Tag: cross-border

跨境独立承包商协议怎么写？

by absignin Electronic Signatures, How-to Guides

在国外雇用承包商在纸面上看起来很简单：同意工作、同意费用、签字。复杂性几乎完全在于一个问题——它们是如何分类的？

分类决定了预扣税、社会保障义务、就业法以及您必须提交的文件。如果“雇员”的方向出现错误，将会导致补缴税款和罚款的代价高昂。反之亦然，这是你故意选择的合规问题。

为什么分类是困难的部分

合同中的标签并不决定地位。税务机关和劳动部门会审查工作关系的实质内容：谁控制工作、工作时间如何设定、该人是否可以派出替代者、是否通过工资单或发票支付，以及是否承担商业风险。

这意味着两份措辞相同的合同可能会产生不同的结果，具体取决于双方实际合作的方式。这也意味着分类测试因国家/地区而异，当工人和付款人位于不同国家/地区时，两套规则都可能适用。

一份有说服力的协议需要什么

工作范围。精确定义可交付成果，而不是时间。指定将生产什么、验收标准和时间表。以时间而非结果为依据的协议是就业的有力指标。

付款条件和货币。说明金额、货币、发票时间表和付款窗口。跨境时，明确谁承担转换成本以及如果支付渠道失败会发生什么。如果您的承包商位于实行货币管制的国家/地区，请在同意之前验证付款方式是否确实有效。

税务责任。明确说明谁负责自己的税款、是否需要注册商业实体以及您是否会预扣任何费用。请注意：在许多司法管辖区，法律强制要求扣缴，且不能通过协议豁免。 “承包商负责所有税款”的条款并不推翻法定预扣税要求。

知识产权。以书面形式分配 IP。对于雇佣工作的申请，通常必须在工作之前或工作期间签署，并且不同司法管辖区的待遇有所不同。指定您是否获得所有权利，以及是否在法律允许的情况下放弃精神权利。

保密。范围合理、有时间限制且可执行。无法执行的一揽子保密条款比没有更糟糕，因为它可能意味着您希望保护您无权保密的信息。

数据保护。如果承包商将处理个人数据，请说明处理说明、安全期望以及 GDPR 或类似法律是否需要数据处理协议。

终止。通知期、正在进行的工作发生了什么，以及与通知期相比，已完成的交付成果是否欠款。

适用法律和争议。哪个法律，哪个论坛。如果当事人位于不同国家，仲裁通常比国家法院判决更具可执行性。

跨境支付

三件事决定付款是否真正完成：承包商是否可以以您的货币接收资金，其管辖范围是否允许资金流入，以及银行将要求提供什么文件。

常见要求包括签署的合同、发票、身份证明，有时还包括税务居住证明。银行通常要求提供全部四项，这意味着在第一次付款之前准备好它们可以防止延误，从而破坏工作关系。

协议中的任何内容都不会改变银行的合规要求，因此将文档视为入职的一部分，而不是事后的想法。

常见问题

合同中可以明确分类吗？它可以说明双方的意图，但如果关系的实质内容另有说明，则它不具有约束力。将分类子句视为语句，而不是控件。

我需要 EOR 或注册实体吗？这取决于音量和持续时间。在其他国家进行持续、综合的工作会产生签署协议无法消除的风险。许多项目都是以项目为基础的承包方式进行的。看似就业的持续工作通常并非如此。

那么常设机构呢？如果您的业务固定在某个国家/地区，则无论承包商如何聘用，都可能会在那里产生税务存在。这是有关国家税务顾问的事务。

我应该对国内和国际承包商使用相同的协议吗？一般不会。预扣税、数据保护、知识产权处理和强制性条款有所不同。使用适合司法管辖区的协议而不是通用模板。

开始使用

免费的独立承包商协议模板位于ABSign模板库。登录iPhone 和 iPad或在任何浏览器中。

一般信息，不是法律或税务建议。跨境承包商的合作应在工作开始前由两个司法管辖区的合格顾问进行审查。

Related guides

Ready to sign? Download ABSign free for iPhone and iPad — signing features work out of the box, no card required.

国际贸易销售合同：Incoterms 与付款条款详解

by absignin Electronic Signatures, How-to Guides

国际销售合同不会因为双方在价格上存在分歧而失败。它失败了，因为他们在谁承担将货物从一个国家运到另一个国家的成本以及风险从卖方转移到买方的问题上存在分歧。

Incoterms 的存在正是为了解决这个问题，跨境贸易中的大多数争议都可以追溯到从未正确指定的国际贸易术语解释通则。

Incoterms 实际做什么以及不做什么

Incoterms定义了卖方和买方之间的成本、风险和交货义务。它们没有定义谁拥有货物、所有权何时转移或违反合同会发生什么。这些是单独的条款，需要单独编写。

这是一个长期存在的误解。一份只写了 EXW 而没有提及所有权的合同却没有回答最重要的问题。

您正在使用的规则模式

EXW——出厂价。卖方在其经营场所提供货物。从那时起，买方承担一切：装载、出口清关、运费、保险和所有风险。这听起来微乎其微，事实也确实如此——EXW几乎没有给卖家分配任何东西，却给了买家很大的优惠。

FCA——免费承运人。与EXW类似，但卖方清关货物出口并将其交给买方指定的承运人。通常是集装箱运输的实用选择。

FOB——船上免费。用于海上和内河运输。卖方承担费用和风险，直至货物在装运港装船为止。请注意，在离岸价下，卖方清关出口，但买方安排并支付主要运费和保险费。

CIF——成本、保险加运费。卖方支付运费至目的港并为货物投保。当货物在原产地装船时，风险仍然转移——这让那些认为 CIF 意味着卖方全程承担风险的人感到惊讶。事实并非如此。

