Advanced electronic signature
When identity matters, the electronic ID card confirms it
For contracts that need to hold up, the signer does not stop at a code: they identify themselves with their CIE and the CieID app, just as they do to access public services. The document comes out with the advanced signature and the verified identity written on it.
A code proves a phone. The CIE proves a person.
With the simple signature you know that whoever signed was holding that phone. For a mandate, a membership agreement or a major supply contract that may not be enough. The CIE is issued by the Italian State after in-person identification: when the signer uses it, kSign receives name, surname, tax code and date of birth from the CIE network, and the signature becomes advanced — uniquely linked to the signer, as article 26 of the eIDAS regulation requires.
How it works
-
Choose CIE when sending
While preparing the request you specify that signers confirm their identity with the CIE. The choice applies to every signer on the request, so the document has a single signature level.
-
The signer identifies themselves
From the signing page they start the verification: with the CieID app and the card held against the phone they authenticate on the CIE network and come back to the page already recognised. Then they read and accept the FEA notice.
-
Sign with verified identity
The name on the signature is the one on the card, not the one typed in. The green-bordered box shows the line “Identity verified with CIE”, and the signature certificate records the verification and the legal references.
The name under the signature is written by the ID card, not by the signer.
What you can do
-
Identity from the State, not self-declared
Name, surname, tax code and date of birth come from the CIE network, not from a hand-filled form. In the event log the tax code appears masked.
-
Your company in the certificate
In the “FEA provider” settings you enter company name, VAT number, registered office, contacts, certified email and insurance cover. These are the details the Italian decree of 22 February 2013 requires from whoever offers the advanced signature, and kSign prints them in the certificate.
-
FEA notice and acceptance
Write the notice and the acceptance text, starting from the drafts kSign provides. The signer reads and accepts them before signing, and the acceptance stays in the request’s event log.
-
The FEA manual writes itself
kSign generates a Word document with the technical part written by us — how the signature is produced, how CIE identification works, which evidence is kept — together with your details and texts. You customise it and have it reviewed by your lawyer.
-
Green at a glance
The advanced signature box has a green border, the simple one a blue border. On a contract with several signers you can see straight away who identified with the CIE.
-
At the front desk too
CIE verification also works on in-person signing stations: the client identifies with their own phone and card, and the tablet goes straight to signing.
| Feature | Simple (SMS) | Advanced (CIE) |
|---|---|---|
| eIDAS article | 25 | 26 |
| Signing link by email | yes | yes |
| Six-digit SMS code | yes | no |
| Identity verified with the CIE | no | yes |
| Name and tax code from the ID document | no | yes |
| “Identity verified with CIE” line in the box | no | yes |
| FEA notice and acceptance | no | yes |
| Provider company details in the certificate | no | yes |
| Event log and signature certificate | yes | yes |
| In-person signing at a station | yes | yes |
The level is chosen for each request and is the same for all signers.
Frequently asked questions
What changes legally compared with the simple signature?
Under Italian law (CAD, art. 20, para. 1-bis) a document with an advanced electronic signature meets the written-form requirement and has the effect of a private deed (art. 2702 of the Civil Code): its weight is no longer left to the judge’s free assessment. Acts for which the law requires a qualified or digital signature, such as property transfers, remain excluded.
Is the advanced signature valid with anyone?
It is valid in the relationship between the signer and the company offering it, the “provider” (Italian decree of 22/02/2013, art. 60). It is the right tool for documents your clients, suppliers or staff sign with you: contracts, mandates, memberships, forms.
Is a smart card reader needed?
No. A CIE 3.0, its PIN and an NFC phone with the CieID app installed are enough: it is the same gesture used to access public administration services.
What if a signer has no CIE?
In a CIE request every signer identifies with the CIE. For someone who has none, prepare a request with the SMS code: the signature will be simple, with its own evidence.
Do I have to write the FEA manual and notice myself?
Not from scratch. kSign generates the manual with the technical part already written and proposes drafts of the notice and acceptance texts. They remain templates, not legal advice: complete them with your company details and have them reviewed by your lawyer before use.
The other kSign features
Sign your company documents with kSign
Request a demo: we’ll show you how kSign makes signing fast, compliant and non-repudiable.
Alex