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We will answer your questions, find a date that suits you and an advisor in Gdansk, Gdynia, Krakow, Warsaw or Wroclaw.
You can also write an email from us [email protected].
Qualified signature is not only technology, but above all trust. Certificates and electronic signatures are the foundation of trust in digitally circulated documents. They allow us to know who signed the file and that the content has not been altered.
The question remains: how do we know that the signature provider itself is reliable? The answer: Trusted Lists (Trusted Providers).. And for everything to work without a hitch - the lists and software must be up-to-date.
Let's take a look at what it looks like in Europe versus outside of Europe.
What are Trusted lists of suppliers (Trusted List)? They are official registries of entities that can issue qualified signatures, seals and time stamps within the EU.
In the European Union, all countries maintain their own registries of qualified trust service providers (QTSPs). These are then merged into a single EU Trusted List (EUTL) managed by the European Commission. As a result, a document signed in Poland with a qualified signature (such as Certum SimplySign or Certum Mini) is automatically recognized in all EU countries. It is eIDAS and EUTL ensure interoperability and legal certainty across the EU.
In Poland, the list is supervised by Minister of Digitization, and the data is additionally published by the National Certification Center (NCCert). Data from the Polish register goes to the EU Trusted List at the EU level.
The result? The signed document can be freely used throughout Europe, without additional procedures.
In addition to the official lists, there are also lists of trusted recipients, which work for specific applications. The most well-known example is AATL (Adobe Approved Trust List)..
User value → Acrobat Reader itself recognizes the validity of a signature issued by an entity with AATL and/or EUTL → qualified signatures will validate "green". Verifying signatures directly in Acrobat Reader is practical, but it does not legally validate a qualified signature. Keep in mind that Adobe Inc. which develops Adobe software, is only a software developer and not a government agency. The AATL list does not confer legal validity, but facilitates automatic validation. You will verify qualified signatures, seals and timestamps correctly with qualified digital trust service providers in: proCertum SmartSign (desktop) and WebNotarius service (online).
Feature | EU Trusted List (EUTL) | AATL Adobe (Adobe Approved Trust List). |
Who is leading the way? | European Commission + national authorities (e.g., Minister of Digitization in Poland) | Adobe company (commercial software developer) |
Legal basis | Regulation eIDAS (EU) | No legal force - Adobe's internal program |
Scope | All EU countries (27 countries) | Global list of certificate providers accepted by Adobe |
The role of | It decides on the legal status of of qualified trust services (QES, seal, time stamp) | Facilitates automatic verification of signatures in Acrobat Reader and other Adobe applications |
Consequences of not being listed | Signature does not have the power of a qualified electronic signature in the EU | The signature may not be automatically recognized in Adobe, but it is still valid and can be verified with other tools |
Example | Certum entered in EUTL → Certum signature recognized throughout EU | Certum entered in AATL → Certum signatures automatically "in the green" in Acrobat Reader |
Imagine signing an important contract and the program marks your signature as "invalid." It doesn't have to be a signature error at all - often an outdated list or an outdated application is to blame.
Updates are necessary to:
Failure to update means the risk of document rejection and unnecessary complications in the work, for example:
You can read about how to update supplier lists in Acrobat Reader here.
As it turns out, the situation of qualified trust services looks different in each part of the world. Below is a summary showing which countries and regions have lists of trusted providers and how the electronic signature system works.
Region / Country | Trust system | Is there a list of trusted suppliers? | Comments |
European Union | eIDAS + EU Trusted List (EUTL) | Yes (each country has a national list, merged into the EUTL) | Full interoperability - QES from one country is recognized throughout the EU. |
Poland | QES (e.g. Certum) | Yes - The register is supervised by Minister of Digitization; information also published by the NCCert; data goes to EUTL | EU standard. |
USA | ESIGN Act + UETA | Not - No central government list | What matters is the parties' agreement and verifiability; private market (e.g., Adobe Sign, DocuSign). |
Canada | Federal and provincial regulations on e-signature | Not - No uniform "trust list" | US-like model; validation based on chain of trust and compliance. |
Switzerland | ZertES | Yes - Swiss Trusted List (SAS) of the Swiss Accreditation Service | Local system, highly harmonized with eIDAS |
UAE (UAE) | Federal Decree-Law 46/2021 | Yes - UAE Trust List (TDRA) | Local jurisdiction; Centralized national system. No EU unification. |
Saudi Arabia | NCDC / DGA (state framework). | Yes - government registry/PKI | Validity mainly within national borders. |
Singapore | Law on e-signature + accreditation IMDA | Yes - list of accredited CAs (e.g. Netrust) | Local list/accreditation, not regional "EUTL". |
Japan | E-signature law + J-TSL | Yes - J-TSL (accredited services) | A national system with government accreditation. |
South Korea | Law on electronic signature | Yes (Certified Digital Signature) | A system of licensed certification authorities supervised by the government. |
The European Union is therefore unique - it is the only region in the world where there is a consistent list recognized in all member states.
Trusted provider lists are invisible on a day-to-day basis, but it is the trust provider's listing that guarantees that a qualified signature is truly universal, secure and legally effective.
Therefore, remember:
This will ensure that your documents will be respected not only in Poland, but throughout Europe - and, with the right configuration, globally as well.
W podpisano.pl we not only help you choose a qualified signature (SimplySign, Certum Mini), but also correctly configure the environment and verification - so that your signatures are always up-to-date, valid and recognizable, regardless of borders.
If you have any concerns or questions, please contact us
We will answer your questions, find a date that suits you and an advisor in Gdansk, Gdynia, Krakow, Warsaw or Wroclaw.
You can also write an email from us [email protected].
