Digital signatures in Costa Rica
A digital signature is a cryptographic mechanism that unambiguously identifies whoever signs an electronic document. In Costa Rica, the digital signature infrastructure is managed by the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR) through its Hierarchy of Registered Certifiers (SINPE).
Legal validity
Law 8454 — Law on Certificates, Digital Signatures and Electronic Documents — recognizes the digital signature as the legal equivalent of a handwritten signature. A document signed digitally with a BCCR certificate has the same legal validity as one signed by hand before a notary.
What does the signer need?
To sign with a BCCR digital signature, the signer requires:
- A smart card or USB device with their certificate issued by the BCCR.
- The PIN of the certificate.
- A card reader (if using a physical card) or the USB device connected.
- ArcaSign’s desktop signer app, installed the first time they sign with a certificate.
Once the signer app is installed, it detects the signer’s certificate when they open the signing link.
Difference from a simple electronic signature
| BCCR digital signature | Simple electronic signature | |
|---|---|---|
| Full legal validity | ✓ | Limited |
| Requires a certificate | ✓ | No |
| Non-repudiation | ✓ | Partial |
| Use in legal documents | ✓ | Depends |