đź’ˇ At a glance
To qualify a document with a qualified signature, you can choose from a variety of certified trust service providers in sproof Sign. This eID Hub is a unique interface that greatly simplifies the legally valid signing of contracts within the EU.
→ In the module Qualified Signing With National eID you will learn how to identify yourself with a certified trust service provider.
đź“– Background and important terms
1. What is the eID Hub in sproof Sign?
When you qualify a document with sproof Sign or invite others to sign, you can select your desired eID from a variety of providers from across Europe in our eID Hub. Thanks to this unique interface, you can handle contract transactions and signature processes easily across country borders – in line with our motto: The signature that connects.
Example use case: You send a contract to people from different EU countries. You yourself have an ID-Austria identification. One of your contract partners lives in Germany and is identified with D-Trust. Another contract partner is from Lithuania and has an identification with Mobile ID. You want all contract partners to sign with a qualified signature. So when preparing the signature invitation you set “QES” as the signature type for the document and invite your contract partners. They can effortlessly select their respective TSP from the eID Hub and sign the document with it in a qualified and legally valid way.
2. What is an eID?
To be able to use a qualified electronic signature (QES), a person must identify themselves with a qualified trust service provider – also called a Trust Service Provider (TSP). A TSP issues a qualified certificate that is necessary for the QES. This certificate is often referred to as an eID (“electronic Identity”).
A TSP provides trusted electronic signatures, seals, or timestamps and is usually certified or supervised by a competent authority. In Austria, for example, A-Trust GmbH is included. The European Union maintains a list of the Trusted Lists of all member states (EUTL), which is accessible online.
Identification with a qualified trust service provider can be carried out by various procedures (e.g., video identification, app identification, German identity card).
→ For detailed information about identification, see our Academy module “QES Identification“.
→ If you want to learn more about electronic signature types, we refer you to the module “E-Signature Standards”.
List of integrated providers
We have already integrated the following certified trust service providers: |
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We don't yet support your desired provider? Contact us with your suggestion by email at contact@sproof.com.
đź“‘ Step-by-step guide
The majority of the European population is already identified with one of the listed providers. If this is not the case, or you want an additional option, you can—provided you have a User+ license—identify yourself for the sproof Qualified Signature (provider: Swisscom).
→ More information about the identification process can be found in the module “QES Identification“.
To sign with a qualified signature in sproof Sign, proceed as follows:
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Open a signature invitation or upload a document to sproof Sign yourself.
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Navigate to the “Sign yourself” tab.
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Next to “Type of signature” you can see which standard is currently selected (EES, FES or QES).
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Click on “Type of signature”. Choose the signature type (Simple, Advanced or Qualified). If you selected Qualified, you will find the eID Hub with all currently available trust service providers under “More QES signature providers (eID Hub)”.
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Click on the search field to search for a specific provider.
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Click the selection field to the right of the search field to filter by a specific country.
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Scroll through the list and select your desired provider with a click. In this example, ID-Austria (A-Trust) is used.
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If necessary, place signature fields and click the “Sign now” button.
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The A-Trust login window opens in an overlay and you can enter your login data.
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Complete the signature with the second factor (usually via the associated mobile app).
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Done! sproof Sign should now show that your document was successfully signed with a qualified signature. You can now download the document, return to the dashboard, or close the overlay and remain in the editor.
