What is a registration authority (Registrierungsstelle, RA)?

A registration authority is an entity that authorises the issuance of a digital identity for a previously checked subject, by verifying the evidence the subject presents or that is otherwise collected.

The RA can be an integral part of an IdP or act as a separate service on the IdP's behalf. It is the quality gate that determines the assurance level of the identities an IdP issues.

Go deeper:

• Registration authority (NIST glossary) — the formal definitions, from the PKI world where the RA and CA split originated.