Mar 6, 2024

PersonalSign 3 Pro FAQs

 

Contents:

1. Why should I choose a PersonalSign 3 Pro Certificate?
2. What is the authentication process for PersonalSign 3 Pro Certificates?
3. Which documents are required for the vetting of my PersonalSign 3 Pro order?
4. I entered the incorrect approval email, can this be changed?
5. I have forgotten my pick-up password, could you provide it to me?
6. Where can I find a copy of the PersonalSign 3 Pro Digital Request Form/Subscriber Agreement?
7. I have not received my PersonalSign 3 Pro Certificate yet, what is the status of my order?
8. I have made a mistake during the ordering of my Certificate, how do I change the details?
9. How do I reissue my PersonalSign 3 Pro Certificate?
10. In which scenarios might I need to reissue my Certificate?
11. My PersonalSign 3 Pro Certificate is expiring soon, how do I renew it?
12. Will reissuing/renewing my Certificate cause me any problems?
13. How do I cancel my PersonalSign 3 Pro Certificate?
14. How do I export/back-up my Certificate?
15. I have recently changed to a new computer. How do I get a copy of my Certificate for my new computer? Is it possible to use the original download link again?
16. I can't export my Certificate with the private key, how do I proceed?
17. I have lost the original copy of my PersonalSign Certificate (the downloaded .pfx file), how can I get another copy of the original Certificate?
18. Where can I find the PersonalSign 3 Pro Intermediate Certificates?
19. How do I download and install my PersonalSign 3 Pro Certificate?
20. How do I know if my Certificate has been correctly installed?
21. I am having issues using my PersonalSign 3 Pro Certificate on the Belgian Online Government Services.
22. How long are PersonalSign 3 Pro Certificates valid for?

 

1. Why should I choose a PersonalSign 3 Pro Certificate?

PersonalSign 3 Pro is a class 3 Digital Certificate issued to individuals representing organizations looking to access Belgian Online Government Services such as electronic VAT and any online declarations and filing of electronic accounts.
They offer the highest level of trust and functionality and comply with all requirements from the Belgian Government.
GlobalSign PersonalSign 3 Pro Certificates can also be used to authenticate Microsoft Office documents to protect their integrity and provide assurances of authorship to their recipients.
For more information regarding which online services can be used with a PersonalSign 3 Pro Certificate, please click here:
https://shop.globalsign.com/en/belgian-government-services.

IMPORTANT: Starting January 31, 2024, you can no longer log into the e-services of the FPS Finance using PersonalSign 3 Pro Certificates. 
This is for the following online services: FINPROF, Intervat, and FINELTS. Please check the applicable portals.

2. What is the authentication process for PersonalSign 3 Pro Certificates?

For Belgian Residents:
You will need to take the appropriate documents to your local Chamber of Commerce (Refer to Question #3)

For Dutch Residents:
Please use the following contact details for more information on the next steps, which include on-site verification via your local Authority Agent:
Marktconcurrent B.V.
Mail.info@marktconcurrent.nl
Tel.0031 6 2464 9267
(Mevr J Noordermeer)

If you are a resident of another country, please refer to your notary or lawyer. For full instructions on how to apply for a PersonalSign 3 Pro or explanations on the vetting process, please consult our User Guide: 
https://www.globalsign.com/en/resources/user-guide-ps3-enrolment-and-installation-guide.pdf.

3. Which documents are required for the vetting of my PersonalSign 3 Pro order?

1. Copy of ID
2. Subscriber agreement (application form), which would be signed and stamped by the Notary/Chambers.
3. Documents for business registration
Note: These documents need to be sent to vetting-emea@globalsign.com once you have had them notarized.

4. I entered the incorrect approval email; can this be changed?

Since the approval email cannot be changed, we recommend that you reorder the Certificate:
https://shop.globalsign.com/en/belgian-government-services.

