Wet signature

Right, in plain English

A signature actually made by hand in ink on paper, as opposed to a typed, scanned or digital one. Some offices and older bureaucracies still insist on the real inked original and will not take a scan or an e-signature. A qualified electronic signature is the high-security digital version some systems do accept, but the two are not interchangeable when an office demands ink.

Someone on another continent needs to finalise a document, and the office back home refuses the scan they emailed, demanding the original with an ink signature. Now they are posting paper across the world or arranging a power of attorney, over a signature a photo could have carried anywhere else.

Why it matters

Some offices and older bureaucracies still insist on an original wet signature and will not accept a scan or an e-signature, which is a problem when you are on another continent. It can force you to post physical documents or use a power of attorney, so it is worth checking the requirement before assuming a scan will do.