Estonian e-Residency: what it is, what it costs and how to apply

What is Estonian e-Residency?

e-Residency is a government-issued digital identity that Estonia has offered since 2014 to people who are not Estonian citizens and do not live in Estonia. It comes as a smart card with a chip and PIN codes, which you use with a card reader to identify yourself and to sign documents digitally.

According to the official programme site, more than 144,000 people from over 170 countries have become e-residents, and they have founded more than 44,000 Estonian companies (e‑resident.gov.ee, September 2026).

What you can do with it

With the card, an entrepreneur anywhere in the world can use Estonia’s digital public services and many private services online, without travelling to Estonia:

Banks decide on accounts themselves, and e-Residency does not guarantee one. Our guide to opening a business account remotely explains the options.

What e-Residency is not

The programme is clear about its limits. e-Residency does not grant citizenship, physical residency or the right to enter Estonia or the European Union, it is not a visa, and it does not change your personal tax residency.

Where your company pays tax depends on where it is actually managed and where its business takes place, so check this with a tax adviser before you start. If you want to live in Estonia, you need a residence permit instead: see EU residence permit through a company.

Cost and processing time

The state fee for the e-resident’s digital ID is €150, paid online when you apply. From 1 January 2027 the fee becomes a flat €165, and the programme plans to let applicants give their biometric data remotely from then on.

The Police and Border Guard Board decides within 30 days of receiving your application. After a positive decision, the card usually reaches the pick-up location you chose in 2 to 5 weeks.

How to apply

Running an Estonian company as an e-resident

An e-resident can found an Estonian private limited company (OÜ) online. If the management board is located outside Estonia, the company needs a contact person in Estonia: a notary, an advocate, a sworn auditor, a tax representative or a licensed trust and company service provider. The company also needs an address in Estonia.

You do not need e-Residency to own an Estonian company. MAXCORP, headquartered in Zug with EU operations in Tallinn, forms Estonian companies for founders abroad with a notary-certified power of attorney issued to us, provides a registered address in Tallinn and keeps the accounting running. See company formation in Estonia.