Before you sign a contract, send an invoice or buy a company, you want to know that an Estonian company exists, what it is called exactly and whether it is still active. The search above finds a company by its registry code, its VAT number or its name, in the commercial register's open data. It is free and needs no sign-up.
The guide is general information, not legal advice.
What you can search by
- Registry code — the 8-digit number every Estonian legal entity receives when it is entered in the register. It never changes, even when the name does.
- VAT number — the Estonian VAT number starts with EE and has nine digits. One VAT number can belong to several companies: the members of a VAT group share one number, and the search shows them all.
- Name — the whole name or part of it; letter case, accents and the legal form do not matter.
What each answer shows
- Legal form — for example a private limited company (OÜ) or a public limited company (AS).
- Status — entered in the register, in liquidation, or in bankruptcy, as the register records it.
- Entered in the register — the day the company was first entered: its age.
- VAT number — the Estonian VAT number recorded in the register, or none.
- Address and a link to the company's register card in the official e-Business Register.
How to check a business partner
- Find the company by its registry code if you have it — a name can be similar to another company's.
- Check the status. A company in liquidation or in bankruptcy is winding up; be careful with advance payments and long contracts.
- Check the VAT number before you invoice without VAT within the EU: the European Commission's VIES service confirms whether a VAT number is valid on the day you check.
- Open the register card for the full data — the management board, the annual reports and the entries — in the official e-Business Register, free of charge.
What the search does not show
Sole traders (füüsilisest isikust ettevõtja) are not shown: their business name and address are a person's own data. The search shows legal entities only, from the commercial register's open data, published by the Centre of Registers and Information Systems under the CC BY 4.0 licence and refreshed every day. Nothing you type is stored.
Need a company of your own?
A ready-made company has been entered in the register before you buy it, so it already has an age; with a VAT number it can issue invoices with VAT from the first day. A ready-made company with a VAT number costs €1,150 at a notary office in Tallinn or €1,450 remotely by power of attorney. A new company costs €950 in person or €1,250 remotely. Each price includes the registered address and the licensed contact person for the first 12 months.
Prices are without VAT. All communication is by email.
Sources are named in the text, without links. To see which of our services your company needs, open the Business Navigator.
Frequently asked questions
Why are sole traders not shown in the company search?
A sole trader's business name and address are the person's own data. The search shows legal entities only, from the commercial register's open data published by the Centre of Registers and Information Systems under the CC BY 4.0 licence.
Can one VAT number belong to several companies?
Yes. The members of a VAT group share one VAT number. For an Estonian number the search shows every company of the commercial register that carries it.