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Across 9 modules • Updated May 9, 2026
Author
Sorena AI
Published
May 9, 2026
Updated
May 9, 2026
ETSI EN 319 411-2: Certificate Revocation

What should revocation procedures cover?

ETSI EN 319 411-2 makes the EN 319 411-1 revocation request controls applicable to qualified certificate services. In practice, the QTSP's CPS should define who can submit revocation requests or event reports, how they are submitted, when confirmation is required, what reasons can lead to suspension or revocation, and which mechanism distributes revocation status information.

The timing control is concrete: the actual certificate status change must be available to relying parties no later than 24 hours after receipt of the revocation or suspension request. If confirmation cannot be completed within that window, the CPS needs an exception procedure and the QTSP must record the actions taken and justification.

  • Authenticate each revocation request or event report and check that it comes from an authorized source before changing certificate status.
  • Process revocation requests and revocation-related event reports on receipt, with UTC-synchronized time used for the revocation service.
  • Apply the 24-hour maximum delay to every revocation status method in use when both CRL and OCSP can lag.
Citations
ETSI EN 319 411-2: Certificate Revocation

What evidence should support revocation under ETSI EN 319 411-2?

Evidence should show that the QTSP can receive, authenticate, decide, publish, and preserve revocation status consistently for the qualified certificate profiles it issues. The useful audit trail is not a generic owner list; it is the sequence from request or event report through certificate database update and CRL or OCSP publication.

For revoked or suspended certificates, keep enough records to prove the received request time, authorization check, confirmation or exception path, decision time, status publication time, and notification to the subject or subscriber where possible.

  • CPS extracts covering revocation request submitters, submission channels, confirmation rules, suspension or revocation reasons, CRL or OCSP distribution, and maximum delays.
  • Timestamped revocation tickets or logs showing receipt, authorization, confirmation status, decision, certificate database update, CRL or OCSP publication, and any 24-hour exception justification.
  • Status-service evidence showing 24/7 availability, integrity and authenticity protections, consistent updates across CRL and OCSP when both are used, and public international availability.
Citations
ETSI EN 319 411-2: Certificate Revocation

What checklist should teams use for revocation under ETSI EN 319 411-2?

Use a checklist that follows the certificate lifecycle clauses rather than a general compliance workflow. The review should prove that revocation requests are controlled, revoked certificates are not reinstated, and relying parties can obtain status information through the published mechanisms.

  • Map each qualified certificate profile in scope to its revocation request process, including authorized submitters, confirmation rules, future-dated requests, emergency reasons, and UTC time source.
  • Verify that non-expired certificates are revoked when they are no longer compliant with the applicable certificate policy, when known changes affect certificate validity, or when the cryptography no longer ensures the binding between subject and public key.
  • Check CRL handling where CRLs are used: publication at least every 24 hours until the last CRL, nextUpdate values, signer, expired revoked certificate handling, and last-CRL preservation.
  • Check OCSP handling where OCSP is used: archive cut-off use for status beyond expiry, last OCSP answers where applicable, and documented interpretation when OCSP and CRL update delays differ.
Citations
ETSI EN 319 411-2: Legal vs Natural Person Certs

Choosing the right certificate policy route

Start with the certificate policy. ETSI EN 319 411-2 names QCP-n for EU qualified certificates issued to natural persons and QCP-l for EU qualified certificates issued to legal persons. If the private key and related certificate reside on a QSCD, use the matching QSCD policy route: QCP-n-qscd for a natural person and QCP-l-qscd for a legal person.

That distinction also changes the intended certificate use. QCP-n supports advanced electronic signatures based on a qualified certificate, while QCP-l supports advanced electronic seals based on a qualified certificate. The QSCD variants support qualified electronic signatures for natural persons and qualified electronic seals for legal persons.

  • Use QCP-n or QCP-n-qscd when the qualified certificate is issued to a natural person.
  • Use QCP-l or QCP-l-qscd when the qualified certificate is issued to a legal person.
  • For qualified website authentication certificates, check whether the subscriber is a natural or legal person and validate both the identity and the link with the domain name.
Citations
ETSI EN 319 411-2: Legal vs Natural Person Certs

What evidence should support legal and natural persons under ETSI EN 319 411-2?

