firms handle higher-assurance transactions in regulated environments.

"Through collaboration with Entrust, HM Land Registry, and Your Conveyancer, we are making property transactions more secure and efficient for our clients," said Simon Hughes, CTO and Director at Veyco.

"Nationwide Building Society, one of the UK's largest mortgage lenders, has become the first lender to leverage the integrated solution to enable a mortgage deed to be signed electronically, removing the need for a witness and wet-ink signature," Hughes said.

Entrust framed the partnership as a single route for firms that need both identity assurance and legally recognised digital signatures. Its target audience includes banks, mortgage lenders, estate agents, conveyancers, and legal firms.

"QES and AI-powered identity verification are redefining how the property market combats fraud and accelerates transactions," said Minh Nguyen, VP Identity Security at Entrust.

"Our partnership with Veyco delivers a single, secure solution that empowers banks, mortgage lenders, estate agents, conveyancers, and legal firms to verify users with confidence and execute documents digitally with legal standing. Trust is defined in the moments of truth when access is granted, actions are decided, and identity is verified. By designing security around these moments of truth, organizations can better mitigate fraud and streamline the digital experience for everyone," Nguyen said.

The integrated signing and identity process can be completed within minutes and is designed to protect the document against tampering after signature, with delivery routed directly to the relevant solicitor or agent.