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Digital ICDL Certificates

ICDL Malta, in collaboration with the Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research, and Innovation, issues ICDL Certificates in digital form on the blockchain.

– The digital ICDL certificate will remain with you for life and you can use this when applying for a new opportunity, whether that is at a school or with an employer.

– The authenticity of the digital ICDL Certificate can be verified on the ICDL Malta Certificate Verifier or the Blockcerts Universal Verifier. You can send your digital certificate (JSON format) to prospective employers etc for verification. Having the certificates on the Blockcert system protects the ICDL brand.

– Your ICDL certificate/s is included alongside other certificates issued by local institutions on the Blockcert system.

– The printing and distribution of paper certificates does not contribute to environmental responsibility. The issuing of digital certificates supports the commitment of ICDL Malta to its sustainability goals.

Your digital ICDL Certificate will be sent by email. The digital ICDL Certificate will be added to the secure Blockerts Wallet App, which is designed to receive, store, and share your ICDL Certificate.

When you successfully complete one of the ICDL Certification programmes, your Test Centre will submit a request to ICDL Malta to issue the certifcate.  Note that the certificates will be issued the following month. 

ICDL Malta will send you two separate emails from ICDL Malta:

  • The first email informs you that you will receive a separate email with the Blockcert certificate.  This email also contains instructions to download the Blockcerts Wallet App and how you will add the ICDL certificate to the Blockcerts Wallet App.
  • The second email (send a few days after the first email) contains your ICDL Certificate file (an attachment with the name: YYYY-MM-DD-ICDL.json) and instructions to add the certificate to the Blockcert Wallet App and how to save a PDF version on their computer/laptop. It is strongly recommended that you keep a copy of the second email to have a backup of your ICDL Certificate for future use.

Receiving certificates therefore, is an easy, two-step process:

A. Download the Blockcerts Wallet App.
The first email contains instructions to download your free Blockcerts Wallet App from the Apple App Store or Google Play. During installation, it is strongly recommended that you copy your secure passphrase of the Blockerts Wallet App and store it somewhere safe.


B. Add your digital ICDL certificate to the Blockcerts Wallet App.

The second email contains your digital certificate attached in JSON format. This file is your real blockchain certificate. It is strongly recommended that you keep your JSON file backed up in a safe place. You may need to reimport this when you change your mobile device in the future!

To add your ICDL Certificate to your Blockcerts Wallet App:

  1. Save your digital ICDL certificate on your mobile device.
  2. Open the Blockcerts Wallet App on your mobile device
  3. Tap the Settings cogwheel (or gear) located in the top right corner.
  4. Select Add Credential.
  5. Select Import from File.
  6. Locate the digital certificate saved in step 1 and add this to the Blockcerts Wallet App.

Your app works just like a private folder. It is cryptographically secured, so nobody but you can access it. It talks to the organisations that issue you certificates, so they know where to send them. It also enables you to store all digital certificates issued by different organisations in one place on your own devices, so you don’t have to rely on anyone else to store your certificates. It is not tied to any public identity you have (like a social media profile or a school account), so you choose when and how you want to share the information in your app.

What this means, though, is that you are completely responsible for managing your app. It will have a secure passphrase to which only you have access to. Ensure that you save your unique passphrase in a secure place, like a password manager. This will let you regenerate your app and prove that you own your credentials if you ever delete your app or lose your phone. If you lose your passphrase, it’s like losing the ID that says you are who you say you are; you will need to contact us to re-issue your ICDL Certificate to you.

Having your ICDL Certificate on the blockchain means that your certificate is always in your possession. You control how it is used. You can choose to share your ICDL Certificate privately by email or text message.

ICDL certificates on the blockchain do not expire. These will remain in the Blockcerts Wallet App forever. 

As long as you have your passphrase, you can import your ICDL Certificate to a new app at any time. Just download the Blockcert Wallet App from the Apple App Store or the Google Play, enter your passphrase, and import your digital ICDL Certificate.

The passphrase allows you to maintain ownership of your ICDL Certificate across multiple devices. So, for example, you can enter the passphrase into the apps you download on your tablet or another smartphone, then import the same ICDL Certificate to those apps, too.

The Blockcerts Wallet App can only be downloaded and used on a mobile phone or tablet. Downloading the Blockcerts Wallet App is optional, but it is recommended that you download the app so that you will be able to save your ICDL certificates (and other certificates issued by other institutions via Blockcerts) in one place on your mobile phone or tablet.

If you do not have a smartphone or tablet, the second email sent by ICDL Malta contains instructions on how to:

  1. save and store the ICDL digital certificate on your desktop/laptop;
  2. view/verify your digital credential on your desktop/laptop; and
  3. download and save the digital certificate in PDF on your laptop/desktop (refer to FAQ 9).
  1. Locate the second email you received from ICDL Malta. This contains your ICDL Certificate in JSON format (YYYY-MM-DD-ICDL.json).
  2. 1. Save your digital ICDL certificate (YYYY-MM-DD-ICDL.json) on your computer/laptop.
  3. Upload or drag-and-drop your ICDL Certificate (i.e YYYY-MM-DD-ICDL.json) to one of these certificate verifier webpages: ICDL Malta Certificate Verifier or the Blockcerts Universal Verifier.
  4. Click Verify button.
  5. The system will verify the certificate and displays a dialog box. Click the text Download Record in PDF Format. The certificate will be downloaded to your computer/laptop.

If you have more questions about the Blockcerts Wallet App or the issuing process, please contact [email protected].