The Belgian eID signature is evolving towards a new solution

In Belgium

Situation checked in the corpus as at 31-10-2026.

In a news item of 30 March 2026, FPS BOSA announces that electronic signing with the Belgian identity card (eID) is moving to a “remote” method FPS BOSA — news item of 30-03-2026, La signature eID belge évolue vers une nouvelle solution (the news item exists only in French in the corpus):

In other words, in the new signing service, the signing certificate is managed centrally and remotely by the authorities in a secure environment. According to the FPS, to sign, one identifies oneself and then confirms the signature with the eID or the MyGov.be app; the signatures are qualified FPS BOSA — news item of 30-03-2026, La signature eID belge évolue vers une nouvelle solution. The news item predates the law of 16 July 2026, under which the FPS Home Affairs and the FPS Policy and Support make a remote qualified electronic signature service available to citizens Titre Art. 2(3).

In Belgium

Situation checked in the corpus as at 31-10-2026.

According to the FPS, every Belgian citizen holding an electronic identity card or a residence card will soon be able to request a remote signing certificate and apply qualified signatures FPS BOSA — news item of 30-03-2026, La signature eID belge évolue vers une nouvelle solution. The law, for its part, refers to authentication by means of an identity card or a foreign national’s card, or by means of the federal digital identity wallet, and sets its own conditions: being entered in the population registers, the foreigners’ register or the consular registers without having been removed from them, not having been declared absent, not being subject to the measure referred to in Article 492/1, § 1, 21°, of the former Civil Code, and being of age or an emancipated minor Art. 3(2) Art. 3(3).

In Belgium

Situation checked in the corpus as at 31-10-2026.

According to FPS BOSA:

• A user account, created once by identifying oneself with one’s identity card, residence card or MyGov.be; identity and signing capacity are checked against the National Register, then the user accepts the terms of use FPS BOSA — news item of 30-03-2026, La signature eID belge évolue vers une nouvelle solution.
• Certificates on demand, usable via the application of one’s choice; the free eSign online service makes it possible to sign PDFs. The user can deactivate the service at any time FPS BOSA — news item of 30-03-2026, La signature eID belge évolue vers une nouvelle solution.
• Availability to all citizens during 2026 FPS BOSA — news item of 30-03-2026, La signature eID belge évolue vers une nouvelle solution.
• Two deadlines. From 22 May 2026, cards issued before 1 July 2016 can no longer be used to sign in a qualified manner “selon l’ancienne méthode” (using the old method); from 22 May 2027, certain cards will have a chip that no longer meets the new certification requirements. The FPS links both to changes in European regulation. For the first, it recommends renewing one’s card in time, preferably before 1 May 2026; for the second, switching to remote signing before that date FPS BOSA — news item of 30-03-2026, La signature eID belge évolue vers une nouvelle solution.

These dates and criteria are not those of the law. Its transitional provision covers cards issued before 30 June 2017: where a law, decree or ordinance requires a qualified signature, an advanced signature created with the valid certificate of such a valid card meets that requirement, until the card expires; the article takes effect on 21 May 2026 Art. 6(1) Art. 6(2) Art. 7. The news item speaks of the “old method” of signing; the law, of meeting a legal requirement for a qualified signature. The bill cites yet other card issue dates Chamber of Representatives, DOC 56 1562/001 (tabled on 21-05-2026), EXPOSÉ GÉNÉRAL Chamber of Representatives, DOC 56 1562/001 (tabled on 21-05-2026), Art. 6.

The regulation limits the validity of the certification of a qualified signature creation device to five years, provided that vulnerability assessments are carried out every two years Art. 30; the explanatory memorandum to the bill sees this as the cause of the mismatch with cards valid for ten years Chamber of Representatives, DOC 56 1562/001 (tabled on 21-05-2026), EXPOSÉ GÉNÉRAL.