DAP——现场交付。卖方在指定目的地交付准备卸货的货物，并承担到该地点的成本和风险。进口清关和关税是买方的责任。

DDP——完税后交货。卖方承担一切费用，包括进口清关、关税和税费。对卖方最有利的条款，相应地要求卖方真正有能力在该国充当进口商。

比国际贸易术语解释通则更具决定性的四个条款

所有权和风险转移。分别说明所有权何时转移以及风险何时转移。对于许多买家和卖家来说，这些是不同的，而它们之间的差距就是风险所在。

付款条件。信用证、凭单现金、开立账户或存款余额。说明金额、货币、里程碑，以及如果付款延迟或银行倒闭会发生什么情况。

检查验收。买家将如何检验货物、检验期限是多久以及如果他们拒绝检验会发生什么？没有明确检验窗口的合同会产生关于是否延迟暗示接受的争论。

争议解决和适用法律。适用哪些法律、哪个论坛审理争议以及争议是否提交仲裁。对于中欧供应关系来说，指定公认的仲裁机构往往比国家法院条款更有用。

合规条款值得正确对待

制裁和出口管制条款现在是标准的，而不是可选的。它们通常要求各方保证其不是受制裁方，货物不受控制，并且不会运送到禁止的目的地。请注意，这些义务独立于国际贸易术语解释通则——作为进口商并不转移遵守制裁的责任。

还要确认书面记录：商业发票、装箱单、提单或空运单、原产地证书以及任何特定于产品的证书。跨境交易在边境失败的几率远远高于在谈判中失败的几率。

在您签字之前

  • 确认准确的国际贸易术语解释通则和版本 – Incoterms 2020 与 Incoterms 2010 有一些不同，并且应注明年份。
  • 准确说出指定地点。 “FOB 上海”和“FOB 宁波”是不同的合约。
  • 将所有权转移与风险转移分开。
  • 确认付款方式和货币，以及您是否承担转换风险。
  • 确认谁在所选条款下处理进出口清关。
  • 同意检查窗口和拒绝流程。
  • 明确适用法律和争议解决。

常见问题

Incoterm 2020 会自动适用吗？仅当合同指定时。 Incoterms 不会自动被法律纳入——合同中只写着“FOB”而没有版本是不明确的。

CIF 下的保险由谁安排？卖家，以最低限度覆盖。根据大多数其他条款，保险是买方的责任。

签署后我可以更改国际贸易术语解释通则吗？您可以同意修改，但须以书面形式提出并由双方签署。 Incoterms 的非正式变体很难证明。

哪种国际贸易术语解释通则适合首次跨境卖家？这完全取决于您的物流和现金流，而不是偏好。 EXW 对买家的影响最大； DDP 对卖家的重视程度最高。

从模板开始

一个Incoterms-现成的国际销售合同模板在 ABSign 模板库中免费提供。双方同意后即可签约iPhone 和 iPad或在任何浏览器中，带有带时间戳的审计跟踪，并且不涉及快递。

一般信息，而非法律建议。 Incoterms 非常复杂，而且错误代价高昂——请相关司法管辖区的律师或贸易顾问审查您的具体协议。

Related guides

Ready to sign? Download ABSign free for iPhone and iPad — signing features work out of the box, no card required.

远程在线公证（RON）完全指南

by absignin Electronic Signatures, How-to Guides

远程在线公证（通常缩写为 RON）是通过实时视频通话完成公证文件的过程，由授权公证人验证您的身份并以电子方式见证您的签名。

听起来像是一个技术细节。在实践中，它消除了真正的后勤障碍：需要在特定的时间、在特定的司法管辖区亲自到公证处。

远程在线公证的实际运作方式

无论提供商如何，该流程都遵循一致的形状：

  1. 身份验证。在会议之前，您的身份会被确定——通常是根据政府颁发的身份证件、基于知识的身份验证调查问卷，有时还需要生物识别或信用检查。
  2. 现场会议。公证人出现在视频中，亲自确认您的身份，确认您对文件的理解，并观看您签名。
  3. 电子公证书。公证员附上一份完成电子公证记录的证书，其中包括公证员的身份、日期和时间以及所使用的验证方法。
  4. 防篡改密封。完成的文件被密封，以便可以检测到任何后续修改。
  5. 保留。公证人通常需要将记录保留一段法定期限——在美国通常为十年。

仪式的重点不是戏剧性的。公证人正在应用法律实践中所谓的保持冷静——对他们面前的人打算签署他们所签署的内容感到满意。视频、身份证据和保留的记录共同证明了这一点。

哪里被接受

这是需要小心的地方，因为接受程度并不统一。

在美国，远程在线公证是国家层面授权的。大多数州允许这样做，有些州要求公证人与签名者位于同一州，还有少数州进一步限制。由于规则是基于州的，因此答案实际上取决于您所在的位置。

在欧洲联盟、eIDAS提供了远程电子识别和合格电子签名的框架。远程视频识别的接受取决于成员国和接受机构。

为了跨境文件，接受问题与合法性问题是分开的。有效执行的公证行为可能仍不会被受理机构——登记处、法院、大学、大使馆——所接受。请务必与接收该文件的人员确认。

RON 不适合做什么

RON 不能取代特别需要湿墨公证的公证，也不能解决海牙认证或认证要求。对于不允许这样做的司法管辖区来说，这也不是一种解决方法——在未经授权的情况下远程举行仪式会产生一份可能因此而受到质疑的文件。

