An entity granted qualified status by a national supervisory body, authorised to issue qualified certificates, signatures, seals, timestamps, and electronic attestations of attributes under eIDAS.
A Qualified Trust Service Provider (QTSP) is a trust service provider that has been granted qualified status by the supervisory body of an EU Member State after passing a conformity assessment carried out by an accredited conformity assessment body. QTSPs are the highest tier of trust service providers under the eIDAS framework, and their services carry full legal effect across all Member States without the need for additional cross-border agreements. Under eIDAS 2.
0, the role of QTSPs expands significantly. In addition to issuing Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES), Qualified Electronic Seals (eSeals), and Qualified Electronic Timestamps, QTSPs can now issue Qualified Electronic Attestations of Attributes (QEAAs). These attestations, covering data such as educational diplomas, professional licences, or company registrations, carry the same legal presumption of accuracy and integrity as the underlying authentic sources from which the data originates.
QTSPs are subject to rigorous requirements: they must maintain appropriate security policies, undergo regular audits, notify breaches to the supervisory body, and appear on the national Trusted List. They must also ensure continuity of service and maintain insurance or equivalent financial guarantees. The European Commission maintains an aggregated Trusted List of all QTSPs across Member States, enabling relying parties to verify the qualified status of any provider.
For businesses, working with a QTSP is essential for issuing or verifying qualified trust services, and it is a critical compliance step for organisations that need to integrate with the EUDIW ecosystem.
Related Terms
Qualified Electronic Signature (QES)
The highest form of electronic signature under EU law, created using a qualified certificate and a qualified signature creation device, carrying the legal equivalent of a handwritten signature.
Trust ServicesQualified Electronic Attestation of Attributes (QEAA)
An electronic attestation of attributes issued by a QTSP, carrying a legal presumption of accuracy and cross-border validity equivalent to a legally issued attestation in paper form.
Trust ServicesTrusted List
An authoritative, machine-readable registry maintained by each Member State listing all qualified trust service providers and their services, forming the backbone of the eIDAS trust model.
GovernanceSupervisory Body
The national authority designated by each Member State to oversee trust service providers, ensure compliance with eIDAS requirements, and maintain the national Trusted List.
Governance