Digital signing is very simple.
Firstly, you need to decide which tool you want to use for signing: your ID-card, mobile-ID or Smart-ID.
If you are using your ID-card, insert it into the card reader, connect the reader to your computer and launch DigiDoc4.
If you are using mobile-ID or Smart-ID, simply open DigiDoc4 on your computer.
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Show Hide If a document that has been signed by someone else is sent to you for signing, save it on your computer first. Then open DigiDoc4. If the data of your ID-card is correctly read, you are ready to sign the document digitally.
Step 1: open “SIGNATURE” in the DigiDoc4 menu.
First of all, you must add the files you want to sign. You can do this by dragging the files across the screen with the mouse or clicking on “... OR LOAD FILE FROM DISK”.
Find the right documents on your computer, mark them with the mouse and click on Open or OK.
You can also sign several files at once: if necessary, add more files to the signature envelope by clicking on the “add more files” button, which appears immediately after the first file has been added.
All of the files to be signed together are added to the same “envelope” or container.
- DigiDoc4 asks macOS users to name the envelope. Select a clear and descriptive name, so the signed documents can easily be found later!
- Windows users don’t have to add a separate name to the envelope. The signed envelope is automatically saved in the same place as the documents that need to be signed. This can be changed after the files have been added by clicking on “Change” on the file location reference in DigiDoc4.
After the files have been added, the “Container files” with all of the documents pending signature is displayed on the signature screen of DigiDoc4.
Step 2: adding a role
You are ready to sign the documents after they have all been added to the envelope.
You can immediately click on “Sign” or update the data by adding the role of the signatory.
In order to do this, tick the relevant box under “Settings” (“Ask role and address info on signing”).
Step 3: sign the files
Click on “SIGN WITH ID-CARD” to sign the documents.
You are then asked to enter the PIN2 of your ID-card. Enter PIN2.
If the documents were successfully signed, you will see the relevant information in the main view of DigiDoc4:
Did you know that you can also sign documents via Windows Explorer ?
- Windows 10 (64-bit):
You can also sign documents digitally via Windows Explorer: right click on the file name and select “Sign digitally” in the drop-down menu that opens.
- Windows 11:
If the "Sign digitally" option is missing from the Windows 11 Context menu, try selecting the "Show more options" option at the end of its list, or press the Shift + F10 key combination.
When you sign documents digitally, please keep in mind that:
- You cannot change the contents of a signed envelope. You can add and remove the signatures in the envelope.
- If you still need to change the files, you must create a new envelope and give your signatures again.
- You should encrypt the envelopes in order to send them securely, e.g. by e-mail.
- You can attach the signed document envelope to the e-mail message as an ordinary attachment. You can also send the files directly via DigiDoc4: you must have an e-mail programme (e.g. Microsoft Outlook) installed on your computer in order to do this.
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Show Hide Did you know you can sign documents with your mobile-ID? And that a signature given with mobile-ID has the same legal force as a hand-written signature?
There are two ways to add a digital signature in DigiDoc4:
Locate the document to be signed via your computer’s file manager and right click on the document title. If the pop-up menu includes the link ‘Sign digitally’ (a link with the DigiDoc4 logo, etc.) click on it and the DigiDoc4 signing function opens automatically.
- Windows 10 (64-bit):
You can also sign documents digitally via Windows Explorer: right click on the file name and select “Sign digitally” in the drop-down menu that opens.
- Windows 11:
If the "Sign digitally" option is missing from the Windows 11 Context menu, try selecting the "Show more options" option at the end of its list, or press the Shift + F10 key combination.
As an alternative, you can launch DigiDoc4 and click on the option ‘Signature’ in the right-hand menu. You are offered the possibility to drag the necessary documents to DigiDoc4 or add them by clicking on the ‘... or load file from disk’ button.
You can also sign several files at once, should you wish – to this end, click on the ‘+ add more files’ button.
All of the simultaneously signed documents are added in one document container.
Add ‘Role’ where needed. What is the role of signatory and how to add it?
Before signing, make sure that you have added all of the files that you wish to sign simultaneously and click on the ‘Sign with mobile-ID’ button.
DigiDoc4 will now ask you to enter your phone number and personal identification code. Enter them, make sure that the data are correct and click on the ’Sign‘ button.
After a few moments, a verification code should appear on the DigiDoc4 screen and in your incoming text messages.
Check whether the verification code in DigiDoc4 matches the one on the mobile screen. If the verification codes match, press ‘Accept’ on your phone. After that the phone asks you to enter your mobile-ID PIN2. Enter it and press ‘OK’/’Send’.
If the signing is successful, you will see the documents in the digitally signed container and information on the signatures added in the main view.
NB! You cannot change the contents of a signed container, but you can add and remove signatures.
Adding your signature to a file already signed and sent to you:
- Save the document received via e-mail on your computer.
- Open the signed document in DigiDoc4.
- Add your signature.
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Show Hide Did you know that you can use ID-software to sign documents with Smart-ID without using your mobile-ID or ID-card?
To do that, you will need:
- the latest ID-software version
Using Smart-ID to create digital signatures in DigiDoc4:
Open DigiDoc4, click on the “Signature” tab in the left-hand menu and select files you want to sign digitally. Once the document container is ready to be signed, click on the small triangle button in the bottom right corner of the screen. This opens a list of currently used signature creation devices.
Select Smart-ID and follow the instructions on the screen. It is important to remember that you need to enter your personal identification number to create a signature, and Smart-ID will ask you to choose the correct verification code before entering PIN2.
For added security, several verification codes appear on the screen of the smart device, select the one that corresponds to the one displayed on the computer screen, after that enter the PIN2.
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Show Hide In July 2016, a directly applicable implementing provision of the European Union came into effect, which brought into force the eIDAS Regulation. As a result, there are four levels of e-signatures:
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Level 1 – QES (Qualified Electronic Signature)
The highest level of e-signatures, which is equal to handwritten signatures and is also called a digital signature in Estonia. The signature meets the technological requirements established in standards. The backgrounds of both the owner of the signature and the issuer of the certificate are checked. Additionally, the signature is given with a means that is deemed suitable (ID-cards, digital IDs, mobile-IDs and qualified Smart-ID accounts in Estonia. Read more about digital documents). -
Level 2 – AdES/QC – Advanced
An e-signature with a qualified certificate. The signature meets the technological requirements established in standards. The backgrounds of both the owner of the signature and the issuer of the certificate are checked. - Level 3 – AdES (Advanced Electronic Signature) – The signature meets the technological requirements established in standards, but the background of the holder of the certificate used to give the signature as well as the background of the issuer of the certificate may be unknown.
- Level 4 – Other electronic signatures – all other electronic signatures that do not meet valid standards.
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Level 1 – QES (Qualified Electronic Signature)