E-imzo Digital Signature: How to Get, Renew and Safely Use the Key

When an EDS equals a handwritten signature

An EDS in an electronic document is equivalent to a handwritten signature on paper when three conditions are met at the same time (Article 4): the authenticity of the signature is confirmed; the key certificate is valid at the time of verification (or at the time of signing, if that is proven); the signature is used for the purposes stated in the certificate.

An electronic document certified with a legal entity's EDS is, under the same conditions, equivalent to a paper document certified with the legal entity's seal (Article 4).

How to get an EDS key: documents

The key certificate is issued by a registration centre on the application of an individual or a legal entity. The application is reviewed within no more than one working day; the certificate is issued after the applicant's identity is confirmed (Article 22). The centre is prohibited from requesting information unrelated to the purpose of issuing the certificate.

• Individual: an identity document, PINFL (personal identification number) and information on the purpose of using the key.
• Legal entity: TIN, a power of attorney for the employee collecting the certificate, that employee's identity document and the purpose of using the key (Article 22).

What the key certificate states

The validity period is stated in the certificate itself — check it in the key properties and keep track of it in advance.

• full name and PINFL of the holder, if an individual, or the name, address and TIN of a legal entity;
• the certificate's serial number and validity period;
• the public key and the EDS tools it works with;
• the name and address of the issuing registration centre;
• the purpose of using the key;
• the web address of the Register in which the certificate is entered (Article 24).

Renewing an EDS

The holder may submit a request to extend the certificate's validity — no later than two weeks before it expires (Article 27). When the period expires, the centre terminates the certificate regardless of the holder's consent (Article 25): such a key can no longer be used to sign an e-invoice or a return.

Practical tip: keep a register of the company's keys with their expiry dates and do not schedule renewal for the last days before a filing deadline.

If a key is compromised or lost

The holder must take all possible measures to keep the private key secure and immediately notify the issuing centre if the key is being used by others or access controls have been breached (Article 27).

Suspension, restoration and termination of a certificate are carried out on the holder's written or electronic application; the centre makes an entry in the Register and notifies the holder within three working days (Article 25).

A legal entity's EDS and a change of director

If the key holder is a legal entity, its head is responsible for the use of the private key (Article 27). The head must inform the registration centre of a reorganisation or liquidation of the company and, when the employment contract ends, hand over the key in the established manner. The new head obtains the legal entity's key in the established manner and, with cloud storage, changes the authentication factors.

That is why the EDS has to be reissued when the director changes. Handing the director's key to an accountant or another employee is a risk: the head is responsible for the key's use.

Cloud EDS

EDS keys held in the registration centres' cloud technologies (a trusted storage system) are used with at least two-factor authentication (Article 5). No flash drive or key file is needed, but the phone and password must be protected just as carefully.