Sumsub's QES Verification is a Qualified Electronic Signature-based remote onboarding and document signing solution that meets the highest identification standards in the European region. It is recognized as a compliant method for customer verification under the national AML/CDD requirements in all 30 member states of the European Economic Area (EEA). Moreover, the solution facilitates instant high-value and high-risk document signing with the legal power of a handwritten signature that is formally accepted on an international level.

Since QES Verification is consistent with the electronic trust service requirements established under the eIDAS framework which has been incorporated into national AML/CDD law by EEA countries, businesses are not required to individually comply with jurisdiction-specific identification standards, including those of BaFin in Germany, ANSSI in France, SEPBLAC in Spain, or ADR in Romania.

The solution works by combining Sumsub's certified Identity Verification modules together with the Document Signing service enabled by a Qualified Trust Service Provider (QTSP). To complete the onboarding journey using a QES, the customer simply needs to verify their identity and seamlessly sign the relevant documents using a One-time Password.

Overall, QES Verification is an excellent choice for user verification and electronic document signing that not only helps organizations achieve regulatory compliance on a pan-European basis, but also enables a fast and effortless experience for their end customers.

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Note

Under the requirements of the German Money Laundering Act (GwG § 12 (1) 3.), when a person's identity is verified by means of a qualified electronic signature, the obliged entity is also required to ensure that a transaction is executed directly from a payment account, which is held in the name of the verified individual.

In order to help regulated organizations in Germany achieve compliance with this requirement, Sumsub has simultaneously enabled the Penny Drop Verification solution, which enables combining Identity Verification, Payment Initiation, and Qualified Signing in a single user journey.

Use cases

QES Verification satisfies two primary use cases for Sumsub clients.

Solution benefits

• Compliance. Ensures full compliance with national AML/CTF regulations for customer onboarding in all 30 member states of the European Economic Area (EEA) as well as United Kingdom and Ukraine.
• Scalability. Enables businesses to onboard customers on a pan-European level without having to comply with country-specific identification standards, such as those of ANSSI in France, SEPBLAC in Spain, and ADR in Romania.
• Conversion. Improves the speed and user experience of identification and document signing in comparison to traditional verification methods accepted in Europe, leading to a direct increase in both customer conversion and approval rates.
• Legal recognition. Delivers the same legal power for document signing as a handwritten signature, making it effortless for businesses to remotely execute legally binding transactions and agreements.
• Fraud prevention. Offers the highest level of onboarding and operational security by ensuring the integrity of the signed document, authenticity of the customer data, and non-repudiation of the signing process.
• Seamless integration. Delivers an effortless product implementation experience for Sumsub clients via our lightweight Mobile and Web SDK frameworks.

How QES Verification works

The Sumsub QES process is typically completed in less than 5 minutes, requiring minimal user action; it is simple and streamlined to enhance user experience while ensuring security.

General QES Verification flow

Step-by-step product journey:

1. ID Verification. The applicant’s identity document is captured and verified via our Seamless ID Capture module.
2. Liveness check. Biometric data is collected to confirm the applicant's identity document ownership and real-time presence.
3. Phone and Email Verification. Applicant submits and verifies their phone number and email address via OTP. This step can be omitted if the Sumsub client shares the verified phone number and email address data via the API before starting the onboarding.
4. Document review. Applicant is presented with client documents to review prior to signing.
5. OTP Authentication. A One-time Password (OTP) is sent to the applicant's verified phone number to confirm real-time signing is automatically filled in.
6. Document Signing. The document is signed with a Qualified Signature and sent back to the client both via the API and the Dashboard.

