Pitfalls of Authorised Conversion

In the digital age, it is common to sign documents electronically - for example, when communicating with authorities, banks or business partners. However, many people come across the term authorised conversion and have no idea what it means, let alone the pitfalls behind it. This article takes a look at the lesser-known side of conversion and explains why the outcome may be different than you expect.
Pitfalls of Authorised Conversion

What is Authorised Conversion

To get a better idea of what you may encounter during an authorized conversion, let's take a look at specific complications that may arise in practice.

Authorised conversion is the process by which an electronic document is converted into paper form (or vice versa) so that it is legally recognisable. It is typically provided by CzechPOINTs (offices, post offices, ...), lawyers or notaries. Its aim is to make it possible to work with electronic documents in the paper world - for example, for courts, offices or archives. But... you don't always get what you expect.

Problem 1: Lost signatures and seals

In authorized conversion of electronic documents, the result can be a printed document without any visualization of electronic signatures or seals. At first glance, the document may appear unsigned, which often confuses officials. In reality, however, this is the standard result of the process.

The reason is simple: the visual form of the signature (for example, a picture of the signature or a name in a frame) is not part of the electronic signature itself. It is only a graphic element that makes it easier for the user to navigate in the electronic version of the document. To avoid the risk of content manipulation (e.g. visualisation in the form of a new paragraph of the contract), these visualisations are removed during conversion.

Summary

Just because the signature is "not visible" does not mean it is missing. The electronic signature exists, it's just not printed on paper.

Problem 2: The conversion clause can be confusing

At first glance, the conversion clause at the end of the document looks like a guarantee of correctness. However, this is where misunderstandings often arise:

Not all signatures are displayed
On one side, the conversion clause mentions numerically which signatures and seals were visualized on the original document. On the other hand, the conversion clause explicitly mentions only those signatures that are recognized by the authorized conversion, including signatures and seals that are not visualized in the document.
Unfortunately, neither way is very intuitive, since in the first case the serial numbers may not correspond to the visuals, not to mention that it may not be clear at first glance that, for example, the signature that was created first is the last visualization in the document. The only thing that can be relied upon is that the list of the mentioned signatures, seals and timestamps is ordered by the time of their creation from oldest to newest.

Some information is lost
Additional information, such as the reason for signing, the location of the signature or contact details, is ignored during conversion, although it may be important information to use when working with the original electronic document. Only the technical details of the certificates and timestamps used remain in the clause.

Not all signatures will be accepted by
Authorized Conversion works only with qualified certificates. If the document has been signed in a "simpler" form, for example using Bank iD Sign or an internal certificate, you will not see these signatures in the clause at all. On the other hand, the conversion will include Bank Identity's qualified seal, but this is not visible on the document.

Electronic signature

Correct signature in the correct place in accordance with eIDAS.

Sign anytime, anywhere
In accordance with legislation
For organisations

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Electronic seal

Electronic seal recognised throughout the EU. Integrated with signature.

Qualified seal
Advanced seal
Plain seal

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Trusted archiving

Long-term provability of electronic documents.

In accordance with eIDAS
Qualified time stamps
Signature integration

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What does this imply

Based on this experience, we can summarise some recommendations on how to work with electronic signatures and conversion:

  1. Use qualified certificates if you know you will need to convert a document.
  2. Don't panic if the signature "disappears" - it just doesn't show up in print.
  3. For everyday work, there is often no need to convert - a simple copy of the electronic document is sufficient, often preserving more practical information.
  4. If you use plain signatures, insert them via a seal based on a qualified certificate.
  5. Guaranteed signatures are particularly suitable for internal communication or cooperation with knowledgeable partners.

Conclusion

Authorised conversion is a useful tool, but it has its own rules. For the average user, the most important thing to know is that what they see on paper may not match the reality of the electronic document. Therefore, when working with important contracts, it pays to consult the appropriate type of signature with experts - for example, trust service providers who can help you choose the right option for your specific situation.