For a natural-person certificate, keep evidence that the person's identity and any specific attributes were verified either by physical presence or by a method for which the TSP can prove equivalent assurance. EN 319 411-1 adds the practical evidence categories: full name, date and place of birth or another distinguishing identity attribute, and records needed to verify the subject identity and any attribute limitations.

For a legal-person certificate, keep evidence that the legal person's identity and attributes were verified through an authorized representative or an equivalent-assurance method. EN 319 411-1 expects evidence such as the organizational name, relevant registration information where applicable, representation authority, and any association between the legal person and an organizational unit shown in the certificate.

  • Record the selected policy identifier: QCP-n, QCP-l, QCP-n-qscd, QCP-l-qscd, QEVCP-w, QNCP-w, or QNCP-w-gen.
  • Keep the identity-proofing method, the evidence source, the validated attributes, and any proof that a remote or indirect method provides equivalent assurance.
  • When a subscriber acts for a separate subject, keep the representation agreement or authorization evidence required by EN 319 411-1.
Citations
ETSI EN 319 411-2: Legal vs Natural Person Certs

What checklist should teams use for legal and natural persons under ETSI EN 319 411-2?

Use the checklist to prevent the common failure mode: issuing or describing a qualified certificate without proving whether the subject route, policy identifier, identity-proofing evidence, and subscriber authority match the actual natural-person, legal-person, or website-authentication scenario.

  • Classify the subject: natural person, natural person associated with a legal person, legal person, device or system operated by or for a person, or website-authentication subscriber.
  • Select the certificate policy and OID route that matches the subject and QSCD status.
  • For natural persons, verify the person and attributes through physical presence or an equivalent-assurance method and record distinguishing identity attributes.
  • For legal persons, verify the legal person through an authorized representative or equivalent-assurance method and record organization, registration, and representation evidence.
  • For website authentication, verify the subscriber identity and the subscriber's link with the domain name using the natural-person or legal-person route that applies.
Citations
How should QTSPs select an ETSI EN 319 411-2 qualified certificate profile?

How should a QTSP choose between QCP-n, QCP-l, QSCD, and website profiles?

Start with the relying-party purpose and subject type. EN 319 411-2 defines separate policy identifiers for qualified certificates issued to natural persons, qualified certificates issued to legal persons, qualified certificates tied to a QSCD, and qualified website authentication certificates.

For signatures, the natural-person route is QCP-n, and QCP-n-qscd is used where the private key related to the certified public key resides in a QSCD. For seals, the legal-person route is QCP-l, and QCP-l-qscd is used where the private key resides in a QSCD. For website authentication, EN 319 411-2 separates QEVCP-w, QNCP-w, and QNCP-w-gen depending on the certificate route and the assurance model behind it. QEVCP-w follows EVCG-based requirements, QNCP-w follows BRG-based requirements for natural or legal persons, and QNCP-w-gen is the general-purpose website-authentication route.

If the choice is still unclear, use the subject and assurance model as the tie-breaker: natural person plus signature points to QCP-n or QCP-n-qscd, legal person plus seal points to QCP-l or QCP-l-qscd, legal-person website authentication usually points to QEVCP-w, and natural or legal person website authentication under BRG points to QNCP-w. Use QNCP-w-gen when the website certificate needs the general-purpose route defined in EN 319 411-2 rather than the BRG or EVCG-specific route.

  • Use QCP-n when the qualified certificate is issued to a natural person for advanced electronic signatures based on a qualified certificate.
  • Use QCP-l when the qualified certificate is issued to a legal person for advanced electronic seals based on a qualified certificate.
  • Use QCP-n-qscd or QCP-l-qscd only when the selected signature or seal route requires the private key to reside in a QSCD.
  • Use QEVCP-w for a qualified website certificate based on EVCG, QNCP-w for a website certificate based on BRG, and QNCP-w-gen for the general-purpose website-authentication profile.
Citations
How should QTSPs select an ETSI EN 319 411-2 qualified certificate profile?

What should the profile-selection record show?

The record should show why the certificate policy and certificate contents match the qualified service being offered. EN 319 411-2 says that including one of its policy identifiers indicates the certificate is issued and managed according to that policy, so the identifier should not be treated as a cosmetic label.

For a QSCD profile, the record needs more than a policy name. It should show why the service uses the -qscd route, how the QSCD condition is reflected in the certificate policy or CPS, and how the certificate contents handle the QSCD statement required for those profiles.