5. I have forgotten my pick-up password; could you provide it to me?

Due to our security processes, the pickup password you created during the ordering process is not visible in our system. Instead, you will need to cancel and reorder using this guide: https://shop.globalsign.com/en/belgian-government-services
Note: If you reorder, you may contact GlobalSign with your new order number to help expedite it.

6. Where can I find a copy of the PersonalSign 3 Pro Digital Request Form/Subscriber Agreement?

You will have the option to download this document at the end of the ordering process. If you are unable to retrieve this document yourself, please contact GlobalSign Support, and we will send you another copy.

7. I have not received my PersonalSign 3 Pro Certificate yet. What is the status of my order?

A copy of your PersonalSign 3 Pro Digital Request Form (also known as the Subscriber Agreement) will need to be taken to the Chamber of Commerce / Notary. This will then need to be sent to the Vetting team for them to begin the verification process. If this form is not sent to us, then we will not be able to begin the vetting process.

If you have already sent the form to the Vetting team, then they will contact you if they have any questions or require additional information from you.

8. I have made a mistake during the ordering of my Certificate, how do I change the details?

The Certificate information is locked upon order creation.
If the Certificate information changes, you will be required to have these new details notarized.
If this is not the case, you will not be required to return to the notary again; simply send your new order number to GlobalSign Support and we will do the rest.
 
For Belgian and Dutch Residents:
Please place a replacement order using the following link: 
https://shop.globalsign.com/en/belgian-government-services.

If you are a resident of another country:
If your Certificate has not been issued or has been available for download for 7 days, you should have the option to cancel and reorder the Certificate with the correct information using the following guide:
https://support.globalsign.com/account-finance/reorder-personalsign-code-signing-and-pdf-signing-certificate

If you do not have the option to cancel and reorder in your account, please check that you are the same user who placed the order, as you may not have permissions to complete this action.

If you are the user who placed the order, but you still don’t have the option to cancel and reorder, please contact GlobalSign Support.

9. How do I reissue my PersonalSign 3 Pro Certificate?

For Belgian and Dutch Residents:
Please contact GlobalSign Support, as you will not have a GlobalSign account to reissue your Certificate independently.

If you are a resident of another country, you will have received credentials to your own GlobalSign account. You should be able to log in and use the following steps to reissue your Certificate:
https://support.globalsign.com/digital-certificates/digital-certificates-life-cycle/reissue-certificate-client-digital-certificates.

If you no longer have your account credentials, you can simply reset your account password using the following link:
https://support.globalsign.com/account-finance/reset-forgotten-password-account-management

10. In which scenarios might I need to reissue my Certificate?

• If you need to install the Certificate on a new machine, however, you have lost the original downloaded file to install.
• You cannot retrieve the auto-generated password for the PFX file when you downloaded and installed it originally.
• If the Certificate’s private key has become compromised, we advise that the compromised Certificate be revoked after reissuance.
• If you need to install the Certificate on a new machine but are unable to export it in a PFX format (including a private key) from the machine where you installed it originally.

11. My PersonalSign 3 Pro Certificate is expiring soon, how do I renew it?

For Belgian and Dutch Residents:
There is no renewal process for PersonalSign 3 Pro Certificates and you will need to place a brand-new order using the following link: 
https://shop.globalsign.com/en/belgian-government-services

If you are a resident of another country, you will have received credentials to your own GlobalSign account. Please log in and use the following steps to renew your Certificate: 
https://support.globalsign.com/digital-certificates/digital-certificates-life-cycle/how-renew-your-client-digital-certificate-document-code-email-signing. 

12. Will reissuing or renewing my Certificate cause me any problems?

When a PersonalSign Certificate is reissued or renewing a new private and public key pair is generated.
Our PersonalSign Certificates is affected in the following ways:

• Authentication: The public key of the reissued or renewed Certificate will not match the public key of the original Certificate. This will mean that if you want to use your reissued or renewed Certificate for authentication, you will need to export your new public key and provide it to the service you are trying to authenticate to.