还值得明确的是，公证可以验证身份和意愿。它不能验证合同是否公平、条款是否合理或者您是否理解它们。

远程在线公证与标准电子签名

这些是满足不同需求的不同工具。

标准电子签名记录签名意图并生成审计跟踪。对于大多数协议来说这已经足够了，并且需要几秒钟的时间。

远程在线公证增加了第三方——公证人——独立验证身份并申请公证证书。它的成本更高，需要更长的时间，并且只有在实际需要公证行为的情况下才有必要。

使用标准电子签名，除非您被告知需要公证，或者您出于自己的原因需要额外的保证。

如何准备远程公证会议

  • 准备好政府签发的带照片的有效身份证件。
  • 寻找一个私密、光线充足、不受干扰且连接稳定的空间。
  • 准备好完整的文件——不要提前签名。
  • 了解每个必需的签名和初始字段的位置。
  • 预计会被要求确认您理解该文件并自愿签署。

常见问题

远程公证在国际上有效吗？效力遵循公证行为发生地司法管辖区的法律。接受是一个单独的问题，取决于接收机构。在依赖它之前先确认一下。

我可以在国外进行公证吗？可以，如果公证人有权在其所在司法管辖区进行远程公证。这正是 RON 旨在解决的情况。

多久时间？通常需要 10 到 20 分钟（假设身份验证已提前完成）。

我需要旅行或打印任何东西吗？不，这就是重点。

从哪里开始

ABSign远程在线公证指南涵盖受支持的司法管辖区和文件要求。免费的 RON 同意模板可在ABSign模板库，并且签名可以在iPhone 和 iPad或在任何浏览器中。

一般信息，而非法律建议。公证要求因司法管辖区而异——请在继续之前确认适用的规则。

Related guides

Ready to sign? Download ABSign free for iPhone and iPad — signing features work out of the box, no card required.

如何签署境外合同？签署前必答的 9 个问题

by absignin Electronic Signatures, How-to Guides

在国外签订合同最困难的部分很少是签名本身。这是您无法从您坐的地方轻松检查的一切。

你不能走进对方的办公室。您无法咨询了解当地惯例的律师。你不能把纸质副本递到桌子上然后看着他们密封。你能做的就是在签字之前故意缩小这些差距。

1. 本合同适用哪个国家的法律？

这是该页面上最重要的问题，也是最容易模糊的问题。管辖法律条款决定哪个法院审理争议、适用哪个法律标准以及以何种语言解释合同。

当您与另一方距离较远时，请明确询问：适用哪个司法管辖区的法律，以及在哪里审理争议？如果答案不清楚或无法接受，那就是暂停的理由，而不是安静接受的细节。

2. 合同是用什么语言写的，您能看懂吗？

签署一份您不完全理解的文件会产生以后很难消除的风险。如果您不熟悉合同语言，请请求翻译或双语版本。如果对方拒绝该请求，请将其视为有意义的信号。

3. 我是以个人身份还是代表公司签字？

这几乎改变了下游的一切。个人签名和公司签名具有不同的权限、不同的责任和不同的形式要求。如果您代表公司签字，请验证您是否有权约束该公司 – 如果交易对手需要该授权的证据，请询问该证据必须采取什么形式。

4. 如果我们其中一人不签字怎么办？

跟踪签名顺序。谁先签名，第二次签名的截止日期是多少，如果截止日期过后会发生什么？该文件是在一方签字而另一方拒绝的情况下才具有约束力，还是只有在所有各方签字后才生效？

然后问一个实际问题：如果对方保持沉默，是否有一种机制可以关闭该文档，或者它是否无限期地处于半签名状态？

5. 付款义务是什么？以何种货币支付？

跨境意味着货币风险。确认金额、货币、谁承担兑换成本、付款截止日期以及逾期付款会发生什么情况，包括是否收取利息以及收取利息。

还要确认付款机制。由于当地转账限制、货币管制或缺少中间银行而无法跨境执行的支付是仅存在于纸面上的条款。

6. 哪些部分是保密的？

保密条款是常规条款，但跨境保密条款提出了一个实际问题：什么法律保护保密信息，如果一方被传唤并有法律义务披露该信息，会发生什么？法律强制披露的条款无一例外，其起草方式可能难以兑现。

7. 如果出现问题，我的证据在哪里？

签署之前，请决定之后您将获得什么协议证明。您想要：谁签署、何时签署、从哪里签署，以及签署后文件没有被更改。这是审计跟踪。确保您使用的工具生成了一个，并且您可以下载并保留它。

当你在国外时，这一点更重要。如果有必要强制执行，您将不会依赖自己对谈话的记忆 – 您将依赖记录。

8. 是否需要公证，在国外是否有效？

有些协议需要公证或海牙认证。远程在线公证已经存在，并且在越来越多的司法管辖区是合法的，但它并未得到普遍接受，并且接收机构可能仍然需要特定的格式。签字前以书面形式确认要求。

9. 如果签名过程中出现问题，我应该联系谁？

事情失败了。链接过期、地址输入错误、签名被拒绝。提前了解双方的联系对象，以及是否有跨时区的支持路径。这是一个小问题，在截止日期临近时可以节省大量时间。

远程签名是正常做法

上述九个问题并不表明该交易存在问题。它们是跨境协议的正常工作，任何可信的交易对手都不应该不愿意回答它们。

真正的变化是物理物流不再证明延迟是合理的。无论身在何处，您都可以使用经过验证的身份、时间戳和防篡改的审核跟踪在几分钟内登录。ZXQ品牌0QXZ正是针对这种情况而设计的——无需打印机或扫描仪即可签署、密封和跨境发送合同。