Penny Drop Verification flow

Step-by-step product journey:

1. ID Verification. The user’s identity document is captured and verified via our Seamless ID Capture module.
2. Liveness check. Biometric data is collected to confirm the applicant's identity document ownership and real-time presence.
3. Phone and Email Verification. Applicant submits and verifies their phone number and email address via OTP. This step can be omitted if the Sumsub client shares the verified phone number and email address data via the API before starting the onboarding.
4. Country and bank account selection. Applicant identifies their onboarding country and bank from which the transfer will be conducted.
5. Consent review. Applicant provides consent for personal data sharing and authorizing the transaction.
6. Bank account login. Applicant logs into their online banking account via Secure Customer Authentication (SCA).
7. Payment confirmation. Applicant authorizes a nominal payment, typically of 0.01 EUR, to be processed from their account. The transferred amount will be returned.
8. Real-time presence and account ownership validation. The relevant applicant identity and account data are retrieved to confirm the applicant's real-time presence. Additionally, the system cross-checks the information to ensure a complete identity match and validate the account ownership.
9. Document review. Applicant is presented with client documents to review prior to signing.
10. OTP Authentication. A One-time Password (OTP) is sent to the applicant's verified phone number to confirm real-time signing is automatically filled in.
11. Document Signing. The document is signed with a Qualified Signature and sent back to the client both via the API and the Dashboard.

Supported jurisdictions

Sumsub's QES Verification solution supports all jurisdictions that have incorporated the eIDAS framework (Regulation (EU) No 910/2014) and, specifically, the regulatory guidelines concerning Qualified Electronic Signatures as part of their national AML/CTF laws for customer identification and document signing. That includes all 30 member states of the European Economic Area (EEA) as well as the United Kingdom and Ukraine.

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Note

Countries in the European region, such as Georgia, Serbia, Switzerland, and Turkey, have separate approval processes for Qualified Trust Service Providers under their national laws that should be executed in order to offer Qualified Signing locally. For the time being, Qualified Electronic Signatures issued under the eIDAS technical standards and legal framework are not recognized on a formal basis in these jurisdictions.

Supported identity documents

Sumsub's QES Verification supports all official identity documents that are recognized for remote customer verification under the eIDAS framework and ETSI technical standards. Depending on the jurisdiction, these may include National Identity Cards, Passports, Driving Licenses, and Residence Permits. Overall, the solution offers around 98% adult population coverage in each applicable country. Explore our Coverage Sheet for a full breakdown of the supported identity documents.

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Note

While a number of countries have not incorporated the eIDAS regulatory guidelines into their AML/CTF laws and do not recognize Qualified Electronic Signatures as defined under the framework, the ETSI technical standards still accept the identity documents of those countries for customer verification and Qualified Signature issuing purposes. As a result, the provided list of supported identity documents covers a much broader scope than the list of supported jurisdictions.

Supported languages

The QES Verification solution currently supports the following languages:

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Note

• Languages that are not supported will be displayed in English within the Document Signing steps of the process. The rest of the verification process will be displayed in the language chosen by the client, as long as it is supported by Sumsub.
• Contact your Customer Success Manager if you wish to include an additional language to the onboarding flow. The expected delivery time is ~1 month.

Compliance overview

Sumsub’s Qualified Electronic Signature ensures several crucial elements, which gives it the same legal power of a handwritten signature:

• Integrity — no modifications to the document or its content can be made once the signature has been issued;
• Authenticity — the signature is based on a qualified certificate, which serves as a proof of the signer’s identity;
• Non-repudiation — the signer cannot deny having completed the signing process himself.

For these reasons, QES Verification adheres to the highest identification standards under the eIDAS framework (Regulation (EU) No 910/2014), which outlines the use of electronic identification and trust services and is considered equivalent to in-person customer onboarding. As a result, the solution is recognized as a compliant identification method by national AML/CTF regulatory requirements in all 30 member states of the European Economic Area (EEA) as well as United Kingdom and Ukraine.

Setup and configuration

The provided QES Verification solution scheme demonstrates the following:

• Integration architecture between Sumsub, our clients, and the Qualified Trust Service Provider (QTSP)
• Required and optional steps of the end-user journey
• Overall solution functionality

Get started with QES Verification integration

The QES Verification solution is currently supported via the following Sumsub frameworks:

• WebSDK
• MobileSDK

Refer to the complete technical integration guide to get started with the implementation process of QES Verification.

QES Verification FAQ

Find the most frequently asked questions about Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) Verification.