Berlin, 26. November 2019 – Applications to the public administration are part of your studies, as is lunch in the university canteen. But more than anything else, students need to bring time and patience before eventually holding the necessary form in their hands. Once the appointment with the relevant authority has been made, they will have to wait for the date, which can sometimes take many weeks. On the appointment date, they will then have to make their way to the office and patiently wait in line until it is their turn. The actual procedure - signing the document and getting it signed off by the officer - usually only takes a couple of minutes. Thanks to the StudIES+ platform, this kind of time-consuming red tape will from next year on be a thing of the past.
1. What is the StudIES+ platform?
The StudIES+ platform allows students to quickly, securely and easily exchange digital documents with companies or public authorities. The platform was created as part of the joint project “StudIES+”, which runs from March 2018 to December 2019 and is supported with funds from the European Union. The project saw FP joining forces with Freie Universität Berlin, Harz University of Applied Sciences, the German Federal Printing Office and SiXFORM GmbH. The project’s objective is to drive the efficient and secure digitalisation of administrative procedures for students on the basis of the European eIDAS regulation for electronic identities (eID) and signatures (e-signatures).
2. How can I use the StudIES+ platform?
Getting up and running on StudIES+ is quick and easy: You will have to activate the online function of your German ID card (called the eID function) only once. This allows you to securely confirm your identity via the Internet.
Activating your eID function is simple: In addition to your ID card, you have received a letter with a 5-digit activation PIN. Change this to your personal 6-digit PIN. You can do this immediately when picking up your ID card from your local administration office. Or later – at a dedicated service terminal or from home using a card reader or NFC-compatible smartphone or tablet. NFC (Near Field Communication) is an international data transmission standard for the wireless exchange of data over short distances of between 10 to 20 centimetres.
3. How does the StudIES+ platform work?
It’s as easy as 1-2-3: Visit the StudIES+ platform and register a user account. The next step is to confirm your identity using the online function of your German ID card. This is done by holding your ID card close to the card reader or to an NFC-compatible smartphone or tablet. Then you enter your 6-digit PIN to consent to the transmission of your data. The chip in your ID card will verify the provider’s official authorisation and securely transmit your data with back-to-back encryption. All done, you are ready to exchange documents online!
4. Is using StudIES+ really secure?
Yes, it is. Firstly, the process of confirming your identity uses two-factor authentication for maximum security. In addition to your ID card, you will ALWAYS be asked to enter your PIN. Your data will only be transmitted with back-to-back encryption once the correct PIN has been entered.
The digital signature solution FP Sign from FP guarantees 100% security for the digital exchange of your signed documents. By integrating the German Federal Printing Office’s remote signature function sign-me, the software solution meets the requirements for the highest and most secure electronic signature level. Furthermore, FP Sign uses data centres in Germany that are certified by the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI).
5. I don’t have a card reader or NFC-compatible smartphone or tablet. Can I still use the StudIES+ platform?
Yes, you can either use the EU public service terminals for students available at your university. These terminals were specifically developed for the StudIES+ project by project partner SiXFORM GmbH. Such terminals are already available at Harz University of Applied Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin and University Jaume I in Spain. A fourth university is about to follow this year. Terminals have already been set up at the Harz University of Applied Sciences, the Free University of Berlin and the Spanish Jaume I University as well as at the Italian University Politecnico di Torino.
No more waiting in line to be called when lodging your applications with the public administration, thanks to StudIES+. The combination of two-factor authentication with the ID card online function and the digital signature solution FP Sign offers you a secure, quick and easy way to exchange digitally signed documents.
More information about the online ID function of your German ID card can be found at www.buergerservice.org
and at http://www.personalausweisportal.de/.
More information about the “StudIES+” project can be found at studies-plus.eu.
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