Qualified Electronic Signature Providers in Poland

Qualified electronic signature providers are entities listed by the National Certification Centre (NCCert). Being included on this list confirms that a company is an authorized provider of trust services such as qualified electronic signatures. Find out what requirements such a provider must meet, explore selected companies from the list, and learn about the digital products they offer.

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Who is a qualified electronic signature provider?

A qualified electronic signature provider is an entity included on the list of qualified trust service providers, also known as Trusted Service Providers (TSPs), maintained by the National Certification Centre (NCCert) under the supervision of the Ministry of Digital Affairs and the European Commission. Companies accredited to provide qualified services may issue, among other things, qualified electronic signatures, including one-time qualified electronic signatures.

The current and complete list of qualified electronic signature providers in Poland is available on the official website of the National Certification Centre.

What requirements must a qualified electronic signature provider meet?

A qualified electronic signature provider must meet a number of strict requirements and obtain authorization to provide this type of trust service. In addition, such a company must:

be included in the register of qualified entities providing certification services,
offer at least one type of qualified electronic signature,
ensure the security of data stored in a one-time qualified electronic signature or on a device used to store and create a qualified electronic signature,
comply with the requirements of the EU eIDAS Regulation.

List of qualified electronic signature providers in Poland

Qualified electronic signature providers in Poland may offer a range of trust services and digital products. These include:

qualified electronic signatures,
qualified electronic seals,
qualified electronic time stamps,
qualified QWAC certificates for website authentication,
registered electronic delivery services (e-Delivery).

Among the qualified electronic signature providers operating in Poland are, among others:

EuroCert,
Certum,
CenCert,
KIR (Krajowa Izba Rozliczeniowa),
PWPW (Polska Wytwórnia Papierów Wartościowych).

EuroCert

EuroCert offers several types of qualified electronic signatures. They are available with different data storage solutions and with qualified certificate validity periods ranging from one to three years. Available products include:

ECSigner cloud-based qualified electronic signature with online verification,
ECSigner cloud-based qualified electronic signature,
qualified electronic signature packages with Token, Classic, SIM card, Standard card, New Certificate, and optional time stamp packages.

Using a EuroCert qualified electronic signature requires intermediary software and the SecureDoc 2.0 application provided by the provider, which is used to create and verify signatures.

“The doPodpisu.pl platform with a qualified certificate issued by EuroCert allows you to sign any PDF file in just 15 minutes and offers the same functionality as a qualified electronic signature issued on a card or stored in the cloud. Click to learn how a qualified electronic signature works.”

doPodpisu.pl – a platform owned by EuroCert

doPodpisu.pl is an online document signing and management platform owned by EuroCert Sp. z o.o., a qualified trust service provider. Through the platform, users can sign electronic documents, send them to other people for signing, verify signatures, and store signed documents online.

Certum

Another qualified electronic signature provider is Certum. Its offering includes products such as:

electronic signature in the SimplySign mobile application,
electronic signature with a Certum Standard card and reader,
electronic signature with a Certum Mini card and reader,
SimplySign qualified electronic signature combined with the CertumSign platform.

Using this signature requires the SimplySign mobile application. It allows users to sign electronic documents with the same legal effect as a handwritten signature. The company also offers proCertum SmartSign software, provided by Asseco Data Systems S.A. The application is used to create and verify secure electronic signatures based on a valid qualified certificate and to manage electronic documents.

CenCert

CenCert is also among the qualified electronic signature providers. Its offering includes:

rSign qualified electronic signature,
qualified electronic signature on a card,
rSign qualified electronic signature with remote identity verification.

These are available in a standard version as well as versions with notarial certification or certification using another signature. The rSign application replaces the card reader and cryptographic card when creating a qualified electronic signature purchased from CenCert.

KIR (Krajowa Izba Rozliczeniowa)

Krajowa Izba Rozliczeniowa is also a trust service provider. It provides the mSzafir 2.0 qualified electronic signature. KIR offers:

Szafir qualified electronic signature,
mSzafir mobile qualified electronic signature for one-time use,
mSzafir mobile qualified electronic signature with a long validity period.

The Szafir 2.0 qualified electronic signature offered by Krajowa Izba Rozliczeniowa is available as a desktop solution using a card reader or cryptographic card, as well as the mobile mSzafir solution, which uses a mobile application. In the latter case, a smartphone is sufficient to sign a document.

PWPW (Polska Wytwórnia Papierów Wartościowych)

Polska Wytwórnia Papierów Wartościowych also offers qualified electronic signatures. Its digital product is called SIGILLUM. The offering includes, among other things:

SIGILLUM qualified electronic signature on a cryptographic card in SIM or full-size format,
qualified electronic signature using an electronic ID card.

The Sigillum Sign application is used to create and verify electronic signatures using a certificate stored on a card. To use it, intermediary software such as IDProtect or Sigillum Manager must be installed. An alternative is to use the dedicated eDO App.

Document signing platform vs. qualified electronic signature – what is the difference?

Documents can be signed using both a qualified electronic signature and a dedicated online document signing platform.

A document signing platform is a tool designed for securely storing and signing documents using different types of electronic signatures, including signatures based on qualified certificates. It is usually available online and does not require software to be installed on the device. This makes it easier to manage documents as part of a digital document workflow. The platform enables documents to be smoothly sent between selected parties for signing and allows signatures to be created and verified from anywhere using a laptop, tablet, or smartphone. At the same time, the platform can be used not only with qualified signatures but also with standard electronic signatures.

A qualified electronic signature allows you to sign a specific document when the document is required to be in writing under penalty of invalidity. It is a product issued for a specific period. A qualified certificate may be valid for one to three years. Signing a document can involve native software and a cryptographic card or USB token. A qualified electronic signature also meets the requirements of the eIDAS Regulation and is recognized for document signing throughout the European Union.

An alternative is a one-time qualified electronic signature, which allows you to sign a document when you need to do so quickly and do not need to obtain a traditional qualified signature with a longer validity period. A single qualified electronic signature is valid for 24 hours after activation and allows several files to be signed as part of a single operation. These types of signatures are used on document signing platforms.

In short, a platform is a tool designed for signing documents using different types of signatures and managing those documents. A qualified electronic signature is the highest level of electronic signature compliant with the EU eIDAS Regulation and has the same legal effect as a handwritten signature.

“The platform is a modern tool that allows documents to be signed using a one-time or recurring qualified electronic signature in as little as 15 minutes. Its features include signing multiple files simultaneously, archiving signed documents, templates, an eIDAS-compliant electronic document workflow, a signing queue, and PDF file support.”