Estonia: e-Residency - Bringing Europe’s e-commerce opportunities to developing countries

About

The e-Residency programme offers people from developing countries access to the digital infrastructure and legal frameworks of Estonia so they can capitalize on the opportunities of e-commerce.

Thanks to a simple online application process, applicants can quickly obtain a a government-issued transnational digital identity. Once confirmed as Estonian e-Residents, they can then register a company online, perform e-banking transac- tions, access international payment service providers, declare taxes online, manage a company remotely, and digitally sign documents and contracts. They also benefit from the EU’s legal framework – and the increased perception of trust that goes with it.

The programme is aimed at anyone interested in running a location-independent international business. Applicants are required to pay a nominal fee and must pick up their e-Residency identity card from an Estonian embassy anywhere in the world.

For whom

Decision makers

Private sector

Business Associations

Policy makers

Services offered

Capacity Building

Give entrepreneurs and businesses access to the digital infrastructure of an EU country
Increase your country’s potential for international e-trade

Policy Support & Policy Advice

Reduce start-up and maintenance costs for local e-businesses
Promote financial inclusion and location-independent business
Allow local companies to benefit from the legal framework of the European Union
Develop an enabling policy environment for business and e-commerce

Technical Support

Eliminate national borders and restrictions
Enhance your physical communications infrastructure

Partners

National Agencies

Ministry of the Interior and its IT and Development Centre
Police and Border Guard Board
Ministry of Justice
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Estonian embassies and consulates worldwide
Ministry of Finance
Information System Authority
Office of the President of the Republic of Estonia
Government Office of the Republic of Estonia
Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications
Enterprise Estonia

Academia

Indian Institute of Technology Delhi

Other

Nasdaq, Inc.
Teleport
WageCan
Stampery

Meet the beneficiaries

Achievements

Officially the fastest way to register a company in the world

Remote management

Access to fintech services, enabling global business

Hassle-free administration

Thanks to the e-Residency programme, companies can be created more easily – and much faster. The streamlined online process makes it simpler to establish, register and administer a new Estonian company. In 2009, the time required to register a company was recorded at just 18 minutes – earning the programme a place in the Guinness World Records for the “fastest time to register a new legal entity”.
Find out here steps to register

« What we aim to do is to create a worldwide virtual business environment, where people from both the developed and developing countries can easily become entrepreneurs and start doing business anywhere in the world. Physical national borders and restrictions will no longer present an obstacle. You can start a business, open bank accounts, make transac- tions, sign contracts and even declare taxes, all on your computer »

Kaspar Korjus

Estonian e-Residency Program Director.

Favourable conditions for growing e-commerce

With the e-Residency programme, companies all over the world have easier access to the e-commerce market.

The e-Residency identity card, which is valid for five years, allows its holder to digitally sign, authenticate and encrypt documents. It also opens up access to international payments providers, such as Google and PayPal, and to fintech services.

Furthermore, the programme offers paperless administration and a simple tax system with a 0% corporate income tax as long as profits are reinvested in the company. Such conditions are very favourable for the development of e-commerce, especially in the SME sector.

18,000

digital identities awarded

1,300

new companies founded by e-Residents

135

countries have fielded applicants

10 million

e-residents targeted by 2025

*As of March 20th, 2017

Creating location independent international business is cited as the main motivation by e-residents for applying for e-Residency

E-commerce business is a core activity of nearly 100% of the created companies

Success stories

Arvind Kumar’s story

Exporting to the EU market

Arvind left his 30 year career in the steel industry to start his own business. This was made possible by the e-Residency program.
Today Arvind runs a company from near Mumbai that creates software models to improve manufacturing quality and efficiency for companies in the EU.

Deepak Solanki’s story

Accessing to cross-border capital

Deepak has been interested in science for long time which led him to come up with new Li-Fi Technology. The company needed investment for research and Deepak was offered seed fund from BuildIt in Estonia (and later from AirBus in Berlin). This is how Deepak became e-resident. Today the company operates in Delhi, Berlin and in Estonia.

Reports

pdf

Trade in the Digital Age: Can e-Residency be an enabler for Asia-Pacific Developing Countries?

Programme in a nutshell

Year of creation

2014

Type of business

Access to EU financial servicesAccess to the EU business legal frameworkCapacity buildingDigital authentication and digital signature to facilitate e-commerceLocation-independent businesses