  • Identify the selected EN 319 411-2 profile and the exact policy identifier or TSP-allocated policy OID used in the certificate.
  • Record whether the subject is a natural person, a legal person, or a website-authentication subject, because the profile families are split on that basis.
  • For QCP-n-qscd and QCP-l-qscd, keep evidence that the QSCD route is intended and that the required QSCD qcStatement is included only for those profiles.
  • For website authentication, record whether the route is QEVCP-w, QNCP-w, or QNCP-w-gen and how that route relates to EVCP, OVCP, IVCP, or EN 319 411-1 WEB-tagged requirements.
Citations
How should QTSPs select an ETSI EN 319 411-2 qualified certificate profile?

When should the selected profile be reviewed?

Review the selected profile whenever the certificate purpose, subject population, QSCD handling, website-authentication route, policy OID, CPS wording, or certificate content changes. A profile that was correct for a non-QSCD natural-person certificate may be wrong after a QSCD service launch, and a signature or seal profile does not substitute for a website-authentication profile.

The review should compare the certificate policy, CPS, terms and conditions, certificate profile, and issuance process against the selected EN 319 411-2 policy family before new certificates are issued under the changed route.

  • Reassess when moving between natural-person and legal-person certificates, because QCP-n and QCP-l point to different subject contexts.
  • Reassess before adding or removing QSCD reliance, because the -qscd profiles carry extra QSCD-specific requirements and certificate-content implications.
  • Reassess when changing a website certificate route between QEVCP-w, QNCP-w, and QNCP-w-gen, because the underlying assurance model differs.
  • Reassess when using a TSP-allocated policy OID, because EN 319 411-2 expects the referred policy to clearly identify which EN 319 411-2 policy it adopts as the basis.
Citations
How should relying parties use trusted lists under ETSI EN 319 411-2?

What does EN 319 411-2 require for trusted-list reliance?

ETSI EN 319 411-2 does not treat a trusted list as a loose background reference. In the notice to relying parties, the TSP must explain that, as one condition for relying on the certificate as an EU Qualified Certificate, the validation trust anchor is the service digital identifier in the appropriate EU trusted-list entry for the QTSP.

That means the public reliance message should name the trusted-list dependency clearly. A certificate policy OID, CA certificate, repository page, or marketing statement is not enough by itself if the question is whether the certificate can be relied on as an EU qualified certificate.

  • Put the trusted-list condition in the relying-party notice or the terms and conditions referenced by that notice.
  • Tie the claim to the QTSP and qualified trust service entry, not only to a generic provider name or certificate chain.
  • Keep the certificate policy identifier visible because EN 319 411-2 says policy identifiers help relying parties assess suitability and trustworthiness under eIDAS.
Citations
How should relying parties use trusted lists under ETSI EN 319 411-2?

What should a QTSP publish or retain for relying parties?

The practical evidence set should show that relying parties were told how qualified-certificate reliance depends on the relevant EU trusted-list entry. Keep the public notice text, the CP/CPS or terms section it points to, and a mapping from the certificate service to the trusted-list service digital identifier.

For operational review, retain a dated validation record showing the trusted-list source checked, the QTSP name, the service identifier, the service status considered, the certificate profile or policy OID, and the validation procedure used. This is evidence of the reliance process, not a substitute for the formal trusted list itself.

  • Relying-party notice: the exact wording that explains the EU trusted-list trust anchor condition.
  • Service mapping: QTSP, qualified trust service, service digital identifier, certificate profile, and policy OID.
  • Validation record: trusted-list source, date checked, result, reviewer or system owner, and exception handling if the entry or status changes.
  • Change trigger: recheck after trusted-list updates, QTSP service-status changes, CP/CPS changes, certificate-profile changes, or validation failures.
Citations
How should relying parties use trusted lists under ETSI EN 319 411-2?

How should validation teams use trusted-list standards?

Use EN 319 411-2 to identify the relying-party notice obligation, then use the trusted-list standards it references for the validation method. ETSI TS 119 612 is referenced for the trusted-list service digital identifier; ETSI TS 119 615 is referenced for procedures for using and interpreting EU Member State national trusted lists.

If the validation question is about whether a signature or seal qualifies, keep that separate from merely checking a certificate. EN 319 411-2 points to ETSI TS 119 172-4 for a signature validation policy that describes validation against EU trusted lists for European qualified electronic signatures or seals.

