DE-CODA – digital signieren

Chambers & appointed experts

Electronic Signatures for Chambers and Appointed Experts

Independent guidance on legal requirements, signature levels and digital workflows for German Chambers of Commerce, publicly appointed experts and member enterprises.

Our guide answers your members’ twelve practical questions about digital signatures and draws on the DIHK digitalisation survey 2026. It provides the basis for our dedicated webinars.

Dedicated Webinars

Practical Webinars for Chambers, Member Businesses & SMEs

Empowering entrepreneurs, SMEs and experts to navigate digital signatures with confidence (based on DIHK survey insights):

  • Legal clarity (written form vs text form): where qualified signatures (QES) are legally required and where simpler formats suffice
  • Protection against AI fraud: how qualified signatures protect against forged invoices, manipulated authorisations and executive impersonation
  • Court-admissible evidence (§ 371a ZPO): evidentiary weight, audit trails and long-term validity if authenticity is challenged
  • The 12 practical questions: clear answers to what entrepreneurs and experts ask when adopting digital signatures
Contact our team

Overview

01

For appointed experts

Complete reports and declarations with the signature level appropriate to the transaction. For publicly appointed and sworn experts, the appointment by the IHK is stated in the qualified certificate; confirmation from the appointing IHK is required.

  • Digitally sign expert reports
  • Qualified certificates
  • Remote signing or signature card
02

For Chambers

Member guidance and structured transitions support the adoption of new signing solutions.

  • Chamber signature services
  • Guidance for member businesses
  • Migration information
03

D-Trust transition

German Chamber members with a D-Trust card can use DE-CODA SIGN until the card expires.

  • Respect the existing term
  • Explore the new solution
  • Plan the transition
04

IHK signature card (D-Trust)

All information, forms and documents for the IHK signature card are gathered on a dedicated page, with personal contacts at DE-CODA.

  • Application documents and PDFs
  • Identity verification process
  • Personal contacts
05

Partner of the Chamber organisation since 1997

DE-CODA was founded in Bonn in 1997 by the German Chambers organisation. Operation takes place in a German data centre with ISO 27001 based on IT-Grundschutz.

  • German consulting
  • Operated in Germany
  • Long-standing Chamber expertise
06

Identification by the IHK

Identification for the signature card is carried out in person by the IHK's identification officers. Online identification is also available for DE-CODA SIGN. Contacts, forms and product sheets are available on the IHK signature card page.

  • In-person identification
  • Identification officers as contacts
  • Forms and product sheets to download

D-Trust

IHK signature card: all information at a glance

Application, identity verification, documents and contacts for appointed experts and Chamber members.

Go to IHK signature card

Related DE-CODA solutions

DE-CODA SIGNQualified certificates & securityCompare signature levelsSign PDFs electronically

Looking to provide your members and experts with compliant information on business documents' digital signing?

We assess signature level, certificate and migration route.

Contact our team