We spoke with Kai Stuebane, Managing Director for DACH at Docusign, to explore how secure digital identity verification is transforming digital signing amid Germany’s evolving regulatory landscape.
From navigating increasing compliance demands to delivering seamless user experiences, we discussed why eID (Electronic Identification) is becoming a strategic priority for faster, more secure, and legally compliant digital signatures – and how Docusign’s partnership with IDnow is empowering enterprises to stay ahead with secure, scalable and user-centric digital workflows.
Why now: Perfect conditions for eID to scale
In today’s rapidly evolving regulatory landscape, particularly in Germany but also across Europe, digital identity is becoming increasingly significant. From Docusign’s perspective, what factors are driving the growing importance of secure digital identity solutions in the enterprise environment?
First, regulatory compliance is a major driver. Regional laws such as eIDAS, and the impending eIDAS 2.0 in the EU are enhancing the need for digital authentication solutions across the region by introducing initiatives such as European Digital Identity Wallets (EUDI). In Germany, the focus on digital trust services, enforced by institutions such as BaFin and regulations like GwG, demand robust, verifiable digital identity solutions. Enterprises must meet strict requirements for customer identification and authentication when signing or executing agreements electronically.
Second, security concerns and fraud prevention are top priorities. According to a recent Docusign global survey into the identity verification landscape, 70% of organisations agree that identity fraud attempts are on the rise, as remote and hybrid work models become the norm and businesses continue digitising their operations. As a result, companies require robust authentication solutions that ensure document integrity and signer identity across borders and devices.
A third major driver is that user expectations have shifted. Both customers and employees now expect seamless, secure digital experiences, with 50% of organisations actually prioritising customer experience over fraud prevention, given its perceived importance. Organisations like Docusign enable enterprises to deliver this through a frictionless signing experience while maintaining high standards of security and trust. For example Grenke who, in addition to offering IDnow’s videoident process through Docusign, decided to also add the new eID capability in order to offer more convenience to their customers.
Finally, digital transformation continues to accelerate. Enterprises are modernising legacy workflows at an exponential rate, and secure digital identity is foundational to automating agreement processes end-to-end. Digital-first solutions empower businesses to operate faster, more efficiently, and with greater legal certainty – particularly in highly regulated markets like Germany.
As Germany advances its digital transformation initiatives, how do you anticipate electronic identification (eID) solutions will reshape document signing processes for both enterprises and consumers in the German market?
There is an overall shift within the identity verification and authentication landscape where organisations are actively seeking-out solutions that enable them to maintain security and compliance, without impacting the user experience.
For enterprises, eID solutions will help streamline identity verification, enabling faster onboarding, contract execution, and compliance with stringent regulatory requirements such as eIDAS and Germany’s Trust Services Act. Again, take Grenke as an example, the ability to integrate German eID schemes into their existing signing workflow – especially for digital signatures – means they can ensure the highest level of legal validity while reducing manual processes and streamlining the customer experience.
For consumers, eID will offer a more seamless and familiar experience whilst maintaining security – something we pride ourselves on delivering here at Docusign. With familiar national identity methods integrated into digital transactions, users will be able to verify their identity and complete agreements with confidence and ease. This not only enhances trust but also accelerates adoption in regulated sectors like finance, insurance, and real estate.
Through our partnership with IDnow, Docusign is committed to supporting the German market by leaning into evolving regulations and integrating eID solutions into its portfolio, meeting local regulatory needs while delivering the trusted experience that users expect.
The eID advantage: Seamless UX meets compliance
How can Germany unlock and accelerate the full potential of eID?
Based on our experience, accelerating eID adoption in Germany hinges on three key factors: user experience, awareness, and interoperability.
First, simplifying the user experience is critical. For individuals to embrace eID for digital agreement completion, the process must be intuitive, fast, and secure. Reducing friction, such as removing lengthy registration steps or complex verification methods, can significantly increase user adoption. By leveraging the familiar eID methods, this will streamline this experience while maintaining high levels of identity assurance.
