Buying an Existing Trading Estonian Company

Some buyers want more than a registry code: a company that has already traded, filed its annual reports and shown a profit. Such a company is not bought from a shelf but from its owner, and the work is different — you check what the company has done, agree a price with the seller, and transfer the share at a notary. This guide shows each step, what you can check yourself for free, what we do and what each part costs on our price list.

The guide is general information, not legal, tax or investment advice for a particular deal.

A ready-made company or a company that trades

Our ready-made companies have a registration date in the past but no business history: no sales, no employees, no debts. They suit a buyer who needs a company quickly, not one who needs a track record. The companies for sale page lists the ones available now.
A company that already trades carries its history with it — its contracts, customers, debts, disputes and obligations to the tax authority. Its price is agreed between you and the seller; it is not part of our fee.

We do not value companies and we do not confirm a seller's figures. What we offer is the legal side of the purchase: the review of the documents, the transfer and the register filings after it.

What you can check yourself before talking about the price

The register card. The e-Business Register shows the management board, the shareholders of a private limited company (OÜ), the articles of association, the entries and the annual reports, free of charge.
The annual reports. An OÜ submits its annual report within six months after the end of its financial year (Commercial Code § 179). Our free company search shows the period of the latest report, the day it was submitted, the sales revenue of the year and the profit or loss of the year, and says when a report is missing.
Tax debts and court cases. The Tax and Customs Board publishes tax debts, and court decisions are published in Riigi Teataja.

A profit in the annual report is the figure the company itself reported. Whether it is real, and whether it will continue, is a financial question that the seller's books answer — not the register.

The legal due diligence before you sign

The most important risks are usually in documents only the seller has: contracts with change-of-control clauses, guarantees, open claims, employment terms and correspondence with authorities. Our legal due diligence — from €2,250 — sends the seller a document request list, reviews what is provided and gives you a red-flag report in English. Financial and tax due diligence and a valuation are not included; a small purchase often needs only the legal review and the seller's accounts.

The transfer of the share

The transfer of a share in an Estonian OÜ must as a rule be certified by a notary (Commercial Code § 149(4)). Before the appointment we check the articles of association: the other shareholders may have a pre-emption right, or the articles may require their consent or the company's. If the seller is married, the guide on the transfer of a share explains when the spouse's consent matters.

The transfer can be made in three ways, at the same price:

in person at a notary in Estonia;
digitally through the Estonian e-notary, if you can sign with an Estonian ID card or an e-residency card;
from abroad by power of attorney signed before a notary in your country — as a rule with an apostille, which is not needed in Latvia, Lithuania, Poland or Ukraine. That notary's fee and the apostille are paid locally.

Our change of shareholders and transfer of a share costs from €1,590, Estonian state and notary fees included. The price covers one person who is both the only shareholder and the only board member; each additional private shareholder or board member adds €300 and each company shareholder €1,000. The guide transfer of a share explains the steps in detail.

After the transfer: name, activity and documents

The changes agreed in the deal — a new management board, a new business name, a new address — are filed after closing: post-closing register filings, €450, or a single register entry for one change, €490 when every signer signs digitally and €990 by power of attorney.
A new field of activity (EMTAK code) is decided by the management board; we add it together with the annual report — €250 — not on its own. An activity that needs a licence is a separate question.
The beneficial owners change with the owner. The beneficial owner report costs €450.
Apostilled documents for a bank or an authority abroad: a registry extract in English, notarised and apostilled, €550, or an apostille on another Estonian public document, €150 / document.

The company keeps its registry code, its registration date and its financial year. Its next annual report follows that financial year, and the duties described in the checklist after buying a company are yours from the day of the transfer.

What a small purchase costs with us

For one buyer who becomes the only shareholder and board member, the usual set is the transfer of the share and, after it, the register filings and the beneficial owner report; the legal due diligence is added when the seller's documents need a review. The order form adds up the transfer; the due diligence is a starting price, confirmed in a written quote once the scope of the documents is known. The purchase price, the seller's own costs and any tax on the sale are outside our fee.

What is not included

The valuation of the company, financial and tax due diligence, tax advice on the purchase, and the registered address and contact person service. We do not provide services to citizens of Russia or to companies from Russia.

Prices exclude VAT. All communication takes place by email.

Ready to start? Change of shareholders and transfer of a share — in person, digitally or by power of attorney; state and notary fees included. Order.

Official sources

The laws this article names, by the name of their official text, as read on 9 October 2026. For the Estonian acts we read the English translation in Riigi Teataja; the legally binding text is the Estonian one.

Commercial Code — Riigi Teataja, English translation

Sources are named in the text, without links. To see which of our services your company needs, open the Business Navigator.

Frequently asked questions

Can I buy an existing company with trading history, filed annual reports and a profit?

Yes, from its owner. Our ready-made companies have a registration date in the past but no business history, so they have no trading profit to show. A company that already trades is bought by transferring its share at a notary, in person or from abroad by power of attorney; we prepare and organise the transfer. Before you sign, our legal due diligence reviews the company's documents and gives a red-flag report in English. We do not value the company or confirm the seller's figures: financial and tax due diligence are not included. The annual reports, shareholders and management board of an Estonian company are public in the commercial register.

Buying an existing Estonian company that already trades