  • Use TS 119 612 terminology when documenting the service digital identifier and trusted-list entry.
  • Use TS 119 615-aligned procedures when deciding whether a certificate can be considered an EU qualified certificate from trusted-list data.
  • Use TS 119 172-4-aligned validation policy evidence when the relying-party outcome concerns a qualified electronic signature or seal.
Citations
QSCD Requirements in ETSI EN 319 411-2

How should qualified trust service providers handle QSCD under ETSI EN 319 411-2?

A QTSP should handle QSCD by first selecting the right ETSI EN 319 411-2 qualified certificate policy. QCP-n-qscd applies to qualified certificates for natural persons where the private key and related certificate reside on a QSCD. QCP-l-qscd applies to qualified certificates for legal persons where the private key and related certificate reside on a QSCD.

The QSCD route brings in the ordinary QCP-n or QCP-l requirements and the NCP+ baseline, then adds QSCD-specific provisions. The standard ties those provisions to subject device provisioning, key pair and certificate usage, key generation and installation, certificate profile statements, and terms and conditions.

  • Record whether the certificate is QCP-n-qscd or QCP-l-qscd, not just that it is an EU qualified certificate.
  • Show that the private key related to the certified public key resides in the QSCD for the selected policy route.
  • Keep CPS and certificate profile evidence aligned with the QSCD route, including the required QSCD qcStatement only for QCP-n-qscd or QCP-l-qscd certificates.
Citations
Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 (eIDAS)

Referenced by ETSI EN 319 411-2 for EU qualified certificate context and for the legal definition of a qualified electronic signature or seal creation device.

QSCD Requirements in ETSI EN 319 411-2

What QSCD controls does ETSI EN 319 411-2 call out?

When the TSP manages the QSCD for the subject, ETSI EN 319 411-2 restricts use of the private key for signing to the QSCD and distinguishes natural-person sole control from legal-person control. The same area of the standard ties natural-person QSCD keys to electronic signatures and legal-person QSCD keys to electronic seals.

For key generation and installation, the TSP has to verify that the device is certified as a QSCD, ensure the public key to be certified comes from a key pair generated by a QSCD, address third-party managed devices where applicable, and document CPS measures for changes in QSCD status during the certificate validity period.

  • For QCP-n-qscd, preserve evidence that the subject's private key is used under the subject's sole control.
  • For QCP-l-qscd, preserve evidence that the subject's private key is used under the subject's control.
  • For certificate issuance, preserve proof of QSCD certification status, key-generation route, third-party TSP qualification where used, and CPS handling of QSCD status changes.
Citations
QSCD Requirements in ETSI EN 319 411-2

What mistakes should QTSP teams avoid with QSCD evidence?

The main risk is treating QSCD as a marketing or procurement attribute instead of a certificate-policy condition. If the service claims QCP-n-qscd or QCP-l-qscd, the evidence must trace from the policy identifier through device certification, key generation, subject control, certificate profile, CPS text, and revocation or status-change handling.

Another common error is putting the QSCD qcStatement on the wrong certificates. ETSI EN 319 411-2 requires the QSCD qcStatement for QCP-n-qscd and QCP-l-qscd certificates and says it must not be included for certificates that are not issued under those requirements.

  • Do not cite QCP-n or QCP-l evidence alone as proof of a QSCD-backed policy route.
  • Do not rely on a device name or supplier assertion without evidence that the device is certified as a QSCD for the relevant use.
  • Do not leave the CPS silent on measures for QSCD status changes before certificate expiry.
Citations
QTSP Supervision and ETSI EN 319 411-2

Does ETSI EN 319 411-2 make a TSP qualified?

No. ETSI EN 319 411-2 expressly warns that conformance to the standard alone does not mean that the TSP or its certificates are qualified. A supervision answer should therefore avoid treating an EN 319 411-2 audit result as a substitute for qualified status.

For a QTSP issuing EU qualified certificates, the standard is still central evidence. It incorporates EN 319 411-1 general policy and security requirements, then adds requirements for EU qualified certificates for signatures, seals, and website authentication.

