# Physical signature: print, sign and send it back

> The paper route — what the student does, what the school must have ready on the template, and how many files fit.

## What you will get

The paper route run end to end, and a way to avoid the mistake that delays it
most: sending a student off to print a contract with nowhere to sign.

## First: the template needs signature lines

**The system only draws the signature block into the PDF after the contract is
signed.** In the document the student downloads to print, that block does not
exist yet.

Which means **the lines to sign on must be in the template's own text**. The
default template that ships with the system has both — CONTRATANTE and
CONTRATADA. A template written from scratch may not, and nothing warns you.

Before using physical signature with a new template, generate a test contract,
download the PDF and check there is somewhere to sign.

## What the student sees

![Physical signature screen in the portal, with the instructions box and the upload area](/Apps/edupay/ajuda/assinatura-fisica-portal.png)
*The amber **Contract instructions** box is the instructions field from the template. If it is empty on the template, the box simply does not appear. The screenshot is from the Portuguese portal; the layout is the same in English.*

**1. The Download PDF button**, in green, at the top. On the other two methods it
only appears after signing; here it comes first, because it is what produces the
paper.

**2. The document on screen**, to read.

**3. The school's instructions**, if the template has that field filled in. This
is where you write "sign both copies", "initial every page", "bring the
guardian's ID" — whatever the school needs.

**4. The upload area**, a dashed box that opens the file picker when clicked.

## The upload

![Upload area with two files chosen, showing size and a remove button](/Apps/edupay/ajuda/assinatura-fisica-arquivos.png)
*Each chosen file becomes a row with its name, its size and a button that removes just that file from the list.*

The rules are written on the screen itself: **Accepted formats: PDF, JPG and
PNG. Send 1 to 6 files (max. 10 MB each).**

Six files is usually enough: one photo per signed page, or a single PDF with
everything inside. If the contract runs longer than that, tell the student to
merge it into a PDF — most phones do this in the camera or scanner app.

With the files chosen, the student clicks **Submit signed contract**.

> **A few labels in this box are still in Portuguese** — the drag-and-drop
> wording and the remove button. Logged for correction.

## What happens after the upload

The contract leaves **Pending** and moves to **Awaiting moderation**. On the
enrolment screen the student reads: *Contract submitted and awaiting institution
moderation.*

**And there it sits until somebody at the school approves it.** That is why
physical signature demands a routine: the Pending Signatures article explains how
to stop contracts being forgotten in there.

> **The student cannot upload again while the previous submission is in the
> queue.** The upload area disappears. It comes back if the school rejects the
> submission.

## How you know it worked

> [certo]
> The label changes to **Awaiting moderation**, and the enrolment shows *Contract
> submitted and awaiting institution moderation.* In the school's panel, the row
> appears in the **Pending Signatures** queue immediately.

## If something goes wrong

> [erro]
> **The student says they uploaded and the queue is empty.** Check they actually
> clicked **Submit signed contract** — choosing files sends nothing; they only
> sit on the screen.
>
> **A file is refused.** It is outside the three accepted formats, or over 10 MB.
> A phone photo at full resolution passes that easily; ask them to shrink it or
> shoot at medium quality.
>
> **The student printed it and found nowhere to sign.** That is the template, not
> the system. See the first section of this article.


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https://edupay.estudiosite.com/en/ajuda/day-to-day/physical-signature
2026-08-05