Electronic Mailbox – Everything You Need to Know

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Electronic Mailbox – Why Use It?

The electronic mailbox, also referred to as an e-mailbox, represents a modern method of communication between citizens, business entities, and public authorities. In practice, it functions similarly to traditional postal services, but without the need to deliver documents in paper form or to physically visit a government institution or post office. This method of communication already fully replaces the traditional delivery of documents in paper form in many cases today.

The use of the electronic mailbox for natural persons, that is, regular citizens, is voluntary. However, for entrepreneurs and legal entities, this form of communication with government institutions is mandatory. This obligation has been in effect since July 1, 2017. Each legal entity is automatically assigned an electronic mailbox on the slovensko.sk portal. These mailboxes are owned by the state, and their primary purpose is to streamline communication between citizens, businesses, and the government.

With the setup of an e-mailbox, citizens no longer need to visit the post office or other authorities, nor do they have to unnecessarily print large volumes of paper documents—making this approach more environmentally friendly. To communicate through the electronic mailbox, participating entities need an ID card with a chip and an electronic signature.

Did you know…

…that decisions delivered to an activated electronic mailbox have the same legal effect as those delivered through regular postal communication? These decisions carry the same legal weight as, for example, a registered letter delivered to the recipient’s own hands.

 

Access to and Setup of the Electronic Mailbox

Setting up an electronic mailbox is simple and does not require any special skills or legal procedures. An electronic mailbox is automatically created for every Slovak citizen on the day they turn 18. The setup is free of charge for natural persons and does not require any special application.

Login to the electronic mailbox is done via the slovensko.sk portal by clicking the “Log in to the portal” function located in the upper right corner of the screen.
An e-mailbox can also be set up for a natural person (citizen) under the age of 18. In such cases, the application can be submitted through the electronic services on the slovensko.sk portal or sent in paper form. The application must be signed by both parents or other legal guardians of the minor, such as a caretaker, trustee, or another authorized person. A legal document proving the authority to represent the minor in legal matters must be attached to the application.

Before logging into the electronic mailbox, the following security elements are required:

• An ID card with an electronic chip and a defined security code.
• A smart card reader.
• Software installed on the computer for login (eID client) and drivers for the card reader.
• An application for creating a qualified electronic signature.

Anyone who has been assigned an electronic mailbox is considered the holder of that e-mailbox. However, it is essential to note that the holder does not have ownership rights to the electronic mailbox. They are obligated to manage it in accordance with the provisions of the e-Government Act. The owner of all electronic mailboxes is the state.

Security Features – Basic Information

As already mentioned above, using the electronic mailbox requires several security features. This is one of the reasons why many users in practice choose to manage their e-mailbox through external companies offering various innovative solutions in this area.
Using services from external providers eliminates the need for handling multiple security elements, as these are already integrated into the purchased solution. This allows users to access their electronic mailbox more easily, without the need to use an ID card or other security tools.

Can Someone Else Manage Your Electronic Mailbox?

As a rule, the authorized person with access and the ability to manage the e-mailbox on the slovensko.sk portal is the owner for whom the mailbox was created. However, for practical reasons, mailbox owners often choose to authorize another person to access and manage the e-mailbox on their behalf. The state allows for such a possibility.

Authorization or power of attorney for another natural person can be granted by submitting a request titled “Granting authorization to a natural/legal person to represent the entity.” This request can be found in the respective electronic mailbox under the “Create Request” section (in the original version of the e-mailbox) or in the “Settings” section under “User Permissions” (in the new version of the e-mailbox).
Alternatively, access can also be granted by completing the appropriate form available in the Forms section on the slovensko.sk portal.

Cost of the Electronic Mailbox – What Does It Depend On?

Setting up and using the electronic mailbox on the slovensko.sk portal is free of charge for both natural and legal persons. As of August 1, 2023, it is no longer necessary to pay a fee for increasing the storage capacity of the e-mailbox on this portal.
The size of the electronic mailbox is allocated to all users in accordance with the available capacity of the Central Government Portal (slovensko.sk), without the need to submit an application and at no cost.

What Problems May Occur in Practice?

Even the digital world and the services provided within it are not immune to various issues. One of the most common problems in the area of electronic communication is missing or incorrectly entered data. When such issues arise in practice, users typically resolve them with the relevant authorities and by means prescribed by law. The e-mailbox is used in compliance with the applicable and effective legislation.

Deactivation of the Electronic Mailbox

Users can deactivate their electronic mailbox at any time, based on an explicit request from the mailbox owner. The deactivation of the e-mailbox takes effect on the third working day after the request has been received. The request for deactivation can be submitted electronically or in paper form.

The electronic mailbox is also deactivated in the following cases provided by law:

• Upon the death of the natural person (owner of the e-mailbox).
• On the date stated in a final decision declaring the person dead.
• On the date stated in a declaration of legal incapacity or in a decision limiting legal capacity, if the decision also covers legal acts related to the management of the e-mailbox and electronic delivery.

The deletion of the electronic mailbox and all its contents from the slovensko.sk portal occurs after a period of 3 years from the date of the owner’s death or from their legal declaration of death.

A Different Type of Electronic Mailbox

In practice, besides the electronic mailbox on the slovensko.sk portal, there are also other types of electronic mailboxes that help users streamline various work activities and business processes. One such solution is the digital electronic mailbox provided by the nfqes.com platform, which offers a wide range of electronic services.

What features does the e-box from the NFQES platform offer?

• It provides an infrastructure for sending and receiving messages.
• It enables the creation of messages for other partners and the signing of documents from any location with internet access, quickly and efficiently.
• It allows documents to be signed and sent to a business partner, with the ability to receive the signed document back immediately.
• It supports bulk signing and distribution of corporate documents.
• It offers document management and preparation for signing by statutory representatives.
• It allows for the approval of documents prepared by, for example, assistants within the company, to be approved by supervisors or statutory representatives.
• It enables setting a minimum level of electronic signature required for a given document.
• It allows receiving a digitally signed document even from partners who do not have a certificate.
• It provides a complete mailbox history and an overview of the workflow in one place.

Why use the electronic mailbox from the NFQES platform?

The electronic mailbox on the slovensko.sk portal only allows communication between the state and a natural or legal person. However, the NFQES platform offers users an extended version and a wide range of communication options in the online environment, including interactions between individuals, legal entities, and public administration, as well as all possible combinations among participating entities. All services are provided in compliance with the obligations and requirements of eIDAS.

The pricing for using the electronic mailbox can be found at the following link.