  • Keep the qualified-status decision separate from EN 319 411-2 conformance evidence.
  • Identify the exact qualified certificate policy in scope, such as QCP-n, QCP-l, QCP-n-qscd, QCP-l-qscd, QEVCP-w, QNCP-w, or QNCP-w-gen.
  • Show how EN 319 411-2 adds EU qualified certificate requirements on top of the EN 319 411-1 certificate policy baseline.
Citations
QTSP Supervision and ETSI EN 319 411-2

What should a QTSP supervision file contain?

A useful supervision file should start with the certificate service and policy identifier, then link the CPS, certificate profile, repository, identity proofing, revocation, status service, incident, and termination evidence to the relevant EN 319 411-2 and incorporated EN 319 411-1 requirements.

The file should also prove the relying-party path. EN 319 411-2 says relying-party notices for EU qualified certificates need to explain that the trust anchor is identified in an appropriate EU trusted-list service digital identifier for the QTSP.

  • Preserve the selected policy identifier and the certificate profile evidence used to signal that policy.
  • Attach CPS sections for issuance, maintenance, revocation, status services, records, and service termination.
  • Keep trusted-list evidence for the QTSP service digital identifier used as the relying-party trust anchor.
Citations
QTSP Supervision and ETSI EN 319 411-2

What are the most common supervision mistakes?

The most common mistakes are to blur qualified-status evidence with standards conformance, omit the trusted-list reliance path, or leave the supervision file without a traceable link from the selected certificate policy to the operational records.

Another common problem is treating incident, revocation, and records-retention evidence as optional. EN 319 411-2 and EN 319 411-1 map those topics into the qualified-certificate supervision file, so they need to be present and easy to review.

  • Do not claim qualified status from EN 319 411-2 conformance alone.
  • Do not omit the trusted-list service digital identifier or the notice to relying parties.
  • Do not leave revocation, incident, and records-retention evidence outside the supervision pack.
Citations
Qualified certificates under ETSI EN 319 411-2

How should qualified trust service providers handle qualified certificates under ETSI EN 319 411-2?

Start by separating ETSI policy conformance from EU qualification status. EN 319 411-2 says it incorporates the general certificate policy and security requirements from EN 319 411-1 and adds requirements intended to meet eIDAS requirements for TSPs issuing EU qualified certificates, but it also states that conformance to the standard alone does not imply that the TSP or its certificates are qualified under eIDAS.

For each certificate service, identify which EN 319 411-2 policy family is being used: QCP-n for qualified certificates issued to natural persons, QCP-l for legal persons, QCP-n-qscd or QCP-l-qscd when the related private key resides in a QSCD, and QEVCP-w, QNCP-w, or QNCP-w-gen for qualified website authentication certificates. The selected policy drives the certificate-policy statement, CPS controls, certificate profile, subscriber obligations, and evidence set.

  • Do not describe a generic certificate as qualified unless the service, certificate policy, trusted-list status, and eIDAS qualification context support that claim.
  • For signature and seal certificates, distinguish natural-person, legal-person, and QSCD-backed routes before choosing the QCP identifier or local policy OID.
  • For website authentication certificates, distinguish the EVCP-based QEVCP-w route, the BRG and OVCP or IVCP based QNCP-w route, and the general-purpose QNCP-w-gen route.
Citations
Qualified certificates under ETSI EN 319 411-2

What evidence should support qualified certificates under ETSI EN 319 411-2?

The evidence should prove that the certificate was issued and managed under the claimed EN 319 411-2 policy, not merely that the organization has a PKI program. Keep the certificate policy, Certification Practice Statement, terms and conditions, certificate profile, identity-verification record, status-service evidence, and revocation records aligned to the selected QCP route.

For QSCD-backed QCP-n-qscd and QCP-l-qscd certificates, the evidence needs to show the QSCD basis, including the certificate profile treatment of the ETSI EN 319 412-5 QSCD qcStatement and the standard's rule that the QSCD statement is not included in certificates outside those QSCD policies.

  • Map each public certificate or service claim to QCP-n, QCP-l, QCP-n-qscd, QCP-l-qscd, QEVCP-w, QNCP-w, or QNCP-w-gen.
  • Retain the policy identifier or policy OID mapping used in issued certificates, including any locally allocated OID and the EN 319 411-2 policy it adopts as the basis.
  • Keep certificate database, validity-status, revocation, and records-retention evidence because eIDAS article 24 duties are mapped in EN 319 411-2 to certificate lifecycle and recordkeeping controls.
Citations
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