Second, education and awareness are essential. Many individuals are unaware that their national eID can be used as part of the digital agreement process. Promoting the benefits (legal validity, security, and convenience, etc.) will help build trust and drive usage across different age and user groups.
Third, ensuring broad interoperability with public and private identity schemes is key. Businesses need confidence that the eID solutions they implement will work across sectors and meet local (GwG) and regional (eIDAS) regulatory standards.
In what ways has Docusign enhanced its signing workflows by incorporating eID with other IDnow-powered verification solutions?
Docusign has a long-standing partnership with IDnow. The evolution of this partnership to now include IDnow’s eID capabilities enhances the security and user experience of its joint offering in the following ways:
- Automation: Customers can make the most of an Identification method that simply relies on the electronic identification (eID) function of the German national identity card.
- Security: Two factors of authentication for additional security:
- PIN entry
- Scanning of the near field communication (NFC) chip contained within German eIDs
- Familiarity and ease of use: not only are eIDs increasingly adopted across Germany, but the fact we leverage new technology such as NFC provides an additional element of ease of use.
Real-world application: GRENKE’s eID-first transformation
For businesses that already use Docusign but haven’t yet implemented eID-based signing, what are the key benefits they might be missing out on?
Ultimately, we can distill the key benefits to:
- Increased completion rates, driven through familiarity: enable customers to use their German eID for straightforward, intuitive identity verification that supports compliance obligations.
- Secure, simplified signing: built-in security enhancements (i.e. use of PIN, scanning of NFC, etc.) mean that SMS re-authentication and live video interactions are no longer required, resulting in an even faster identification process for signers.
- Storage and centralisation of key identity information: continue to download or easily access required signer identity information through Docusign and IDnow, to demonstrate compliance with BaFin GwG requirements
Can you share a real-world example of how a customer of Docusign is using eID to improve efficiency and achieve measurable business outcomes?
A strong example is our long-standing collaboration with Grenke, a leading provider of leasing and financing services. For several years, Grenke has enabled customers and dealers to digitally sign contracts using Docusign eSignature, with IDnow’s VideoIdent solution supporting identity verification.
Recently, Grenke enhanced this process by integrating IDnow’s eID solution as an alternative verification method. The impact has been clear: the introduction of eID has helped Grenke accelerate contract turnaround times, reduce reliance on physical materials, and improve the overall user experience. This has translated into greater operational efficiency, enhanced customer satisfaction, and measurable progress toward the company’s digital and sustainability goals.
What’s next: Looking beyond legal requirements
As we anticipate the implementation of eIDAS 2.0 and the European Digital Identity framework in the coming months, how do you envision these regulatory advancements shaping the evolution of electronic identification and digital signature solutions across Germany and the broader European market?
These regulatory advancements will establish a unified, interoperable framework for digital identity across EU member states, enabling individuals and businesses to authenticate and complete digital agreements securely and seamlessly across borders. For Germany, this means greater alignment with a pan-European standard that facilitates trust, legal certainty, and smoother cross-border transactions.
eIDAS 2.0 introduces the concept of the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI), which empowers citizens to manage, store and share verified identity attributes as they wish. This will significantly enhance user control, reduce onboarding friction, and boost adoption of high-assurance digital signatures, particularly Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES). At Docusign our stated ambition is to become an federator of identities, where all EUDI wallets are available through our platform .
For businesses, these changes will reduce complexity in managing multiple identity systems while improving compliance and scalability.
We’re excited for what’s to come.
Interested in more from our customer conversations? Check out:
- Holvi’s Chief Risk Officer, René Hofer, sat down with us to discuss fraud, compliance, and the strategies needed to stay ahead in an evolving financial landscape.
By
Nikita Rybová
Customer and Product Marketing Manager at IDnow
Connect with Nikita on LinkedIn
