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Activation of Signature and Seal Cards – Important Information

D-Trust currently supplies two different generations of signature and seal cards. The two generations differ not only in the various card operating systems and the required accessories, but also in the type of initialisation.

Before using the card you have ordered, please check which card generation you have. The number in the product name (e.g., D-Trust Card 4.1 Std.) refers to the respective card generation. On this page, you will find information on both card generations.

This information is dated: 24/07/2024.

D-Trust Card 5.1 and D-Trust Card 5.4

Our newest card generation is called D-Trust Card 5.1 and D-Trust Card 5.4. We are constantly updating the following information on our new card generation.

Eine Abbildung der Signaturkarte 5.1 mit Frontansicht.
Eine Abbildung der Siegelkarte 5.4 mit Frontansicht.

You will need the D-Trust Card Assistant software (Version 4.0.0.3 or higher) and your PIN letter to activate your D-Trust card. You will be provided with a suitable download link for the software automatically with your card’s dispatch confirmation.

You will find the Card Access Number (CAN) in the top right-hand corner of the new generation cards. To establish a secure connection with the card’s chip, enter the CAN in your software application.

Your PIN letter contains a Transport PIN and a PUK for signature cards (D-Trust Card 5.1). You replace the Transport PIN when you activate your card with your own customised signature PIN and an individually selected authentication PIN (AUT PIN). Only after the PIN has been issued is it possible to place qualified electronic signatures on your documents using your card. You will need your AUT PIN every time you use your card’s advanced certificate for encryption and authentication.

PIN letters for seal cards (D-Trust Card 5.4) contain a Transport PIN and a PUK. You set your customised seal PIN during the activation process. There is no AUT PIN for seal cards, as it is only supplied with one certificate per card.

In our Quick Guide (German), you can read how to activate the D-Trust signature and seal card step by step.

This video is made available via Bundesdruckerei Gruppe GmbH YouTube channel. More detailed information can be found in the Privacy Policy.

This video shows how the initialization of the D-Trust signature and seal card works. In order to run the D-Trust Card Assistant, a card reader must be installed and a certain procedure must be followed. The narrator of this video explains this procedure with the help of pictograms and screen videos.

To use the signature or seal card, you always need to have a card reader. Certain applications do not communicate directly with the readers. These applications also require middleware to communicate with the reader.

For D-Trust Card 5.1 and 5.4, both contact and contactless card readers can be used. In the following table you will find a selection of card readers that D-Trust has tested with the new card generation. We recommend using one of these readers.

Card Reader Manufacturer Function Firmware update necessary?
cyberJack® RFID standard Reiner SCT Contact-based Absolutely necessary (Version 1.2.71)
cyberJack® komfort Reiner SCT Contact-based Absolutely necessary (Version 2.0.47)
cyberJack® RFID basis Reiner SCT Contactless Not necessary
cyberJack® one (USB) Reiner SCT Contact-based Not necessary
SmartTerminal ST-1144 Cherry Contact-based Not necessary
SmartTerminal ST-2100 Cherry Contact-based Not necessary
Corded Smartcard Keyboard KC 1000 SC Cherry Contact-based Not necessary

Please note the setting on your card reader to determine whether the contactless or contact-based interface is activated. Using the example of the cyberJack® komfort card reader from ReinerSCT, you can recognize the activated interface by the green or blue LED.

Please note:

The new D-Trust card generation cannot be used with card readers that have a certification from the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) in accordance with TR-03119.

Other manufacturers are currently preparing firmware updates for their devices so that they can also be used with the new card generation. It may be that the reader you are already using only requires an update from the manufacturer. The readers cannot be used for the new card generation until the firmware update is installed. Therefore, please be aware of the updates provided by your providers and update your readers.

You can obtain any additional components you need from our partner shop at Reiner SCT.

Certain applications also require middleware to communicate with the card.

The different product variants of the D-Trust signature cards each use different key procedures for the signature. For this reason, please take care to choose the middleware that is right for you. We have provided you with an overview here:

