For Citizens - Service Finder
Certification service providers Identification of secure foreign electronic signatures and products
As a certification service provider, you can stand up for foreign electronic signatures and electronic signature products. If the signatures and products are from third countries (non EU/EEA countries), you must report your activity to the competent authority.
Note: Electronic signatures and products for which a qualified certificate is available from another EU/EEA country are equivalent to qualified electronic signatures from within the country. However, they must comply with EU legislation.
The responsibility lies with the Federal Network Agency.
- You are established in an EU/EEA country as a certification service provider or certification service provider.
- The certification service providers you represent are established in a third country.
- They shall ensure that the qualified certificates of the foreign certification service and the qualified electronic signatures based on them comply with the requirements of the Signature Act and the Signature Ordinance.
For foreign certification service providers, you must provide the following documentation:
- Name and address of certification service providers and their representation
- for proof of personal reliability: documents from the home country of the management and their representation, which prove that they meet the requirement of personal reliability in order to perform the desired service
- proof of business law: documents from the country of residence proving the legal form
- Evidence to prove the required technical, administrative and legal expertise
- Security concept with the following points:
- Description of all necessary technical, structural and organisational security measures and their suitability
- Overview of the products used for qualified electronic signatures with manufacturer's declarations or confirmations
- Overview of the structure and process organisation as well as of the certification activities
- Arrangements and measures to ensure and maintain operations, in particular in the event of an emergency
- Procedures for assessing and ensuring the reliability of the personnel deployed
- Assessment and assessment of remaining security risks
- Proof of financial security, for example:
- Liability insurance or
- comparable exemption/guarantee obligation of an insurance undertaking/credit institution authorised to operate
Note: The competent authority may request further appropriate documents on a case-by-case basis.
The competent authority shall charge fees and expenses for the processing of the advertisement, the amount of which depends on the time required.
You must display the right to claim foreign electronic signatures and products at the latest if you use them legally in Germany.
You must indicate in writing the status of foreign electronic signatures and products. If the display is transmitted electronically, you must use a qualified electronic signature.
The text was automatically translated based on the German content.
The text was automatically translated based on the German content.
Federal Network Agency
Source: Serviceportal Niedersachsen (Portalverbund des Bundes und der Länder)