Royal Dutch Association of Notaries and itsme^® collaborate for digital ID and e-signatures

The Royal Dutch Association of Civil-law Notaries (KNB) is partnering with digital identity app itsme^® to revolutionise notarial operations in the Netherlands through digital identification and signing.

The KNB oversees the work of all decentralised notaries in the country, representing and advocating for their interests across various sectors. Thanks to our collaboration, notaries in the Netherlands can adopt a user-friendly, digital-first approach while ensuring the highest levels of security in compliance with European eIDAS regulations. With itsme^®, Dutch notaries will always be at the forefront when it comes to future legislations, ensuring that they are always compliant with evolving European guidelines.

This advancement marks a significant milestone for one of the most highly regulated sectors in the country.

KNB sought ways to digitalise the work of notaries in the Netherlands, but this proved particularly challenging due to stringent regulations surrounding client identity verification, including the European eIDAS regulation and GDPR. As a result, clients were required to be physically present at a notary’s office during working hours to complete any necessary tasks.

To overcome the challenges in digitising the notarial sector, KNB partnered with itsme^® to modernise their processes while maintaining the highest security standards and ensuring compliance.

KNB established an environment that allows notaries to conduct video or in-person meetings with clients, where all participants can verify their identities using itsme^® in full compliance with the eIDAS regulations. Clients can also use the app to provide Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES), which are legally equivalent to a handwritten signature.

This enables, for example, the remote creation of a BV (private limited company) in the Netherlands, as well as the digital signing of notarial documents and deeds.

"The integration with itsme^® greatly enhances the digitalisation of notarial services," said Robin Perik, Chief Organisation Officer at KNB. "The ability to securely and reliably identify clients, alongside the digital processing of documents, not only boosts the efficiency of notarial processes but also establishes a crucial foundation of trust for all parties involved."

Through their collaboration with itsme^®, KNB also ensures that their data is processed and stored in strict compliance with GDPR regulations. With itsme^®, notaries can be confident that data is stored securely in the cloud within the EU, providing a single source of truth for data storage, ensuring both compliance and security.

This has been particularly important for KNB, as their previous provider of electronic signatures got acquired by an American company, raising concerns about client data being stored outside the EU.

Explore how itsme^® can grow and future-proof your business

itsme^® already has nearly 7 million users in the Benelux and combines four functions in one app. Users can identify themselves, log in, confirm transactions, and digitally sign documents in a way that holds the same legal value as a handwritten signature.  

A digital identity with such a wide range of services does not yet exist in the Netherlands. itsme^® stands out from DigiD and iDIN not only due to its ease of use and services (identification, qualified digital signature AND data sharing), but also due to its interoperability: one digital identity within one app is used in the same way and recognised by partners in both the public and private sectors.  

itsme^® complies with the highest security standards. An action is only carried out after the user’s explicit approval, ensuring that the user always retains control over their data. The app also provides an overview of all actions performed. An itsme^® action can only be confirmed with the unique combination of a smartphone, the app, and the user’s secret itsme^® code (or biometrics). 

Creating an itsme^® account takes just two minutes and is done 100% digitally and securely via the NFC reading of your ID card or passport.