How to open an .asice file

1. In the browser – the fastest way

The simplest option is to open the file right on this page. It works on any device and there is nothing to install.

1. Save the .asice file to your device (from the e-mail attachment, for example).
2. Drop it into the box at the top of this page, or press the box and choose the file.
3. The files and signatures in the container appear on the left, the preview of the selected document on the right.
4. Press the download button if you want to save a document separately.

The file is opened in your browser and is not uploaded anywhere.

2. On Windows and Mac with the DigiDoc4 client

DigiDoc4 is the official software of the Estonian Information System Authority, available from id.ee. It is the right choice when you need an official confirmation that a signature is valid, or when you want to sign yourself.

1. Install the ID-software from id.ee.
2. Double-click the .asice file or drag it into the DigiDoc4 window.
3. DigiDoc4 shows the files in the container and the validity of each signature.

If you cannot or do not want to install software – on a work computer, a Chromebook or someone else's machine – use the browser viewer.

3. On an Android phone or tablet

There are two options on Android:

• In the browser: open asiceviewer.com in Chrome, press the box and pick the file from Downloads.
• With the app: install the free ASiC-E Viewer app from Google Play. It opens .asice, .bdoc, .edoc, .adoc and .p7s files offline and exports documents to PDF or Word.

4. On iPhone and iPad

1. Touch and hold the attachment in the e-mail and choose “Save to Files”.
2. Open asiceviewer.com in Safari.
3. Press the box, choose “Choose File” and find the file in the Files app.

Getting the documents out of the container

ASICE, BDOC and DDOC are containers: inside are ordinary files – usually a PDF or a Word document. After opening the container, press the download icon next to a file, or “Download all (ZIP)”. You get the files exactly as they were signed.

Note that a document taken out of the container no longer carries the digital signature. If you need to forward the signed document, send the whole .asice file.

Common problems

The file opens as gibberish or in Notepad

The operating system does not know the extension and offers the wrong program. Do not open the file in a text editor – drop it into the browser viewer instead.

The mail program renamed it to .zip

Some mail servers rename .asice attachments. The content is the same: drop the .zip file here and ASiCE Viewer recognises the signature container.

The file is “damaged”

Usually the download was interrupted. Download the attachment again and retry. If it still will not open, ask the sender to send it again.

Integrity error

The warning means that the content of a file does not match the digest in the signature – the file was changed after signing, or is missing from the container. Do not rely on such a container; ask the sender for a new one.