The pilot project will start in Moscow and St. Petersburg for the bank's clients. In the third quarter of 2021, the service will be available to legal entities in all regions where VTB is present.

The new service allows entrepreneurs to obtain a qualified electronic signature, designed to exchange legally significant documents in electronic form. Clients can use the QES to send reports to the Federal Tax Service, interact with government agencies, access the portal of public services, manage electronic documentation, communicate with the bank, and participate in electronic auctions, among other tasks.

VTB's clients, which include legal entities and entrepreneurs, will be able to remotely apply for the QES issuance via online banking or in-person at the bank’s office. The data is automatically checked in the state’s information system and, after receiving confirmation, the applicant can complete registration at the bank's branch. The electronic signature certificate is written to a certified secure physical medium (usb token). The issuing process takes no more than 20 minutes.

Spartak Solonin, Head of the Corporate Digital Business Department, Senior Vice President of VTB, said:

"We continue to work on services that help customers comfortably solve various issues for the successful launch and development of their businesses. One of the tasks that an entrepreneur faces at the start is obtaining a QES, which is an important tool for work. As part of the agreement with the Federal Tax Service of Russia, VTB is launching a service for issuing a QES certificate on a certified physical medium, which will simplify the process and further contribute to the development of paperless documentation management in the country.”

The QES issuance service will be provided to VTB customers free of charge. The service is also available to legal entities and sole proprietors who are not clients of the bank, on a paid basis or free of charge when settlement and cash services are connected to VTB.