Cloud advanced electronic signature: how to get it and use it in Legale

The cloud advanced electronic signature (FEA, its Spanish acronym) lets you sign documents directly from Legale. You enroll once, your signing credentials are kept in the cloud and each signature is confirmed with a 4-digit PIN. It is available in Chile and is useful, for example, for a legal representative who signs large volumes of documents.

What the cloud advanced signature is

An advanced electronic signature is one issued by a certification service provider accredited under Chile’s Law 19,799 on electronic documents, electronic signatures and certification services. In Legale, that provider is E-SIGN S.A.

In the cloud, the FEA works like a cloud certificate: it uses the FEA enrollment you set up in Legale and lets you sign from the platform without leaving your workflow.

What you need before you start

• Your RUT (Chilean tax ID) registered in your Legale profile.
• Your personal details exactly as they appear in the Civil Registry: first and last names, phone, RUT and document type, and address. If they don’t match, enrollment is blocked.
• Your ClaveÚnica (Chile’s government login).
• Your Chilean ID card, to enter its document number.
• Access to your bank to make a verification transfer.
• Geolocation enabled in Legale, which Chilean regulations require to record the signer’s location.

How to enroll step by step

1. Turn on geolocation in Settings → Signature.
2. Open Settings → FEA Enrollment. If you haven’t registered your RUT yet, the system will ask you to add it.
3. Complete your profile with the exact Civil Registry details and save the changes.
4. Go back to FEA Enrollment. You’ll see the advanced identity verification screen.
5. Sign in with your RUN and your ClaveÚnica on the official ClaveÚnica site. This validates your identity against government systems.
6. Enter your ID card’s document number. The platform checks that it is valid.
7. Make the verification transfer from your bank’s website or app and return to the enrollment page with the Return to Origin button.
8. Create your 4-digit PIN, accept the terms and conditions and confirm.
9. When you see the verification completed message, you can sign with your cloud FEA.

The help center guide FEA Cloud Enrollment includes a video and screenshots of each step.

Why a bank transfer is required

Since August 20, 2026, identity verification to issue FEA certificates uses a bank transfer instead of the former personal-question challenge. E-SIGN made the change at the recommendation of the Accrediting Entity, which reports to Chile’s Undersecretariat of Economy and Smaller Companies, to reduce fraud risk: the questions relied on personal data that can be leaked or guessed.

• The transfer is made from your own bank’s website or app.
• Khipu S.A. confirms that the transfer matches the generated charge and reports the result to E-SIGN.
• The amount transferred is refunded within 24 to 48 hours.
• Neither Khipu nor E-SIGN stores your banking credentials: authentication happens inside your bank.

Before you make the transfer, Legale shows a screen that explains these points. Certificates issued with this mechanism keep the legal validity that Chilean law gives the advanced electronic signature. You can read the details in Replacement of the FEA Question Challenge.

How to sign with your cloud FEA

Once enrolled, you sign documents from the platform with your cloud advanced signature and confirm each signature with your PIN. On the dashboard, the Pending section has an advanced signature filter to see only those documents.

If you need to enroll again, for example because of a problem during the process or a change in your details, use the Restart Enrollment option in Settings → FEA Enrollment.

Legale also lets you upload your own cloud certificate, in .pfx or .p12 format.

Advanced signature via API

If you integrate Legale with your systems, you can start an FEA signature from the API, without opening the platform.

Start an FEA signature without creating a contact

Since September 2026, signing starts with POST /v1/sign/start using sign_method: "fea" and the signer’s details in the same request:

• firstname, lastname1 and lastname2: first name and both last names, required when the method is FEA.
• rut: the signer’s RUT in the format 11111111-1, used to verify their identity.

You no longer need to send contact or contactId, so you don’t have to create or link a Legale contact before signing. The POST /v1/sign/start documentation reflects these requirements.

Choose the signing method and country

The advanced signature API accepts signing method and country parameters. With them, each request is routed to the provider and rules of its jurisdiction, such as local requirements and validations or the use of cloud or local certificates, while keeping the evidence and traceability of the process.

See all parameters in the API v1 documentation or start with the introduction to the Legale API.

Frequently asked questions

Is the cloud FEA available outside Chile?

The enrollment described here is only for Chile, because it uses ClaveÚnica and the Chilean ID card.

Do I lose the money from the verification transfer?

No. The amount is refunded within 24 to 48 hours.

Do I need the PIN every time I sign?

Yes. The 4-digit PIN you create during enrollment is requested for every signature.

What happens if my details don’t match the Civil Registry?

Enrollment is blocked. Correct your Legale profile with the exact details and try again.

Can I enroll again?

Yes, with the Restart Enrollment option in Settings → FEA Enrollment.

Can I start an FEA signature via API without creating a contact?

Yes. Send the signer’s first name, both last names and RUT in POST /v1/sign/start with sign_method: "fea".

Explore Despapeliza’s advanced signature options: advanced electronic signature with remote enrollment and advanced electronic signature with a PSC. If you’d like to see it working in your processes, contact us.