常见问题

在国外可以用手机签订合同吗？是的。在手机上签名是标准做法，并产生与在桌面上签名相同的法律结果。

在其他国家/地区签署的签名有效吗？一般来说是的。地点并不决定有效性——重要的是同意、意图、身份和记录的完整性。

我需要我的交易对手使用相同的工具吗？未必。大多数平台允许您将文档发送给某人以供签名，然后某人通过自己的帐户或链接进行签名。在发送之前值得确认这一点。

如果对方想要打印并亲自签名怎么办？这是可行的，但速度较慢。询问他们是否接受电子签名；在大多数司法管辖区，他们可以，并且它避免了快递。

免费模板和签名工具

从常见跨境协议的可编辑模板开始ABSign模板库，然后在您的手机上登录ABSign iPhone 和 iPad 免费或任何浏览器中的网络版本。

本文是一般信息，并非法律建议。请相关司法管辖区的合格律师审查您的具体协议。

Related guides

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如何在国外签署租赁协议？完整操作指南

by absignin Electronic Signatures, How-to Guides

如果您在另一个国家/地区租房，您最终会被要求签署租赁或租赁协议 – 如果您仍在国外，这通常意味着打印一份您无法轻松打印的文件，将其扫描回来，然后在房东等待时通过电子邮件发送。

现在整个过程已经没有必要了。在大多数司法管辖区，电子签名在租赁协议中得到法律认可，您可以在几分钟内完全通过手机完成一份签名。

以电子方式签署的租赁协议仍然具有法律效力吗？

是的，在绝大多数国家都是如此。相关框架——美国的《ESIGN 法案》和《UETA》、欧盟的《eIDAS》以及英国、加拿大和澳大利亚的同等立法——通常将电子签名视为与此类文档的手写签名具有相同的法律效力。

有两个条件几乎适用于所有地方：

  • 双方必须同意以电子方式签名。大多数现代房东和物业经理都接受这一点，但在开始之前先确认一下。
  • 之后您必须能够访问该文档。双方应保存并可检索已签署协议的副本。

经过公证或海牙认证的文件是一个单独的类别，具有更严格的规则，因此，如果您的房东特别要求公证，则这是与标准电子签名不同的过程。

如何通过4步签署租赁协议

1. 获取可用格式的文档。索要 PDF 或 Word 文件，而不是扫描件的扫描件。如果您只有一张照片，那么值得索取一份更清晰的副本——它使签名更加清晰，并减少以后发生争议的可能性。

2. 在签名工具中打开它。任何信誉良好的电子签名应用都可以。ZXQ品牌0QXZ在 iPhone 和 iPad 上处理此问题，如果您使用不同的设备，则网络版本可以在任何移动浏览器中运行。

3. 签名，并添加您的签名日期。绘制一次签名，将其放在所需的每个签名行上，并在旁边写上日期。如果合同要求在每一页上都有姓名缩写，请创建一个单独的姓名缩写标记 – 不要重复使用您的完整签名。

4. 将其退回并保留副本。按照楼主要求的方式发回来，并下载签名后的文件。也通过电子邮件发送给您自己。不要依赖签名平台作为您唯一的存档 – 如果您后来取消订阅或失去对帐户的访问权限，您签署的租赁协议不应随之消失。

要避免的常见错误

  • 阅读前签名。跨境租赁中最常见的代价高昂的错误是用您不完全理解的语言同意条款。如果您需要翻译，请要求翻译。
  • 使付款时间表含糊不清。签字前以书面形式确认金额、货币、到期日和存款条款。
  • 缺少押金条款。明确说明保证金的范围、返还时间以及允许扣除的金额。
  • 忘记管辖法律。适用哪个国家/地区的规则通常是跨境租赁中最重要的细节。明确检查一下。
  • 一切都使用一个签名标记。如果页面要求姓名首字母缩写，则这是与您的签名分开的标记。

谁应该进行电子签名，谁真正需要湿签名？

标准住宅租赁、房间协议和学生住宿合同通常都可以通过电子方式签署。一些机构和司法管辖区更为严格——政府租约、某些长期商业协议以及需要加注的文件可能需要亲笔签名或经过公证的签名。如有疑问，请在签字前而不是签字后询问对方。

为什么使用专用签名应用程序而不是屏幕截图

快速方法是在一张纸上签名，拍照，然后将图像粘贴到 PDF 中，从技术上讲，它会创建一个看起来有签名的文档，但它没有防篡改功能。签名图像可以移动或取出并放置在文件中的其他位置，并且没有任何签名人、时间或地点的记录。

专用的电子签名平台将签名与经过验证的身份数据绑定、添加时间戳并生成审计跟踪。该痕迹是签名在受到质疑时得以维持的原因，也是已签名文档和可证明签名文档之间的区别的原因。

从手机签名：开始之前要检查什么

  • 该工具可在您的浏览器中运行或具有适用于您的设备的应用程序。
  • 它记录带有时间戳的审计跟踪。
  • 完成后您可以下载签名文件。
  • 您可以发送文档以供另一方签名，而不仅仅是签署您自己的副本。

常见问题

我需要和房东在同一个国家吗？不。这就是电子签名的全部要点——签名方可以位于不同的国家/地区和不同的时区。这正是 ABSign 等工具的用途。

我可以在手机上签名吗？是的。通过手机签名是正常情况，并非例外。

我的房东需要特定的工具吗？一些大型物业管理公司坚持自己的平台。如果您这样做，请遵循他们的流程。如果他们没有要求，任何信誉良好的电子签名工具都可以。

如果合同的语言是我看不懂的怎么办？签字前索要翻译件或双语版本。签署一份您无法阅读的文件会带来您以后无法轻易消除的风险。

开始使用

下载ABSign iPhone 和 iPad 免费，或在任何浏览器中使用网络版本。常见跨境协议的免费模板可在ABSign模板库。

ABSign提供起草和签署的工具；本文是一般信息，并非法律建议。请相关司法管辖区的合格律师审查您的具体协议。

Related guides

Ready to sign? Download ABSign free for iPhone and iPad — signing features work out of the box, no card required.

