e-Services for e-Residents Estonia

e-Services for e-Residents of Estonia empower the growth of startups

e-Services for e-Residents eliminate the bureaucracy from business, which is one of the main reasons to establish a company in Estonia.

There is a reason why Estonia has the most start-ups per capita in Europe and each year it continues to grow in strength. As the birthplace of many start-up success stories including Skype, Wise, Bolt, and ID.me, it is of no wonder that Estonia continues to lead the way as the most entrepreneurial European country, especially for tech start-ups as revealed in The State of European Tech 2022, the latest report by Atomico.

Aside from being home to the most unicorns in Europe, what mystical powers does one of the smallest countries in Europe have to make it the most lucrative destination for start-ups? There is no magic involved, the answer is simple, it lies in e-Residency, our government-issued digital identity for entrepreneurs which easily allows founders to establish and manage a business in the EU, digitally!

With multiple benefits, e-Residency opens doors to a digital nation filled with a wide range of business support e-services that aim to support entrepreneurs in launching and growing their start-up businesses.

Here’s an overview of the most commonly used Estonian government business support e-services available to e-resident entrepreneurs, looking to launch their start-up businesses in Estonia:

• Register your business online

Get your business set up quickly, safely, and easily by registering your business electronically via the official e-Business Register. The online portal also provides entrepreneurs with access to all data related to their business including annual reports, legal entities, and tax arrears. Plus you’ll find e-Financials, a simple web-based accounting software to help manage customers and send invoices.

• Estonian eGov self-service portal

With a dedicated section for entrepreneurs, the newly updated Estonian government self-service portal provides access to a hub of essential personal and business information, ensuring the successful day-to-day operations of the business. Whether you need to register a business domain name, need advice on how to put together a business plan, or if you want to check the latest guidelines for starting an e-commerce business, this portal will give you the answers to everything you need to know as an entrepreneur.

• Digital ID card for faster document signing and encrypting

With e-Residency (card) you can also apply to get a digital ID, which makes signing and encrypting documents even faster. Securely identify yourself online, sign and encrypt documents digitally with your digital ID card for faster and hassle-free business administration. Check out the step-by-step welcome guide to setting up your ID card here.

• Tax payment e-services

Manage and declare all your business taxes easily and securely online via e-Tax, an electronic tax filing system set up by the Estonian tax and customs board.

• e-Notary self-service portal

From buying, selling, or pledging shares of your Estonian company, to authenticating powers of attorney, the online e-Notary self-service portal allows e-Residents remote access to a local notary for the authentication of a variety of notarial acts without the need to come to Estonia!

• e-Apostille self-service portal

The e-Apostille self-service portal provides businesses with the opportunity to authenticate documents for universal recognition. Click here to find out more.

• Apply for funding for your start-up business online

Available through the EU, entrepreneurs have the opportunity to secure financing to help support their start-up business. With multiple options available, including national and EU-funded start-up grants from Enterprise Estonia (EAS), start-up loans secured by KredEx, or investment funding options from government initiative StartUp Estonia, we advise you to do your research for the best possible chance of securing funding for your business as each option has its own eligibility criteria.

• Business Banking and Payments solutions

From Estonian banks to fintech companies, there is a range of banking and international payment solutions available to cover your business banking needs in the EU or globally. Explore the range of options available here.

This is just a snapshot of available e-services for e-Residents, to help get you started! We also encourage you to visit the e-Residency Marketplace with selected service providers in the Estonian start-up ecosystem who support e-Residents with essential services for launching and growing their businesses.

As an e-Resident service provider and a fellow member of the e-Residency marketplace, Silva Hunt is here to help you on your journey to the land of unicorns and get set up as an e-Resident company. Get in touch with our team of experts today!

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