Trust service

A trust service is an eIDAS-regulated service such as electronic signatures, seals and timestamps; qualified ones are provided by a QTSP in the EU.

Under eIDAS, a trust service is an electronic service that creates trust in electronic transactions, such as electronic signatures, electronic seals and electronic timestamps. The regulation lists them explicitly: creation, verification and validation of electronic signatures, electronic seals and electronic timestamps; preservation of electronic signatures, seals and related certificates; electronic registered delivery; website authentication certificates; and (since eIDAS 2) electronic attestations of attributes, electronic archiving, electronic ledgers and the management of remote signature and seal creation devices.

Each trust service exists in a normal and a qualified variant. A service becomes qualified after a conformity assessment by an accredited conformity assessment body, approval by the national supervisory body (the RDI in the Netherlands) and inclusion on the EU Trusted List, after which it may carry the EU trust mark. The qualified variant is provided by a QTSP and carries defined legal effects across the EU.