13. How do I cancel my PersonalSign 3 Pro Certificate?

For Belgian and Dutch Residents:
Please contact your point of purchase, and they will be able to assist you.

If you are a resident of another country:
You can complete these steps by following this guide:
https://support.globalsign.com/account-finance/order-cancellation-globalsign-certificate-center-gcc

If you do not have the option to cancel the Certificate from your account, please check that you are the same user who placed the order, as you may not have permissions to complete this action.

If you are the user who placed the order, but you still do not have the option to cancel, please contact GlobalSign Support.

14. How do I export/back-up my Certificate?

Depending on what you’re trying to do, e.g., exporting your Certificate to install into another machine or exporting your Certificate in a file that is accepted by one of the Belgian Online Government Services, the following links should assist you.

To export your Certificate in a PFX file, you can use this guide:
https://support.globalsign.com/digital-certificates/digital-certificates-life-cycle/export-client-digital-certificate-pkcs12pfx.

15. I have recently changed to a new computer. How do I get a copy of my Certificate for my new computer? Is it possible to use the original download link again?

The download link for a Certificate can only be used once. If you would like a fresh copy of your Certificate, you will need to reissue your Certificate. Please refer to Question #9 in this FAQ.

16. I can't export my Certificate with the private key; how do I proceed?

If you are unable to export the private key, this means the option was not checked during the initial installation of the Certificate. In this scenario, we would recommend locating the downloaded file of the original Certificate on your machine to install the Certificate again.
If you no longer have a copy of the original Certificate downloaded on your file, then you will need to reissue the Certificate to a new PFX file. Please refer to Question #9 in this FAQ.

17. I have lost the original copy of my PersonalSign Certificate (the downloaded PFX file); how can I get another copy of the original Certificate?

If the original downloaded file of a PersonalSign Certificate is lost, there is no way to retrieve it. You will need to reissue the Certificate; however, this will create a brand-new key pair. Please refer to Question #9 in this FAQ.

18. Where can I find the PersonalSign 3 Pro Intermediate Certificates?

PersonalSign 3 Pro Intermediate Certificates can be found here:
https://support.globalsign.com/ca-certificates/intermediate-certificates/personalsign-intermediate-certificates

19. How do I download and install my PersonalSign 3 Pro Certificate?

We have guides available in English, French, and Dutch, which can be found here:
https://support.globalsign.com/ssl/ssl-certificates-installation/download-and-install-personalsign-certificate

Or, you can check out the following tutorial:

20. How do I know if my Certificate has been correctly installed?

Depending on which browser you use to install your PersonalSign 3 Pro Certificate, there are different ways you can check if it is installed correctly.

Firefox:
Click on Settings > Advanced > Encryption > View Certificates > Your Certificates > and the Certificate should be displayed here.

Chrome:
Go to Settings > Show advanced settings > Manage Certificates > Certificates and here you should see your Certificate installed under the Personal tab.

Safari:
Open Keychain Access, click on Keychains > Certificates > and here you should see your PersonalSign Certificate.

21. I am having issues using my PersonalSign 3 Pro Certificate on the Belgian Online Government Services. Help!

If the Certificate is correctly installed (as indicated in Question #20), we would recommend contacting the third-party website you are trying to access, as they may require you to use their website in a specific manner, e.g., the Certificate may need to be in a specific format.
The following article may assist you if you are required to export the Certificate from your machine in a specific format:

Exporting to PFX: https://support.globalsign.com/digital-certificates/digital-certificates-life-cycle/export-client-digital-certificate-pkcs12pfx

22. How long are PersonalSign 3 Pro Certificates valid for?

PersonalSign 3 Pro Certificates are valid for 39 months maximum. For more information, please refer to:
https://support.globalsign.com/ssl/general-ssl/maximum-certificate-validity.