Which one to choose
- DV is enough for most websites: blogs, corporate sites, small shops. It is issued in minutes and can be automated with ACME.
- OV makes sense when you want the company name in the certificate, for example for business customers who check it.
- EV is the most thorough validation outside eIDAS. Browsers no longer highlight it visually, but some sectors and audits still ask for it.
- QWAC is for those who need European legal status: PSD2 obligations, public bodies, regulated sectors, or anyone who wants Firefox, and the browsers that follow it, to display the qualified identity.
Is a QWAC an EV certificate?
In practice, almost: a 1-QWAC is usually issued with extended validation (the QEVCP-w policy), so it is also an EV certificate. The reverse is not true. An EV certificate only becomes a QWAC if it is issued by a provider with qualified status, with the qualified statements in the certificate and under eIDAS rules.
Can I move from EV to QWAC?
Yes, and it is the easiest transition, because most of the organisation checks are the same. It is installed like any certificate: the same private key can even be reused if the CSR is the same, although generating a new one is good practice.