Registering a company in Estonia through the e-Residency programme involves setting up an Estonian company entirely online using an e-Residency card: a national digital ID that Estonia has been issuing to foreign nationals since 2014. The card allows you to sign documents with a legally binding digital signature (in accordance with the EU’s eIDAS Regulation), submit an application to the Commercial Register from anywhere in the world, and subsequently manage the company remotely — from filing reports to amending the articles of association. Over 120,000 people from more than 170 countries have already taken advantage of the programme, setting up over 33,000 companies.
We provide a fully managed end-to-end service: we help you apply for e-Residency and collect your kit from a convenient collection point, then register your company via the e-Business Register and immediately fulfil the mandatory requirements for non-residents — a registered office and a contact person. You receive a fully operational Estonian company and a digital ID to manage it – without having to visit Estonia and without having to coordinate multiple service providers.
| Topic | Practical explanation |
|---|---|
| What is e-Residency | Estonia’s national digital ID: a smart card with a chip and PIN codes for online identification and digital signatures |
| Legal validity of the signature | The signature complies with the EU’s eIDAS Regulation and is recognised throughout the European Union |
| Who is eligible | Citizens of any country; each application is subject to a background check by the Estonian police and border guard |
| Time taken to receive the card | Usually 4–6 weeks from application submission to collection of the card at the embassy or collection point |
| Validity | 5 years, after which the card must be renewed by submitting a new application |
| e-Residency application fee | €100–120, depending on the collection point |
| Company registration | Online via the e-Business Register: submission takes around 30 minutes; entry into the register usually takes 1 working day |
| Registration fee | €265 |
| What e-Residency does NOT provide | It is not a visa, a residence permit or tax residency — it is simply digital access to Estonian e-services |
If you have any questions, our managers are always on hand and ready to help! If you’re unsure whether to wait for your e-resident card or to register your company more quickly via a power of attorney, simply submit an enquiry and our specialists will compare both options for your specific situation, free of charge.
e-Residency is a state-issued digital identity document: a smart card with a microchip and PIN codes, which enables foreign nationals to identify themselves online and sign documents with an electronic signature. The signature complies with EU Regulation No. 910/2014 (eIDAS) and is therefore legally binding and recognised throughout the European Union.
For entrepreneurs, the card fulfils one key purpose — fully remote access to Estonia’s digital infrastructure: registering a company online, signing annual reports and contracts, making changes to the Commercial Register, and dealing with the Tax and Customs Board — all without the need for visits, notaries or couriers.
It is equally important to understand what e-Residency is not: it is not a visa, a residence permit or tax resident status. The card does not grant the right to enter the EU, nor does it transfer your personal tax liability to Estonia — an e-resident’s company is subject to Estonian tax in accordance with the general rules, whilst the owner’s personal tax residency remains where they live.
The e-Residency route is ideal for those who plan to manage a company remotely and sign documents on a regular basis:
If you do not yet have a residence permit but need to set up a company urgently, there is a workaround: registration via a notarised power of attorney within 5–10 days, whilst e-Residency is arranged in parallel for future management. We have described both options on our company registration page.
The full process consists of two stages. The first is obtaining e-Residency: you complete an online application on the Police and Border Guard Board portal, pay the government fee and, once approved, (usually 4–6 weeks), you collect your e-resident kit from your chosen collection point — the Estonian embassy or a service centre. We help you complete the application form correctly and justify your purpose – this reduces the risk of rejection and further enquiries.
The second stage is company registration, which takes less than an hour once you have your card: we prepare the application in the e-Business Register, you sign it using your card’s PIN, pay the state fee of €265 — and the company is usually entered into the register by the next working day. We arrange the registered office and contact person – without which the e-resident application will not be accepted – as part of our service at the same time as the application is submitted.
From day one, an e-resident’s company is required to have a registered office and a contact person; from the first year, it must submit an annual report; and, if the company is actively trading, it must maintain accounts and deal with VAT. We cover all these obligations as a single provider: the card, company, address, contact person and reporting are all managed through a single platform, and official correspondence from the Register of Enterprises and the EMTA is not lost between contractors.
Estonia remains the only EU country where a foreign national can set up a company and manage it for years without ever crossing the border. Below is a practical breakdown of the process: the steps involved, the full budget and realistic timelines.
The total cost of the process comprises government fees and the provider’s services – here is a transparent breakdown:
| Cost item | Amount | Payable to |
|---|---|---|
| e-Residency government fee | €100–120 | To the State, upon submission of the application |
| State fee for company registration | €265 | Payable to the state upon submission of the application |
| Turnkey registration services | from €150 | eBusiness Solutions OÜ |
| Registered office + contact person | €280 per year | eBusiness Solutions OÜ |
| Total cost when starting from scratch | from €745–765 | |
This is a fully-fledged company — there are no hidden fees along the way: further costs (accounting, annual report) depend on the company’s activity and only apply from the second stage of its existence. In the ‘All-inclusive’ package, the first year’s registered address and contact person are already included in the price.
A realistic breakdown by stage:
Total time from scratch: 5–8 weeks, almost all of which is spent waiting for the card. If you need the company sooner: we can register it via a power of attorney in 5–10 days, whilst you receive the card at the same time and use it for ongoing management — we’ll work through this scenario during a free consultation.
By registering a company, you gain all the benefits of the jurisdiction: 0% tax on undistributed profits (22% applies only when dividends are paid), a minimum share capital of €0.01, 100 per cent foreign ownership without a resident director, full integration into the EU’s legal and customs framework, and digital management of all processes.
To use the card, you will need a card reader (included in the e-Resident kit) and the DigiDoc software installed — it is free and runs on Windows and macOS. PIN-1 is used for login and identification, whilst PIN-2 is used for legally binding signatures. The card is valid for 5 years, after which it must be renewed by submitting a new application and paying the fee. We help with the initial set-up – this usually takes 15 minutes.
Please let us know what stage you’re at: are you just planning to apply for the card, or do you already have the application pack? Within one working day, we’ll send you an action plan, the exact cost and the timeframe tailored to your situation.
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