Which identification methods meet the eIDAS requirements?

For issuing a qualified certificate, the eIDAS Regulation permits several routes: in-person identification, video-based remote identification, use of a notified electronic identity (eID), and equivalent nationally recognised methods.

All of them must reach a high level of assurance. Which specific methods are permitted is determined by Member States in addition to the Regulation — Germany and Austria differ in detail, but the required level of assurance is identical.

Here's how the permitted methods compare:

• eID-based identification: Using ID Austria or the online ID function of the German national ID card. The fastest method, because the identity is already state-verified — duration: seconds.
• Video identification: Trained agents check the document and the person on a video call. Requires a valid ID document, a device with a camera and a mobile phone. Duration: around ten minutes.
• In-person identification: At a registration authority or public office. Highly reliable but slow and costly, and rarely practical for customer journeys.
• In-house registration officer: Specially trained staff identify colleagues internally. Economical for rollouts across several hundred people.
• Equivalent national methods: Some Member States recognise further methods provided they demonstrably reach the same level of assurance.
• Identity reuse: After successful identification the digital identity is typically maintained for five years and then renewed by re-confirmation.

How to choose the right method:

• Customer-facing journeys: For onboarding, account opening and contract closing, the eID route is the strongest choice because it avoids drop-off caused by waiting.
• Internal rollouts: Across many employees, an in-house registration officer is usually more economical than individual video sessions.
• Mixed user groups: Organisations serving German and Austrian counterparties should support both eIDs and offer video identification as a fallback.

primesign supports both instant signing with an existing eID — ID Austria and the German national ID card, in each case without prior user registration — and the issuing of its own signing certificates following remote identification. Different user groups can therefore be served through the same integration.