Product Application Key procedure Possible middleware Notes
D-Trust Card 5.1 Standard / Profession D-Trust Card 5.1 Standard / Expert D-Trust Card 5.1 Standard Signature RSA Nexus Personal (from version 5.14, for Windows) SCInterface (from version 8.1, for Linux, Windows and MacOS) SignatureSCWI (from version 1.9, for Linux, Windows and MacOS) The Nexus Personal middleware is mandatory for use with ELSTER.
D-Trust Card 5.1 M100/ Profession D-Trust Card 5.1 M100 / Expert D-Trust Card 5.1 M100 Signature ECC Nexus Personal (from version 5.14, for Windows) SCInterface (from version 8.1, for Linux, Windows and MacOS) SignatureSCWI (from version 1.9, for Linux, Windows and MacOS)
D-Trust Card 5.1 Multi Signature ECC Nexus Personal (from version 5.14, for Windows) SCInterface (from version 8.1, for Linux, Windows and MacOS) SignatureSCWI (from version 1.9, for Linux, Windows and MacOS)
Patent Attorney Card Plus (D-Trust Card 5.1 Standard) Signature RSA Nexus Personal (from version 5.14, for Windows) SCInterface (from version 8.1, for Linux, Windows and MacOS) Middleware is mandatory for the application of the Unified Patent Court (UPC)
D-Trust Card 5.4 Standard Seal RSA Nexus Personal (from version 5.14, for Windows) SCInterface (from version 8.1, for Linux, Windows and MacOS) SignatureSCWI (from version 1.9, for Linux, Windows and MacOS)
D-Trust Card 5.4 Multi Seal ECC Nexus Personal (from version 5.14, for Windows) SCInterface (from version 8.1, for Linux, Windows and MacOS) SignatureSCWI (from version 1.9, for Linux, Windows and MacOS)

You can obtain the middleware from Nexus (Nexus Personal) and cryptovision (SCInterface) via our partner store at Reiner SCT if required.

For the middleware SignatureSCWI from Rempartec GmbH, please contact the manufacturer by e-mail: middleware@rempartec.com.

There are various manufacturers who offer signature software. You can use the following providers for our new generation of cards:

Please also note any information from your software provider regarding compatibility between the software and card reader.

Can’t see your signature software in the list? Please enquire with your provider or contact our Sales Department via email: vertrieb@d-trust.net. We will be happy to check whether your signature software supports our cards.

D-Trust Card 4.1 and D-Trust Card 4.4

Eine Abbildung Qualifizierte Signaturkarte mit Frontansicht.
Eine Abbildung Qualifizierte Siegelkarte mit Frontansicht.

You will need the D-Trust Card Assistant software (Version 3.8 or higher) and your PIN letter to activate your D-Trust card. You will receive the download link for the software automatically with your card’s dispatch confirmation.

Your PIN letter contains a Transport PIN, a Card PIN and a PUK for signature cards (D-Trust Card 4.1). You replace the Transport PIN when you activate your card with your own customised signature PIN. Only after this has been completed is it possible to place qualified electronic signatures on your documents using your card. You will need your Card PIN every time you use your card’s advanced certificate for encryption and authentication. We recommend that you also replace this Card PIN with a PIN of your choice.

PIN letters for seal cards (D-Trust Card 4.4) only contain a Transport PIN and a PUK. You set your customised seal PIN during the activation process. There is no Card PIN for seal cards, as they are only delivered with one certificate per card.

  • In our additional information, you will learn how to activate the D-Trust signature and seal card step by step: Quick Guide (PDF): Activating your D-Trust card (in German)
  • Video tutorial on activation (also in German)
This video is made available via Bundesdruckerei Gruppe GmbH YouTube channel. More detailed information can be found in the Privacy Policy.

In the video you will learn step by step how the initialization of the D-Trust signature and seal card works.

To use the signature or seal card, you always need to have a card reader. You can obtain any additional components you need from our partner shop at Reiner SCT.

Certain applications also require middleware to communicate with the card.

The different product variants of the D-Trust signature cards each use different key procedures for the signature. For this reason, please take care to choose the middleware that is right for you. We have provided you with an overview here:

Product Card Key procedure Possible Middleware Notes
D-Trust Card 4.1(a) Standard Signature RSA Nexus Personal (from Version 5.7); Cryptovision SCinterface (from Version 8.0.1) The Nexus Personal middleware is required for use with ELSTER.
D-Trust Card 4.1(a) UPC Signature RSA Cryptovision SCinterface (from Version 8.0.1); Nexus Personal (from Version 5.7) For the application of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) we recommend the middleware Cryptovision SCinterface.
D-Trust Card 4.1(a) M100 Signature ECC Cryptovision SCinterface (from Version 8.0.1)
D-Trust Card 4.1(a) Multi Signature ECC Cryptovision SCinterface (from Version 8.0.1)
D-Trust Card 4.4(a) Standard Seal RSA Nexus Personal (from Version 5.7); Cryptovision SCinterface (from Version 8.0.1)
D-Trust Card 4.4(a) Multi Seal ECC Cryptovision SCinterface (from Version 8.0.1)

You can obtain any Nexus middleware you need from our partner shop at Reiner SCT.

For the cryptovision middleware, you can contact the manufacturer by email: cv-info@atos.net.

There are various manufacturers who offer signature software. You can use the following providers for our signature cards:

Please also note any information from your software provider regarding compatibility between the software and card reader.

Can’t see your signature software in the list? Please enquire with your provider or contact our Sales Department via email: vertrieb@d-trust.net. We will be happy to check whether your signature software supports our cards.

Any further questions?

If you have any questions about our signature and seal cards or the different card generations, our service team will be happy to help you.

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