How to Sign an Independent Contractor Agreement Across Borders

by absignin Electronic Signatures, How-to Guides

Hiring a contractor abroad looks simple on paper: agree the work, agree the fee, sign. The complexity is almost entirely in one question — how are they classified?

Classification determines tax withholding, social security obligations, employment law, and what documents you must file. Getting it wrong in the direction of “employee” is expensive in back taxes and penalties. Getting it wrong the other way is a compliance problem you have knowingly chosen.

Why classification is the difficult part

The label in the contract is not what determines status. Tax authorities and labour authorities look at the substance of the working relationship: who controls the work, how the hours are set, whether the person can send a substitute, whether they are paid through payroll or as an invoice, and whether they bear business risk.

This means two contracts with identical wording can produce different outcomes depending on how the parties actually work together. It also means the classification test differs by country — and when the worker and the payer are in different countries, both sets of rules may apply.

What a defensible agreement needs

Scope of work. Define the deliverables precisely, not the hours. Specify what will be produced, the acceptance criteria, and the timeline. An agreement framed in hours rather than outcomes is a strong indicator of employment.

Payment terms and currency. State the amount, currency, invoicing schedule, and payment window. Across borders, specify who bears conversion cost and what happens if the payment channel fails. If your contractor is in a country with currency controls, verify the payment route actually works before agreeing to it.

Tax responsibility. State clearly who is responsible for their own taxes, whether they are required to register a business entity, and whether you will withhold anything. Be careful here: in many jurisdictions withholding is mandatory by law and cannot be waived by agreement. A clause saying “the contractor is responsible for all taxes” does not override a statutory withholding requirement.

Intellectual property. Assign IP in writing. For work-for-hire to apply, it usually must be signed before or during the work, and the treatment differs across jurisdictions. Specify whether you receive all rights, and whether moral rights are waived where that is legally possible.

Confidentiality. Reasonably scoped, time-limited, and enforceable. A blanket confidentiality clause that cannot be enforced is worse than none, because it can imply you expected to protect information you had no right to keep confidential.

Data protection. If the contractor will handle personal data, address it — processing instructions, security expectations, and whether a data processing agreement is required under GDPR or comparable law.

Termination. Notice periods, what happens to work in progress, and whether payment is owed for completed deliverables versus notice period.

Governing law and disputes. Which law, which forum. Where the parties are in different countries, arbitration is often more enforceable than a national court judgment.

Paying across borders

Three things determine whether the payment actually completes: whether the contractor can receive funds in your currency, whether their jurisdiction permits the inflow, and what documentation the bank will ask for.

Common requirements include a signed contract, an invoice, proof of identity, and sometimes a certificate of tax residence. Banks commonly ask for all four, which means having them ready before the first payment prevents a delay that can derail a working relationship.

Nothing in the agreement changes a bank’s compliance requirements, so treat the documentation as part of the onboarding rather than an afterthought.

Frequently asked questions

Can the contract specify the classification? It can state the parties’ intent, but it does not bind an authority if the substance of the relationship says otherwise. Treat the classification clause as a statement, not a control.

Do I need an EOR or a registered entity? It depends on volume and duration. Sustained, integrated work in someone else’s country creates exposure that a signed agreement does not remove. Many engagements work cleanly as project-based contracting; ongoing work that looks like employment generally does not.

What about permanent establishment? If your business is fixed in a country, it may create a tax presence there regardless of how the contractor is engaged. This is a matter for a tax adviser in the country concerned.

Should I use the same agreement for domestic and international contractors? Generally no. Tax withholding, data protection, IP treatment, and mandatory clauses differ. Use a jurisdiction-appropriate agreement rather than one generic template.

Get started

A free independent contractor agreement template is in the ABSign template library. Sign on iPhone and iPad or in any browser.

General information, not legal or tax advice. Cross-border contractor engagements should be reviewed by a qualified adviser in both jurisdictions before work begins.

Related guides

Ready to sign? Download ABSign free for iPhone and iPad — signing features work out of the box, no card required.

How to Sign an International Sales Contract (Incoterms and Payment Terms)

by absignin Electronic Signatures, How-to Guides

An international sales contract does not fail because the parties disagreed on price. It fails because they disagreed on who bore the cost of getting the goods from one country to another, and on the moment the risk passed from seller to buyer.

Incoterms exist to settle exactly that, and most disputes in cross-border trade trace back to an Incoterm that was never properly specified.

What Incoterms actually do — and what they don’t

Incoterms define the cost, risk, and delivery obligations between seller and buyer. They do not define who owns the goods, when title passes, or what happens if the contract is breached. Those are separate clauses and they need to be written separately.

This is a persistent misunderstanding. A contract that says EXW and nothing about title has left the most important question unanswered.

The rules mode you are working in

EXW — Ex Works. The seller makes goods available at their premises. The buyer bears everything from that point: loading, export clearance, freight, insurance, and all risk. It sounds minimal and it is — EXW allocates almost nothing to the seller, and puts a great deal on the buyer.

FCA — Free Carrier. Similar to EXW, but the seller clears the goods for export and hands them to the carrier nominated by the buyer. Often the practical choice for container shipments.

