The European Digital Credential Issuer is a free of charge web-app that allows credential awarding bodies to prepare and issue degrees, diplomas, certificates of participation, diploma supplements or other learning credentials to learners. These credentials are issued in the form of European Digital Credentials for Learning (EDCs). Education and training providers, education Agencies or Ministries, or employers can issue EDCs.

The Issuer can help institutions build and issue EU standard compliant credentials in any of the 29 languages of Europass. These credentials can be multilingual, allowing recipients to navigate their content in several languages. This can also help you better understand credentials from other Member States.

The Issuer is capable of taking structured data about awarded credentials and issuing thousands of digital credentials. Credentials can then be e-mailed to learners or directly deposited to their Europass Library.

Who can issue EDCs? 

Any institution or organisation that wishes to issue EDCs can make use of the Issuer. The only prerequisite is to be in possession of an advanced or qualified electronic seal (that is the digital equivalent of an institution’s rubber stamp) (link to the page on e-seals). A qualified electronic seal is an electronic seal compliant to EU Regulation No 910/2014 (eIDAS Regulation) for electronic transactions within the internal European market. This allows education and training institutions to easily authenticate, validate and recognise credentials of any size, shape or form.  

Do you want to know more about issuing European Digital Credentials for Learning? Consult our help pages  for step-by-step instructions . 

What are EDCs?

European Digital Credentials for Learning are electronically sealed digital statements issued by an organisation to a learner, documenting their learning. They include diplomas, transcripts of records and a wide variety of other types of certificates of a learning achievement. They are portable digital documents that use open standards and that are fully aligned with familiar EU frameworks and instruments such as the European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning (EQF), the European Classification of Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations (ESCO), diploma supplement and more. EDCs are tamper-proof, information rich credentials and fully respect your privacy. They can be awarded for formal education, training, online courses, non-formal learning, volunteering experiences and more.

European Digital Credentials for Learning have the same legal validity as paper-based credentials and are recognised throughout the European Education Area.

They can describe and certify:

• qualifications (e.g. professional certificates, university or VET diplomas and other learning achievements),
• activities (e.g. participation in classes and non-formal learning events),
• assessments (e.g. transcripts of records), and
• entitlements (e.g. right to enroll in learning opportunities, or to undertake an occupation)

EDCs are typically used to apply for job positions, further education and training, and more. They are legally equivalent to paper-based certificates in all Member States of the European Education Area.

How can I view EDCs? 

The European Digital Credential Viewer is an online interface that displays the content of the credentials, and runs instant authentication and verification checks, immediately showing if a credential has been tampered with or whether it was issued by an unauthorised organisation. 

Still have questions? Contact us at EMPL-ELM-SUPPORT@ec.europa.eu