This section will tell you more about the technical background to the De-Mail service.
For information on how to use De-Mail, see our section for consumers.

The De-Mail Act came into force on 3 May 2011. This laid the foundation for the simple, legally binding and confidential transmission of electronic documents and messages. De-Mails are used in the same way as conventional e-mails, but they have some important characteristics that e-mails do not.

• The identities of the sender and the addressee can be proven unequivocally and cannot be faked.
• Messages are only transmitted via encrypted channels and saved in encrypted format. They can never be accessed by unauthorised parties and they can neither be read nor modified.

Based on the E-Government Act that came into force on 1 August 2013, it is now even possible, in certain circumstances, to replace the written form required in administrative records by sending a De-Mail instead.

Interested providers can apply to the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) for accreditation as a De-Mail service provider (DMSP).
Gesetz zur Regelung von De-Mail-Diensten und zur Änderung weiterer Vorschriften vom 28. April 2011

As part of the accreditation process, all DMSP must prove they meet the high requirements set out in the De-Mail Act regarding the organisational and technical security of the De-Mail services they offer. Every provider meeting these requirements can become an accredited DMSP. De-Mail contact details in the BSI

Accredited DMSP are authorised to offer their De-Mail services on the market.
An up-to-date list of accredited DMSP is available at Accredited De-Mail service providers.