Qualified Time Stamps

In general, a qualified electronic stamp is a digital record that ensures the signature of a document with a valid digital certificate at a specific time point in such a way that it connects the date and time of the signature and the electronic data in a cryptographically secure manner.

The SI-TSA (the Slovenian Time Stamping Authority) is an issuing authority for qualified time stamps and is part of the Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) of the Trust Service Authority of Slovenia. SI-TSA issues qualified time stamps, intended at present for applications used by public administration institutions. They are also available to business and other end users.

The purpose of SI-TSA time stamps:

  • ensuring that electronic documents are digitally signed with a valid digital certificate at a specified time in such a manner that the time and the document are electronically bound by cryptographic algorithms,
  • providing a certified time for a transaction or an event of a system or application in other cases where it is required.

A qualified time stamp is an electronically signed certificate from a certifying authority that confirms data content at the stated time. A qualified time stamp must contain unequivocal and correct data on the date, the time, exact at least to the second and the certifying authority that has created the time stamp. The qualified time stamp may be added to the document or attached and linked to it. The requirements that have to be met in that respect for a certified electronic signature also have to be met for qualified time stamps.

Legal Basis and Policy of SI-TSA

The SI-TSA issues trusted time stamps in line with:

  • Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 2014 on electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions in the internal market and repealing Directive 1999/93/EC
  • the Electronic Commerce and Electronic Signature Act (published in the Republic of Slovenia's official gazette: Uradni list RS, 57/2000 and known by the abbreviation ZEPEP),
  • the Act of Changes and Completion of the Electronic Commerce and Electronic Signature Act (ZEPEP-A; Uradni list RS, 25/2004),
  • EU directives,
  • the recommendations in RFC 3161: Internet X.509 Public Key Infrastructure - Time-Stamp Protocol (TSP)and
  • other applicable regulations.

The documentation is available in Slovenian language only.