When a certificate is to be printed on a certificate form having a microchip built therein, an applicant for applying for the certificate sends microchip ID to a certificate issuer, and the certificate issuer stores certificate data in association with the microchip ID in an issue management database of the certificate issuer. When the certificate is to be verified, a certificate verifier sends the microchip ID built in the certificate to the certificate issuer, and in response to it, the certificate issuer sends the certificate data, which is registered in the certificate database in association with the microchip ID, to the certificate verifier. Certificate can be printed out by a print terminal at home or the like.