Qualified certificate for electronic seal
Certification authority E-Smart Systems doo (ESS QCA) as of Monday 10/14/2024 started providing the service of ISSUING OF QUALIFIED CERTIFICATE FOR ELECTRONIC SEAL based on the rescript of the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications No. 000428210 2024 13460 005 003 032 006 granted on 08/01/2024.
A qualified certificate for electronic seal confirms the identity / seal of the legal entity or organization to which the seal is read, that is, it enables verification of the identity of the sealer of the electronic document, as well as the protection of the electronically sealed document from changing the content in order to preserve its integrity.
Below you can read more about the procedures of submitting applications and issuing certificates, activation, unblocking, changing the PIN, but also about other information of importance such as: certificate price and method of payment, documentation, depending on whether you are in the process of issuing or have a certificate for the electronic seal of the Certification authority ESS QCA.
If you are interested in the service of issuing a qualified certificate for electronic seal and agree to the terms and conditions of issuing and using a qualified certificate defined in the documents Certificate policy (CP) and Certification practice statement (CPS). You can apply for a qualified certificate by filling out the online form located on the page Submitting a request.
To begin with, it is necessary to verify the e-mail address that will be entered in the qualified certificate you are applying for. You will receive a one-time link to the entered e-mail address from which you can continue the data entry process for issuing the desired certificate.
Entering information about the applicant for a qualified certificate for electronic seal contains explanations on the online form and enter all the necessary data taking into account the accuracy of the same.
After clicking Submit request, depending on whether the request is validly filled out, you will receive instructions on the further steps of the process to your email address.
In the process of issuing in the certification body ESS QCA, a qualified certificate for electronic seal is entered on the previously prepared QSCD device.
If the user declares that he will wait for the issuance of the qualified certificate, along with the certificate on the selected device, the user is given an envelope with the PIN code used to activate the private key of the qualified certificate and the PUK code used to unblock the PIN code. Otherwise, the certificate will be delivered by courier service that delivers the certificate to the user at the address entered in the certificate itself, and PIN and PUK codes will be delivered via SMS to the phone number indicated in the request.
The qualified certificate can be delivered to the address listed as the company’s headquarters in the APR register.
The prices of the certificate for electronic seal depend on the device and the duration of the certificate for which the subscriber / user decides. The prices of all varieties can be viewed in the Price List.
The Certification Body ESS QCA issues qualified certificates for electronic seal with a duration of one to five years
For legal entities, payment is made by invoice.
The complete documentation regarding the conditions of issuing and using qualified certificates for electronic seal can be read on the website of the certification body. The documentation consists of two parts – General documentation and documentation for the user of the electronic seal.
In order for a qualified electronic signature certificate to work smoothly, it is necessary to follow the guidelines given in the document Instructions for using a qualified certificate for electronic seal. The download page contains all necessary certificate and software installations.
The Certification Body ESS QCA, upon issuance of a qualified certificate for electronic seal, suspends it. The suspension after issuing the certificate is a protection measure against the compromise of the QSCD device during transport to the user.
The user via the online service, on the Activation link, activates the certificate using two parameters:
• a one-time activation code (JAK) that was sent directly to the user via SMS and
• unique user identifier (UIK) printed on the QSCD device that was handed over.
The PIN change procedure can be performed through the QCA QSCD Manager application by following the simple instructions on the application itself. You need to have your QSCD device with a qualified certificate with you – smart card (and appropriate reader) or token, as well as the PIN code you received in the PIN envelope. An explanation of this procedure can be found in the document Instructions for using a qualified certificate for electronic seal.
The procedure of unblocking the PIN can be performed independently by the user through the QCA QSCD Manager application following simple instructions on the application itself or explanations from the document Instructions for using a qualified certificate for electronic seal. In case of entering the wrong PUK in the PIN unblocking process two (2) times, independent PIN unblocking is no longer possible. In this case, device unlocking can only be performed by the ESS QCA Certification authority. The use of other application solutions for change/unblocking is not recommended, as the QSCD device can be permanently destroyed in this way.
The user can apply for unblocking the device for a qualified certificate for electronic seal. The application must be submitted in the RA body. When submitting a request for unblocking, it is necessary to enclose a blocked device, as well as an authorization to manage a qualified certificate for electronic seal (which contains the name, surname and identity card number of the person who brings the QSCD device, as well as the signature of the legal representative of the subscriber). After the identification of the authorized person, the device is unblocked and then the PIN envelope is printed, which is handed over to the authorized person along with the unblocked device.
Users can check the current status of their certificate at the following link – Status.
By entering one of two possible parameters – unique user identifier (JIK) or serial number of the certificate and clicking the check status button, you will see information about the status of the certificate, valid dates of the certificate – valid from and valid until, as well as the date from when the current status of the certificate is in force.
Once entered data in a qualified electronic seal certificate cannot be changed. If there is a change in data, at your request, it is necessary to revoke the existing certificate and create a new certificate with new data. The cost of creating a new certificate for an electronic seal falls on the subscriber’s burden.
Suspension
The subscriber/user may, if necessary, apply for the suspension of a qualified certificate for electronic seal.
In the request, it is necessary to state the reason for suspension and the desired number of days of suspension. The maximum number of days of suspension is 30. After the expiration of the suspension, the status of a qualified certificate for electronic seal automatically passes into an active one.
Revocation
The subscriber/user can apply for the revocation of a qualified certificate for electronic seal. The reason for the recall may be the loss of a QSCD device or something else. Revocation of a qualified certificate for electronic seal is a permanent action and it is impossible for a revocable qualified certificate for electronic seal to change the status to active.
In the request, it is necessary to state the reason for revocation.
The results of the suspension/revocation request processing are visible by publishing the CRL. CRL is published every day at 08:15 in the morning.
Renewal of the certificate can be requested during the duration of the certificate, one month before the expiry of the existing certificate. The request for renewal/reissue is submitted via the online form.