FOB — Free on Board. Used for sea and inland waterway transport. The seller bears cost and risk until the goods are on board the vessel at the port of shipment. Note that under FOB the seller clears for export, but the buyer arranges and pays for the main freight and insurance.

CIF — Cost, Insurance and Freight. The seller pays freight to the destination port and insures the goods. Risk still passes when the goods are on board at origin — which surprises people who assume CIF means the seller carries risk all the way. It does not.

DAP — Delivered at Place. The seller delivers goods ready for unloading at the named destination, carrying cost and risk to that point. Import clearance and duties are the buyer’s responsibility.

DDP — Delivered Duty Paid. The seller bears everything including import clearance, duties, and taxes. The most seller-favourable-to-the-buyer term, and correspondingly the one that requires the seller to be genuinely able to act as importer in that country.

The four clauses that decide more than the Incoterm does

Title and risk transfer. State separately when title passes and when risk passes. For many buyers and sellers these differ, and the gap between them is where the exposure sits.

Payment terms. Letter of credit, cash against documents, open account, or a deposit balance. State the amount, currency, milestones, and what happens if a payment is delayed or a bank fails.

Inspection and acceptance. How will the buyer inspect goods, over what period, and what happens if they reject them? A contract without a defined inspection window creates arguments about whether acceptance was implied by delay.

Dispute resolution and governing law. Which law applies, which forum hears disputes, and whether disputes go to arbitration. For a China-to-Europe supply relationship, specifying a recognised arbitral institution is often more useful than a national court clause.

Compliance clauses worth getting right

Sanctions and export control clauses are now standard rather than optional. They typically require each party to warrant that it is not a sanctioned party, that the goods are not controlled, and that it will not ship to a prohibited destination. Note that these obligations sit independently of the Incoterm — being the importer does not transfer responsibility for sanctions compliance.

Also confirm the paper trail: commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading or air waybill, certificate of origin, and any product-specific certificates. Cross-border deals fail at the border far more often than in negotiation.

Before you sign

  • Confirm the exact Incoterm and the version — Incoterms 2020 differs from Incoterms 2010 in places, and the year should be stated.
  • State the named place precisely. “FOB Shanghai” and “FOB Ningbo” are different contracts.
  • Separate title transfer from risk transfer.
  • Confirm the payment method and currency, and whether conversion risk sits with you.
  • Confirm who handles export and import clearance under the chosen term.
  • Agree the inspection window and the rejection process.
  • Specify governing law and dispute resolution.

Frequently asked questions

Does Incoterm 2020 apply automatically? Only if the contract specifies it. Incoterms are not incorporated automatically by law — a contract that says “FOB” without a version is ambiguous.

Who arranges insurance under CIF? The seller, to a minimum cover. Under most other terms, insurance is the buyer’s responsibility.

Can I change the Incoterm after signing? You can agree an amendment, but make it in writing and signed by both parties. Informal variations to Incoterms are difficult to prove.

Which Incoterm suits a first-time cross-border seller? This depends entirely on your logistics and cash flow, not on preference. EXW places the most on the buyer; DDP places the most on the seller.

Start from a template

An Incoterms-ready international sales contract template is available free in the ABSign template library. Once agreed, both parties can sign on iPhone and iPad or in any browser, with a timestamped audit trail and no courier involved.

General information, not legal advice. Incoterms are complex and errors are expensive — have your specific agreement reviewed by a lawyer or trade adviser in the relevant jurisdictions.

Related guides

Ready to sign? Download ABSign free for iPhone and iPad — signing features work out of the box, no card required.

Remote Online Notarisation: How It Works and Where It Is Legal

by absignin Electronic Signatures, How-to Guides

Remote online notarisation — usually shortened to RON — is the process of completing a notarised document over a live video call, with an authorised notary verifying your identity and witnessing your signature electronically.

It sounds like a technicality. In practice it removes a genuine logistical barrier: the need to be physically present at a notary at a specific time, in a specific jurisdiction.

How remote online notarisation actually works

The process follows a consistent shape, regardless of provider:

  1. Identity verification. Before the session, your identity is established — typically against a government-issued ID, a knowledge-based authentication questionnaire, and sometimes biometrics or a credit check.
  2. The live session. A notary appears on video, confirms your identity in person, confirms your understanding of the document, and watches you sign.
  3. Electronic notarial certificate. The notary attaches a certificate completing the electronic notarial record, which includes the notary’s identity, the date and time, and the verification methods used.
  4. Tamper-evident seal. The completed document is sealed so that any subsequent modification is detectable.
  5. Retention. The notary is typically required to retain the record for a statutory period — often ten years in the US.

The point of the ceremony is not theatrical. The notary is applying what is known in legal practice as presence of mind — being satisfied that the person in front of them intended to sign what they signed. Video, identity evidence, and a retained record together establish that.

Where it is accepted

This is where care is needed, because acceptance is not uniform.

In the United States, remote online notarisation is authorised at the state level. Most states permit it, some require the notary to be physically located in the same state as the signer, and a small number restrict it further. Because the rules are state-based, the answer genuinely depends on where you are.

In the European Union, eIDAS provides the framework for remote electronic identification and qualified electronic signatures. Acceptance of remote video identification depends on the member state and the accepting authority.

For cross-border documents, the acceptance question is separate from the legality question. A notarial act validly performed may still not be accepted by the receiving authority — a registry, a court, a university, an embassy. Always confirm with whoever will receive the document.

