That really depends on the country. For example, in Austria there's the "Buergerkarte" which is essentially a smartcard that can apply digital signatures. Your

That really depends on the country. For example, in Austria there's the "Buergerkarte" which is essentially a smartcard that can apply digital signatures. Your public key on that card is certified by a government agency. If you want to submit government forms you can either sign them and send the original document via postal mail, or you can use the Buergerkarte to cryptographically sign a PDF file that you can submit via the Internet. As far as I know things like copies of physical signatures won't be accepted.