If your signers tried to sign with MitID and were presented with an error page informing them that they need to contact the sender, that is because their MitID has Name and Address Protection (NAP) enabled in the CPR register.
To allow your signer to sign, you have two options:
- Enable MitID with NAP, which will result in their name being hidden in the signed document.
- Enable an alternative signing method, such as Simple Electronic Signatures (SES)
Are signatures made using MitID with Name and Address Protection (NAP) legally valid?
Yes, digital signatures made via MitID with NAP can be used in many cases.
Although the signer’s name is hidden, in the event of a dispute over the validity of the signature, public authorities can still access the CPR register to confirm the identity of the signer based on their unique MitID serial number.
However, some parties - including the Danish Business Authority - require the signer’s name to be visible in the signed documents.
Therefore, it is up to you to decide whether you want to let your signers use MitID with NAP (resulting in their name being hidden in the signed document) or if you prefer them to use an alternative signing method, such as Simple Electronic Signatures (SES).
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I do not want to let signers use MitID with NAP, as I want their names to be visible on the final document
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I want to let signers use MitID with NAP, even though their names will be hidden in the signed document
I do not want to let signers use MitID with NAP, as I want their names to be visible on the final document
If you want to ensure that the signer's name is always visible in the signed documents, you can allow your signers to sign using an image of their handwritten signature instead - which the Danish Business Authority recognizes as valid for annual reports and exemption statements.
If you are an administrator of your company account, you can do so by enabling Simple Electronic Signatures (SES) via Image Upload as a signing method in your company settings.
Make sure to simultaneously disable MitID with protected name as an allowed signing method.
How to enable SES via Image Upload
To allow your signers to use Simple Electronic Signatures (SES) via Image Upload, this signing method needs to be enabled at a company level by an administrator.
To enable it, please follow this guide and checkmark the box next to Upload Image.
Once you have enabled SES at a company level, your signers who have MitID with NAP will be able to use SES Image Upload to sign (even if this signing method had not been enabled individually for them during the case file creation process).
When a signer tries to sign using MitID with NAP, they will see a warning that their name can’t be confirmed via MitID and will have the option to click on “Upload your signature picture” to sign.
Then, they will be presented with the option to upload a picture of their handwritten signature.
I want to let signers use MitID with NAP, even though their names will be hidden in the signed document
If you want, you can still let your signers use MitID with NAP.
How to enable MitID with protected name
To do so, you need to enable MitID with protected name as an allowed signing method in your company settings.
If you enable MitID with protected name as an allowed signing method, when a signer tries to sign using MitID with NAP, they will see a warning that their name won’t be included in the document.
They will have the option to choose another signing method (if available) or use MitID with CPR confirmation.
If they choose MitID with CPR, they will be asked to repeat the MitID identification process and type their CPR number.
The resulting digital signature will appear in the final document in an anonymized form, as shown in the image below:
When opening the signed document in Adobe Reader, you can click on the paperclip icon to see the signature files as attachments, but the name of the signer will still be anonymized.
You can check the validity of the signature and the identity of the signer using Penneo’s Validator, as explained in this guide.
Summary
Signers using MitID with NAP will see an error message when they try to sign. To ensure they can sign, please enable SES Image Upload or MitID with protected name in your company settings.
Please keep in mind that Penneo does not recommend enabling digital signatures made using MitID with NAP, as some parties - including the Danish Business Authority - require the signer’s name to be visible in the signed documents.