What RON is not for

RON does not replace notarisation where wet-ink notarisation is specifically required, and it does not solve apostille or authentication requirements. It is also not a workaround for a jurisdiction that does not permit it — performing the ceremony remotely where it is not authorised produces a document that may be challenged on exactly that ground.

It is also worth being clear that notarisation verifies identity and willingness. It does not verify that the contract is fair, that the terms are reasonable, or that you understood them.

Remote online notarisation vs a standard e-signature

These are different tools serving different needs.

A standard electronic signature records intent to sign and produces an audit trail. It is sufficient for most agreements and takes seconds.

Remote online notarisation adds a third party — a notary — who independently verifies identity and applies a notarial certificate. It costs more, takes longer, and is only necessary where a notarised act is actually required.

Use a standard e-signature unless you have been told notarisation is required, or you want the additional assurance for your own reasons.

How to prepare for a remote notarisation session

  • Have your valid government-issued photo ID ready.
  • Find a private, well-lit space with no interruptions and a stable connection.
  • Have the complete document ready — do not sign it beforehand.
  • Know where every required signature and initial field is.
  • Expect to be asked to confirm that you understand the document and are signing voluntarily.

Frequently asked questions

Is remote notarisation valid internationally? Validity follows the law of the jurisdiction where the notarial act takes place. Acceptance is a separate question that depends on the receiving authority. Confirm before relying on it.

Can I be notarised while outside my own country? Yes, if the notary is authorised to perform remote notarisation in the jurisdiction where they are located. This is precisely the situation RON was designed to address.

How long does it take? Typically 10 to 20 minutes, assuming identity verification has been completed in advance.

Do I need to travel or print anything? No. That is the point.

Where to start

ABSign’s remote online notarisation guide covers supported jurisdictions and the document requirements. Free RON consent templates are available in the ABSign template library, and signing is available on iPhone and iPad or in any browser.

General information, not legal advice. Notarisation requirements vary by jurisdiction — confirm the applicable rules before proceeding.

Related guides

Ready to sign? Download ABSign free for iPhone and iPad — signing features work out of the box, no card required.

How to Sign a Contract Abroad: 9 Questions to Answer Before You Sign

by absignin Electronic Signatures, How-to Guides

The hardest part of signing a contract abroad is rarely the signature itself. It is everything you cannot easily check from where you are sitting.

You cannot walk into the other party’s office. You cannot consult a lawyer who knows the local practice. You cannot hand a paper copy across a desk and watch them seal it. What you can do is close those gaps deliberately — before you sign.

1. Which country’s law governs this contract?

This is the most consequential question on the page, and the one most often left vague. The governing law clause decides which court hears a dispute, which legal standard applies, and in what language the contract will be interpreted.

When you are physically distant from the other party, ask explicitly: which jurisdiction’s law applies, and where would a dispute be heard? If the answer is unclear or unacceptable to you, that is a reason to pause — not a detail to accept quietly.

2. In which language is the contract written, and can you read it?

Signing a document you do not fully understand creates risk that is very hard to unwind later. If you are not fluent in the contract language, request a translation or a bilingual version. If the other party resists that request, treat it as a meaningful signal.

3. Am I signing as an individual or on behalf of a company?

This changes almost everything downstream. A personal signature and a corporate signature carry different authority, different liability, and different formality requirements. If you are signing on behalf of a company, verify that you are authorised to bind it — and if the counterparty needs evidence of that authority, ask what form that evidence must take.

4. What happens if one of us does not sign?

Trace the signature order. Who signs first, what is the deadline for the second signature, and what happens if the deadline passes? Is the document binding when one party signs and the other declines, or does it only take effect when all parties have signed?

Then ask the practical question: if the other party goes quiet, is there a mechanism to close the document out, or does it sit indefinitely in a half-signed state?

5. What is the payment obligation, and in which currency?

Cross-border means currency risk. Confirm the amount, the currency, who bears the conversion cost, what the payment deadline is, and what happens on late payment — including whether interest is chargeable and at what rate.

Also confirm the payment mechanics. A payment that cannot be executed across borders — because of local transfer limits, currency controls, or a missing intermediary bank — is a clause that exists only on paper.

6. Which parts are confidential?

Confidentiality clauses are routine, but a cross-border one raises a practical question: what law protects the confidential information, and what happens if a party is subpoenaed and legally obliged to disclose it? A clause with no exception for legally compelled disclosure can be drafted in a way that is hard to honour.

7. Where is my evidence if this goes wrong?

Before signing, decide what proof of the agreement you will have afterwards. You want: who signed, when, from where, and that the document was not altered after signing. That is an audit trail. Make sure the tool you use produces one, and that you can download and retain it.

This matters more when you are abroad. If enforcement ever becomes necessary, you will not be relying on your own memory of the conversation — you will be relying on the record.

8. Is notarisation required, and does it work from abroad?

Some agreements require notarisation or an apostille. Remote online notarisation exists and is legal in a growing number of jurisdictions, but it is not universally accepted, and the receiving authority may still require a specific format. Confirm the requirement in writing before you sign.

9. Who do I contact if something goes wrong mid-signature?

Things fail. A link expires, an address is mistyped, a signature is rejected. Know in advance who to contact on each side, and whether there is a support path that functions across time zones. This is a small question that saves a great deal of time when a deadline is close.

Signing remotely is normal practice

The nine questions above are not signs of a problem with the deal. They are the ordinary work of a cross-border agreement, and no credible counterparty should be unwilling to answer them.

What has genuinely changed is that the physical logistics no longer justify the delay. You can sign in minutes, from wherever you are, with a verified identity, a timestamp, and a tamper-evident audit trail. ABSign is built for exactly this case — signing, sealing, and sending a contract across a border without a printer or a scanner.

