Most contracts in Germany don't need a wet signature. Yours doesn't either.
A fast signing step for the NDAs, freelance agreements, and consulting contracts German businesses handle every week.
Where this fits
- Freiberufler and small GmbHs need NDAs, freelance agreements, and service contracts signed quickly — not routed through an enterprise procurement process built for teams ten times their size
- Most everyday business contracts under German law need no particular form, or just Textform, but habit still means printing, signing by hand, and scanning "to be safe"
- International clients expect a signing link, not a scanned PDF mailed back and forth across time zones
Why Docracy
For the contracts that make up most day-to-day business in Germany — NDAs, freelance agreements, consulting contracts, service agreements — no particular form or just Textform is legally sufficient, and Docracy's standard signing flow covers that. Save your standard contract once as a reusable template, send it by email or WhatsApp, and the other side signs without creating an account. When a document calls for stronger assurance, the WhatsApp-verified track binds the signing link to a phone number and requires a PIN.
Templates for common contracts
NDAs, freelance agreements, and consulting contracts ready to reuse.
No account for the other side
Clients and contractors sign from a link — nothing to register for.
WhatsApp-verified track when it matters
Phone-bound delivery and a required PIN for documents that need stronger assurance.
Full audit trail
Delivery, read, and signature timestamps kept with the signed document.
A handful of German contracts require strict written form (Schriftform, § 126 BGB), which under § 126a BGB can only be satisfied by a Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) — examples include employment terminations, guarantees given by private individuals, residential leases over a year, and consumer credit agreements. For those specific cases, only a certified Qualified Trust Service Provider (QTSP) or a wet-ink signature will satisfy the requirement — Docracy doesn't offer QES. Real estate transfers require notarization regardless of signature method.
Templates for this
Mutual NDA
Sign an NDA online free with this mutual non-disclosure agreement template — fill in, send, and collect signatures with no account required for up to 2 signers.
Freelance Service Agreement
A freelance contract covering scope, fees, revisions, and ownership for a client hiring a freelancer on a project basis.
Consulting Agreement
Terms for an ongoing advisory/consultant relationship — fees, confidentiality, and ownership of recommendations.
Frequently asked questions
Do the people I send documents to need a Docracy account?
No — only the sender needs an account, so document history, saved templates, and team access have somewhere to live. Whoever's signing opens a link and signs, no signup required.
Which documents can I send?
Ready-made templates for this include Mutual NDA, Freelance Service Agreement, Consulting Agreement. You can also upload your own PDF.
How much does it cost?
Free for documents with up to 2 signers. Beyond that it's a flat $10/month — never priced per seat — which also unlocks reusable templates, team accounts, and the integrations mentioned above.
How fast can someone actually sign?
Under a minute in most cases: they open the link, review the document, and sign — no account to create, no app to install. WhatsApp delivery adds a phone-bound PIN step for extra assurance when that matters.
What doesn't Docracy do here?
A handful of German contracts require strict written form (Schriftform, § 126 BGB), which under § 126a BGB can only be satisfied by a Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) — examples include employment terminations, guarantees given by private individuals, residential leases over a year, and consumer credit agreements. For those specific cases, only a certified Qualified Trust Service Provider (QTSP) or a wet-ink signature will satisfy the requirement — Docracy doesn't offer QES. Real estate transfers require notarization regardless of signature method.
See also
Ready to send your first document?
Try free — send a sample freelance agreement