In an ambitious expansion drive to embrace new opportunities across Europe, itsme® achieved several major milestones in 2024 with its gradual rollout across multiple European countries. What began as a digital identity solution limited to BeNeLux (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg) has evolved into a pan-European platform now covering 17 countries across the continent.

This strategic expansion is in response to growing demand for reliable, secure digital identity solutions, as digital transformation gathers pace across Europe. Citizens and businesses are looking for simple, secure and legally valid ways to identify themselves online, authenticate themselves to digital services and sign documents with the same legal value as a handwritten signature.

itsme®’s European expansion: chronology and countries covered

Phase 1: The BeNeLux foundations (2017-2023)

itsme® was initially launched in Belgium in 2017, a pioneering country in digital identity with its eID card deployed as early as 2003. The dazzling success in Belgium, with nearly 6 million Belgian users, quickly demonstrated the viability of the model.

Expansion then followed naturally into the Netherlands and Luxembourg, completing BeNeLux’s coverage and creating a solid user base in this economically dynamic region.

Phase 2: First wave of expansion (early 2024)

At the beginning of 2024, itsme® announced its successful expansion into 4 additional European countries, marking the start of an ambitious internationalization:

Phase 3: Major expansion in Western Europe (2024-2025)

Beyond this first wave, and in its ongoing quest to provide secure digital identity solutions across the European continent, itsme® has continued its development with the opening of its application in key markets:

Future projects: Northern expansion and beyond

itsme® is actively preparing the ground to technically open up the application to other Nordic countries. The Scandinavian countries, known for their strong adoption of digital technologies and their confidence in e-governance systems, represent natural markets for the future expansion of itsme®.

The medium-term objective is to continue geographic expansion, gradually covering all European countries, adapting to the specific regulatory requirements and local needs of each market.

Registration process: immediately available and 100% digital

One of the great strengths of itsme®’s expansion lies in the simplicity of the registration process, which has been designed to be accessible to all European citizens without the need for specialized equipment or special technical knowledge.

User-friendly, accessible recording

Residents of newly opened European countries (and those to come) can create their itsme® account thanks to a user-friendly registration process that offers several decisive advantages:

No specialized equipment required

Unlike some digital identity systems that require special card readers, physical tokens or other costly devices, registering with itsme® requires only :

• A modern smartphone (iOS or Android)
• Internet connection
• A valid identity document

Acceptance of various forms of identification

itsme® accepts a wide range of official identification documents to enable the broadest possible registration:

• National passports: accepted from all EU countries and many non-EU countries
• Electronic identity cards (eID): for countries equipped with them (Belgium, Estonia, etc.)
• Residence permits: for foreign residents living legally in the countries covered
• Other official documents: according to country-specific regulations

100% digital recording, easy and secure

The registration process takes place entirely online, with no need for a physical visit or appointment:

1. Application download: Available free of charge on the App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android)
2. Scan identity document: use smartphone camera to photograph document
3. Biometric verification: Video selfie to check that you are the document holder
4. Automated verification: Data are verified with the relevant authorities
5. PIN code creation: Set a 5-digit code to secure the application
6. Instant activation: The account is activated in just a few minutes

Accepted identity documents by country

The precise list of identity documents accepted and identity data collected varies slightly according to the national regulations of each country. To find out what is specific to your country, please consult the official itsme® cover page, which details :

• Types of documents accepted for each country
• Identity data collected during registration
• The verification authorities used
• Specific validation times

itsme® Sign: Qualified electronic signatures instantly available

One of the most remarkable aspects of itsme®’s expansion is that each new country added immediately benefits from the platform’s full range of functionalities, including the itsme® Sign function for qualified electronic signatures.

Instant availability in all countries

As soon as a user creates an itsme® account in any newly opened country, they can instantly use the application’s itsme® Sign function to sign documents securely, without any waiting period or additional activation.

Qualified electronic signature (QES)

itsme® Sign delivers Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES) with decisive legal advantages:

Maximum legal value

A qualified electronic signature created with itsme® has exactly the same legal value as a handwritten signature, in accordance with the European eIDAS regulation (EU Regulation No. 910/2014).

In concrete terms, this means that :

• European courts automatically recognize the validity of these signatures
• They cannot be challenged on the sole grounds that they are electronic.
• They benefit from a presumption of authenticity (reverse burden of proof).
• They are non-repudiable (the signatory cannot deny having signed)

Automatic cross-border recognition

Thanks to eIDAS interoperability, an itsme® signature created in any covered European country is automatically recognized as valid in all 27 EU member states, with no additional formalities.

A contract signed with itsme® in France has the same legal force in Germany, Italy, Spain or any other European Union country.

Seamless integration with document platforms

itsme® Sign integrates seamlessly and natively with leading European and international document management platforms:

• Electronic signature platforms: e-Signature.eu, DocuSign, Adobe Sign
• Document management systems (DMS ): SharePoint, M-Files, OpenText
• Office suites: Microsoft 365, Google Workspace
• HR platforms: Workday, SAP SuccessFactors
• Banking and financial systems: for credit agreements, account openings, etc.
• Government portals: My eBox (Belgium), digital public services

This integration enables companies and public authorities to adopt itsme® Sign without modifying their existing processes, simply by adding itsme® as a signature option to their systems.

e-Signature.eu: official itsme® partner for qualified signatures

e-Signature.eu is proud to be an official itsme® Sign integrator partner, giving our customers easy access to qualified electronic signatures in the 17 countries currently covered by itsme®.

Benefits of e-Signature.eu × itsme® integration

Use cases for the 17 countries covered

Thanks to the expansion of itsme® to 17 European countries and its integration with e-Signature.eu, companies can now :

• Recruit employees all over Europe with qualified employment contracts
• Cross-border commercial contracts with guaranteed legal recognition
• Managing international real estate transactions with qualified signatures
• Offer financial services (loans, insurance) in several countries simultaneously
• Simplify administrative processes for European subsidiaries
• Facilitate international teleworking with secure signature of HR documents

Transparent pricing

e-Signature.eu offers simple, transparent pricing for the use of itsme® Sign :

• From €5 per qualified signature
• Volume discounts
• No hidden fees or infrastructure costs
• Technical support included

Key points to remember

• Major expansion in 2024: itsme® grew from 4 BeNeLux countries to 17 European countries covered, with the addition of strategic markets such as France, Italy and Spain.
• Simplified registration process: 100% digital registration without specialized equipment, accepting passports, eID and residence permits.
• Instant availability: itsme® Sign is immediately accessible from the moment an account is created, in any of the countries covered.
• Maximum legal value: Qualified electronic signatures equivalent to a handwritten signature with automatic cross-border recognition within the EU.
• e-Signature.eu integration: Simplified access to itsme® signatures without subscription, with credits that never expire and guaranteed eIDAS compliance.