Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) is a free service embedding in the Ukrainian ID card chip. This is a new option for Ukrainian ID cards presented by the State Migration Service of Ukraine.
The new service is absolutely free of charge and offers a number of benefits in electronic service to both government and business.
The ID card is issued on the basis of the Unified State Register and has reliable protection, contains biometric data and data of exchange between all registers.
Electronic signature for Ukrainian ID cards is available to Ukrainian citizens who have reached the age of 18 years. Key certificates will be valid for 2 years.
Currently, there are two ways to get the electronic signature service:
- right after receiving a new ID card at the State Migration Service’s territorial unit at the place of registration
- register an electronic signature on a previously issued ID card in any territorial unit of the State Migration Service, regardless of the place of registration.
To record QES on an ID card chip, you will need a PIN (PIN 2), which is personally specified by the owner of the ID card when it is received. Registration of the QES and inserting it on the chip ID card is optional (not obligatory).However, if the ID card holder does not wish to receive such a service, he will not be able to take full advantage of the digital signature.