Frequently asked questions

Can I sign a contract on my phone while abroad? Yes. Signing on a phone is standard practice and produces the same legal result as signing on a desktop.

Is a signature made in another country valid? Generally yes. Location does not determine validity — what matters is consent, intent, identity, and the integrity of the record.

Do I need my counterparty to use the same tool? Not necessarily. Most platforms let you send a document for signature to someone who then signs through their own account or a link. This is worth confirming before you send.

What if the other party wants to print and sign physically? That is workable but slower. Ask whether they will accept an electronic signature instead; in most jurisdictions they can, and it avoids the courier.

Free templates and signing tools

Start from an editable template for common cross-border agreements in the ABSign template library, and sign on your phone with ABSign free for iPhone and iPad or the web version in any browser.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Have your specific agreement reviewed by a qualified lawyer in the relevant jurisdiction.

Related guides

Ready to sign? Download ABSign free for iPhone and iPad — signing features work out of the box, no card required.

How to Sign a Rental Agreement Abroad: A Step-by-Step Guide

by absignin Electronic Signatures, How-to Guides

If you are renting a place in another country, you will eventually be asked to sign a lease or rental agreement — and if you are still abroad, that often means printing a document you cannot easily print, scanning it back in, and emailing it while the landlord waits.

That whole process is now unnecessary. Electronic signatures are legally recognised for rental agreements in most jurisdictions, and you can complete one entirely from your phone in a couple of minutes.

Is a rental agreement signed electronically still legally valid?

Yes, in the vast majority of countries. The relevant frameworks — the ESIGN Act and UETA in the United States, eIDAS in the European Union, and equivalent legislation in the UK, Canada and Australia — generally treat an electronic signature as having the same legal effect as a handwritten one for this type of document.

Two conditions do apply almost everywhere:

  • Both parties must consent to signing electronically. Most modern landlords and property managers accept this, but confirm before you start.
  • You must be able to access the document afterwards. A copy of the signed agreement should be stored and retrievable by both parties.

Notarised or apostilled documents are a separate category with stricter rules, so if your landlord specifically requires notarisation, that is a different process from a standard electronic signature.

How to sign a rental agreement in 4 steps

1. Get the document in a usable format. Ask for a PDF or a Word file rather than a scan of a scan. If you only have a photograph, it is worth asking for a cleaner copy — it makes signatures far more legible and reduces the chance of a dispute later.

2. Open it in a signing tool. Any reputable e-signature app will do. ABSign handles this on iPhone and iPad, and the web version works in any mobile browser if you are on a different device.

3. Sign, and add your signature date. Draw your signature once, place it on every signature line required, and put the date next to it. If the contract asks for initials on each page, create a separate initials mark — do not reuse your full signature for those.

4. Return it and keep your copy. Send it back the way the landlord asked, and download the signed file. Email it to yourself as well. Do not rely on a signing platform as your only archive — if you later cancel a subscription or lose access to an account, your signed tenancy agreement should not disappear with it.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Signing before reading. The most common expensive error in a cross-border lease is agreeing to terms in a language you do not fully understand. Ask for a translation if you need one.
  • Leaving the payment schedule ambiguous. Confirm the amount, currency, due dates, and the deposit terms in writing before you sign.
  • Missing the deposit clause. State clearly what the security deposit covers, when it is returned, and what deductions are allowed.
  • Forgetting the governing law. Which country’s rules apply is often the single most consequential detail in a cross-border lease. Check it explicitly.
  • Using one signature mark for everything. If a page asks for initials, that is a separate mark from your signature.

Who should sign electronically, and who genuinely needs a wet signature?

Standard residential leases, room agreements, and student accommodation contracts are all normally fine to sign electronically. Some institutions and jurisdictions are stricter — government leases, certain long-term commercial agreements, and documents that need to be apostilled may require a physical or notarised signature. When in doubt, ask the other party before you sign rather than after.

Why use a dedicated signing app instead of a screenshot

The quick approach — signing a piece of paper, photographing it, and pasting the image into a PDF — technically creates a signed-looking document, but it has no tamper protection. The signature image can be moved or lifted out and placed elsewhere in the file, and there is no record of who signed, when, or from where.

A dedicated e-signature platform binds the signature to verified identity data, timestamps it, and produces an audit trail. That trail is what makes the signature hold up if it is ever challenged, and it is also what makes the difference between a document that is signed and a document that is provably signed.

Signing from your phone: what to check before you start

  • The tool works in your browser or has an app for your device.
  • It records an audit trail with timestamps.
  • You can download the signed file when you are done.
  • You can send the document for the other party’s signature, rather than only signing your own copy.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to be in the same country as the landlord? No. That is the whole point of an electronic signature — the signing party can be in a different country and a different time zone. This is exactly the situation a tool like ABSign is built for.

Can I sign on my phone? Yes. Signing on a phone is the normal case, not an exception.

Does my landlord need a specific tool? Some large property management companies insist on their own platform. If yours does, follow their process. If they have no requirement, any reputable e-signature tool works.

What if the contract is in a language I do not understand? Ask for a translated copy or a bilingual version before signing. Signing a document you cannot read creates risk you cannot easily unwind later.

Get started

Download ABSign free for iPhone and iPad, or use the web version in any browser. Free templates for common cross-border agreements are available in the ABSign template library.

ABSign provides tools for drafting and signing; this article is general information and is not legal advice. Have your specific agreement reviewed by a qualified lawyer in the relevant jurisdiction.

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Ready to sign? Download ABSign free for iPhone and iPad — signing features work out of the box, no card required.