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Guides to running an Estonian company

Each guide answers one question in its first lines, then gives the figures with their official sources, the steps, and what to check next. Guides are grouped by topic.

General information only, not tax or legal advice. This site is not affiliated with, endorsed by or operated by the Republic of Estonia or the e-Residency programme.

Costs and setup

How much does an Estonian company cost per year? An Estonian OÜ has one-off state fees to set up and recurring costs to run: a service provider for the legal address or contact person and accounting, plus banking.…
How long does it take to set up an Estonian company with e-Residency? Most of the wait is for e-Residency: the decision is due within 30 days, then the card usually takes 2–5 weeks to reach your pickup point. Online, the registrar reviews the OÜ…
Do I need to travel to Estonia to set up a company? No. You can apply for e-Residency and register an Estonian company online without visiting Estonia. You do need to collect the digital ID card in person at a pickup location…
What do I need to apply for e-Residency and register a company? For e-Residency you need a passport or EU ID card, a digital photo, a motivation statement, a CV and a payment card for the state fee. To register an OÜ you then need the card,…
Which banking options can an Estonian company use? An Estonian company can use a business account with an Estonian bank, another EEA bank, or an EEA-licensed payment or e-money institution. Payment institutions usually open…
Do I need a company, or can I invoice without one? Not always. If you work alone, sell services to business clients and don't need to keep profit in a company or hire, invoicing without a company may be enough. A company fits…

Taxes on the Estonian side

Cross-border questions

Comparisons

Running and closing a company