What is a QTSP under eIDAS?

A QTSP (Qualified Trust Service Provider) is an organisation that has been audited and approved by a national supervisory body in an EU member state to issue qualified trust services under the eIDAS Regulation. QTSPs are listed on national Trusted Lists, which are published under Article 22 of eIDAS. Qualified trust services include qualified electronic signatures, qualified electronic seals, and qualified electronic timestamps. Only a QTSP can issue a qualified timestamp that carries the legal presumption of Art. 41(2). That means accurate date and time, admissible in all EU courts without further proof. Swiss Trust Layer partners with a QTSP on the EU Trusted List to issue eIDAS-equivalent qualified electronic timestamps.

How is a QTSP different from a regular electronic signature provider?

Any software company can offer electronic signatures. A click-to-sign service or email confirmation technically constitutes a simple electronic signature under eIDAS Art. 3(10). A QTSP, by contrast, has been subject to conformity assessment by an accredited auditor and listed on an EU national Trusted List. This means QTSP-issued services carry specific legal presumptions under eIDAS: qualified signatures are presumed equivalent to handwritten signatures (Art. 25), qualified seals presumptively protect document integrity (Art. 35), and qualified timestamps presumptively prove the date and time of data (Art. 41). Non-QTSP providers cannot offer these legal presumptions regardless of their technology.

Does Switzerland have its own equivalent of a QTSP?

Yes. Under ZertES (SR 943.03), Switzerland has an accreditation system for Recognised Certification Services (Anerkannte Zertifizierungsdienste / Services de certification reconnus). The Swiss regulatory body (OFCOM/BAKOM) accredits these providers under a framework equivalent to the EU's QTSP regime. Swiss-issued qualified electronic timestamps from a recognised provider carry legal weight under Swiss law. Swiss Trust Layer uses a service provider recognised under both ZertES and eIDAS-equivalent standards, ensuring timestamps are valid in both Switzerland and EU member states.

Where can I find the official EU Trusted List of QTSPs?

The European Commission maintains the official EU Trusted Lists Browser at the European Commission's Trust Services Dashboard. Each EU member state publishes its own national Trusted List, and the Commission aggregates these into a single machine-readable list. You can search by country and service type (electronic signature, seal, timestamp) to find QTSPs for any specific need. For Switzerland, BAKOM (Federal Office of Communications) maintains the list of recognised certification services. Only providers on these lists can issue qualified trust services under eIDAS or ZertES.

What happens if I use a non-QTSP timestamp service for IP protection?

A timestamp from a non-QTSP service is a simple or advanced electronic timestamp. It may be technically accurate but does not carry the legal presumption of eIDAS Art. 41(2). This means that if you rely on it in a court proceeding, the other party can challenge its accuracy and you must prove the timestamp's reliability with additional evidence. Non-QTSP services also vary widely in how they store audit trails and whether they can produce evidence that would survive legal scrutiny. For IP protection, where your goal is to prove creation date in a future dispute, only a QTSP-issued qualified timestamp provides an unchallenged legal presumption.

Standards Compliance

Che cos'è un QTSP? Perché il vostro fornitore di firma deve essere nell'elenco UE

Philipp Stuppnik · Co-Founder & IP Strategy

3 giugno 2026 7 min letturaUltimo aggiornamento 8 settembre 2026

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In short

Un Qualified Trust Service Provider (QTSP) è un soggetto vigilato da uno Stato membro dell'UE e iscritto nell'elenco di fiducia nazionale. Solo i QTSP possono rilasciare firme elettroniche qualificate eIDAS con presunzione legale. Ecco cosa verificare.

Nell'aprile 2025, un'avvocata specializzata in proprieta intellettuale con sede a Zurigo ha ricevuto una telefonata che non si aspettava. Il suo cliente, un'azienda farmaceutica di medie dimensioni, aveva presentato un accordo di licenza a un tribunale federale tedesco. La controparte ha contestato la firma digitale: si trattava di una firma elettronica avanzata di una piattaforma SaaS, non di una firma qualificata di un fornitore iscritto nell'elenco di fiducia dell'UE. Il giudice ha chiesto al difensore del cliente di provare la validita della firma. Non ci sono riusciti. L'accordo e stato dichiarato inammissibile come documento fondante.

Questa e la conseguenza pratica di una distinzione che la maggior parte delle aziende impara troppo tardi. Non tutte le firme digitali hanno lo stesso peso giuridico ai sensi del diritto dell'UE. Una firma digitale creata da un'applicazione consumer o da uno strumento di firma SaaS puo essere crittograficamente valida, ma non gode di alcuna presunzione legale davanti ai tribunali dell'UE se non e stata rilasciata da un Prestatore di Servizi Fiduciari Qualificato (QTSP) iscritto nell'elenco di fiducia nazionale di uno Stato membro dell'UE.

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