Signature and trust services

The Office for Communications (AK) was the competent supervisory body under the Signature Act ever since it came into force in 2003, implementing the EU Signature Directive 1993/93/EC in Liechtenstein.

The Act has meanwhile expired and the legal framework for electronic signatures and trust services has changed fundamentally.

Since 1 July 2019, the legal basis directly applicable in Liechtenstein is no longer the Signature Act, but Regulation (EU) No. 910/2014 on electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions in the internal market and repealing Directive 1999/93/EC, OJ No. L 257/73 of 28 August 2014 ("eIDAS Regulation"), which has been incorporated into the EEA Agreement.

The eIDAS Regulation provides a comprehensive legal framework for trust services and electronic signatures. In keeping with the Signature and Trust Services Act, which entered into force on 1 July 2019 and implements the provisions of the eIDAS Regulation on signature and trust services, the Office for Communications is the competent supervisory body according to Art. 17 of the eIDAS Regulation.

Trust service providers (TSPs) must notify the supervisory body of their intention to provide qualified trust services. To do so, they must submit a conformity assessment report to the Office for Communications and meet strict requirements before being granted qualification status for the trust services in question. The Office for Communications website provides both information on relevant requirements, in particular relevant notification requirements for qualified TSPs, and an overview of all current and former qualified TSPs established in Liechtenstein.

Providers wishing to offer qualified trust services in Liechtenstein are advised to contact the Office for Communications at an early stage due to the stringent requirements they need to fulfil.

The Office for Communications maintains and publishes a Trusted List, which contains standardised information about trust services provided by Liechtenstein TSPs.

In addition, the Liechtenstein National Administration, in cooperation with the competent Austrian supervisory authority, provides a verification service that can be used to verify and validate electronic signatures and electronic seals.

The provisions on electronic identification (eID), which are also part of the eIDAS Regulation, are contained in the E-Government Act. The Office for Communications is not responsible for enforcing these provisions. Further information on Digital Identity, eID.li, and e-government in Liechtenstein can be found here or at the Office of Information Technology.