Bank iD is the Czech Republic’s national digital identity and signing service, operated by Bankovní identita, a.s. as a joint initiative of the country’s leading banks.
It allows millions of banking customers to use their existing online and mobile banking credentials to verify their identity, log in to public and private services, and sign documents electronically. Today, around 7 million citizens have an activated Bank iD.
Bank iD’s mission is to make everyday digital interactions faster and more secure for citizens, businesses and public authorities across the Czech Republic. It has become the country’s most widely used digital identity method, giving customers of participating banks a single trusted way to access government portals, financial services and other everyday online transactions. It is actively used by 5.3 million people, representing around 80% of the working‑age population.
Bank iD already offered a non‑qualified electronic signature service that was sufficient for most private sector use cases. But one significant scenario demanded more: registering property ownership with the Czech land registry, which requires not an ordinary qualified signature, but what Bank iD refers to as an officially certified signature.
To meet this requirement, Bank iD partnered with Ascertia.
Why did Bank iD choose Ascertia for this initiative? Read on to find out.
Business needs
Bank iD needed a solution that was technically compatible with the officially certified signature requirements of the Czech land registry, while continuing to support its existing non‑qualified signing service for other use cases.
Key requirements included:
- Technical fit: A solution capable of producing officially certified signatures compatible with land registry requirements.
- Compliance: Support for qualified electronic signatures, going beyond the non‑qualified service already in place.
- Scalability: The ability to handle a fast‑growing volume of daily signing transactions across multiple partner banks.
- Reliability: A stable platform to underpin a fully online mortgage process for the banks it serves.
Selection process & key deliverables
Ascertia’s technical compatibility with the services required by the Czech land registry made it the right fit for Bank iD’s needs.
Solution deployed:
- SAM Appliance: Enables high‑trust, officially certified qualified signing for property registration.
Since deployment, the solution has underpinned what has become Bank iD’s fastest‑growing service. Three banks now use it to support a fully online mortgage process, from pre‑approval through to the electronic signing of land registry documentation.
Outcome & results
The impact has been significant. Bank iD now processes hundreds of qualified signatures every day. Mortgage timelines have shortened dramatically: customers previously waited at least three days for approval, then a further three‑to‑four days before completing paperwork in branch with all documentation ready. Now, once a mortgage is pre‑approved, the remaining process can be completed in under 72 hours.
The change has also benefited the Czech land registry, which had long pushed for these transactions to move online, since processing paper‑based collateral agreements created a significant administrative burden. Electronic processing has simplified the process considerably on their side too.
- Bank iD considers the project a success, driven by consistently growing demand for the service.
- The SAM Appliance has proven to be a strong technical fit for meeting the land registry’s certified signature requirements.
- Working with Ascertia has been a very positive experience overall, despite some issues encountered while running the programme. The Ascertia team provided great support, responded quickly, and helped whenever needed.
Contact our team to learn how Ascertia can support your organisation’s next digital trust initiative.
