Changes on the digital signature registration process

August 30, 2024

Decree 743/24 modernizes the procedure for obtaining "digital certificates" for applicants of digital signatures, which involves registering their digital signatures with authorized entities known as "licensed certifiers."

Under Digital Signature Law No. 25,506, the digital signature infrastructure is composed of licensed certifiers who are explicitly authorized by the enforcement authority to validate digital signatures. Under the previous regime, for any applicant (whether a public official or a private individual) to register their digital signature with a licensed certifier, they were required to physically appear at the premises of a licensed certifier (in accordance with Decree 182/19).

Under this new regulation, applicants are no longer required to appear in person before a licensed certifier. They can now register their digital signature remotely through the identity validation service of the National Registry of Persons.

A digital signature allows for the identification of the signer and the detection of any alterations made to the document after it has been signed (referred to as presumptions of authorship and integrity). This change simplifies the process of registering digital signatures by eliminating the need for an in-person procedure, thereby encouraging the use of this tool.