Approval Request Form Template (Gibraltar)

Updated on 12 August 2026

Uniquely among the markets in this batch, Gibraltar's electronic-signature law did not change on Brexit. eIDAS continues to have legal effect in Gibraltar notwithstanding its departure from the EU on 31 January 2020, because the relevant provisions were reflected and incorporated into the Gibraltar Electronic Identification and Trust Services for Electronic Transactions Regulations 2017 as retained law — a qualified electronic signature made in Gibraltar carries the same legal weight it did before departure, and the same three-tier signature hierarchy (simple, advanced, qualified) still applies.

This template also flags a scope limit in the underlying Electronic Commerce Act 2001 that a generic approval form misses: the general rule that contracts may be concluded electronically does not apply to contracts involving conveyancing, land transfers, real property interests, or rights of succession under wills. An approval on those specific subjects needs a different route than a standard electronic sign-off.

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Does this concern conveyancing, land transfer, real property or a will?Decision

Approval Request Form

Requester:
Approver:
Deadline:
Date:

1. Subject of the Request

This request does not concern conveyancing, land transfer, real property or a will, and may be approved or refused using the electronic signature tier recorded below.

2. Decision

The Approver approves this request, signed with a electronic signature. Reason: .

Requester

Date:

Approver

Date:

eIDAS survives Brexit as Gibraltar's own retained law

Gibraltar's retained EU law includes the EU Electronic Identification Regulation, which sets out simple, advanced and qualified electronic signature tiers, with a qualified electronic signature carrying the same legal effect as a handwritten one. A qualified electronic signature is an advanced electronic signature created by a qualified signature-creation device, based on a qualified certificate issued by a verified, qualified trust service provider whose credentials are recorded in a trusted list.

This continuity is worth stating explicitly on an approval form because it is easy to assume that departure from the EU on 31 January 2020 broke the link to eIDAS. It did not: the Gibraltar Electronic Identification and Trust Services for Electronic Transactions Regulations 2017 carried the substance forward as domestic retained law, so the practical position for a qualified electronic signature is unchanged.

What the Electronic Commerce Act 2001 does not cover

The Electronic Commerce Act 2001 provides that contracts may be concluded by transmission of offer and acceptance through electronic means. That general rule, however, does not apply to contracts involving conveyancing, land transfers, real property interests, or rights of succession under wills — those categories sit outside the Act's electronic-contracting rule regardless of how sophisticated the electronic signature used is.

For an approval request form, the practical effect is that most internal or commercial approvals can be signed electronically without difficulty, but an approval that is really a step in a land transaction or a testamentary matter needs its own, non-electronic-contracting route, and this template asks the signer to confirm the subject matter falls outside that carve-out before treating an electronic signature as sufficient.

Clause-by-clause guide

Requester and approver: Identifies who is asking for approval and who has authority to grant or refuse it.
Subject of the request: A precise description of what is being submitted for approval.
Excluded-subject confirmation: Confirms the request does not concern conveyancing, land transfer, real property interests or rights of succession under a will, where the Electronic Commerce Act's electronic-contracting rule does not apply.
Signature tier used: Whether the approval is signed with a simple, advanced or qualified electronic signature under retained eIDAS.
Deadline and notification: The date by which a decision must be made and how the requester is told of the outcome.

Gibraltar compliance checklist

Most approvals can be signed electronically without difficulty; the exceptions are conveyancing, land transfer, real property interests and wills.

Confirm eIDAS remains in force as retained law
eIDAS continues to have legal effect in Gibraltar notwithstanding departure from the EU on 31 January 2020, reflected in the Gibraltar Electronic Identification and Trust Services for Electronic Transactions Regulations 2017.
Lexology - Electronic Signatures, Valid Under Gibraltar Law?
Use a qualified electronic signature for full legal-handwritten equivalence
A qualified electronic signature has the same legal effect as a handwritten signature; simple and advanced tiers have narrower recognition.
Exclude conveyancing, land transfers and wills from electronic approval
The Electronic Commerce Act 2001's general rule that contracts may be concluded electronically does not apply to conveyancing, land transfers, real property interests, or rights of succession under wills.
Check the trust service provider's credentials
A qualified electronic signature depends on a qualified certificate issued by a verified provider recorded in a trusted list; check that list rather than assuming any e-signature tool qualifies.
Do not overstate the form's own effect
An approval request form documents a decision; it does not itself constitute a land-registry or testamentary formality where one is separately required.

How to complete this approval request form

Identify requester and approver. Name the person submitting the request and the person or body with authority to decide it.
Describe the subject of the request. State precisely what needs approval.
Confirm the subject is not excluded. Check the request does not concern conveyancing, land transfer, real property interests or a will, where electronic contracting does not apply.
Choose the signature tier. Select a qualified electronic signature for full legal-handwritten equivalence, or a lower tier where that is sufficient for the purpose.
Sign and record the decision. The approver signs with the chosen method and records the reasoning for approval or refusal.

Frequently asked questions

Did Brexit end eIDAS recognition in Gibraltar?

No. eIDAS continues to have legal effect in Gibraltar notwithstanding departure from the EU on 31 January 2020, carried forward as retained law under the Gibraltar Electronic Identification and Trust Services for Electronic Transactions Regulations 2017.

What is a qualified electronic signature?

An advanced electronic signature created by a qualified signature-creation device, based on a qualified certificate from a verified trust service provider on a trusted list. It has the same legal effect as a handwritten signature.

Can every approval be signed electronically?

No. The Electronic Commerce Act 2001's rule that contracts may be concluded electronically does not apply to conveyancing, land transfers, real property interests, or rights of succession under wills.

What if an approval touches on a land transaction?

Treat it outside the standard electronic approval route. Conveyancing and real property interests are excluded from the Electronic Commerce Act's general electronic-contracting rule.

Does an approval form replace a required legal formality?

No. It documents an internal or contractual decision. Where a land-registry or testamentary formality is separately required by law, that separate process still applies.

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Disclaimer

This template and guide are for general information only and are not legal advice, and no Gibraltar lawyer has reviewed them for your matter. Confirm the current position on retained EU law and electronic signatures before relying on any provision here.