Estonian Company Without E-Residency

No — you do not need e-residency to own an Estonian company. E-residency is a digital identity that lets you sign Estonian documents online; it is not a condition for buying, forming or running an Estonian private limited company (OÜ). Where a signature is needed and you have no e-residency card, a power of attorney that you sign before a notary in your own country does the same job. This guide shows the route for each step, what it costs on our price list, and when e-residency is still worth having.

The guide is general information, not legal or tax advice for your situation. The Commercial Code was read in Riigi Teataja, the official gazette, on 16 October 2026.

Buying a ready-made company without e-residency

The transfer of a share in an Estonian private limited company must as a rule be notarised (Commercial Code § 149(4)), so a share transfer is never signed online — not even with an e-residency card. In our remote packages the transfer is signed on your behalf under a notarised power of attorney, which you sign before a notary in your country; we tell you whether an apostille is needed for your country.

remote purchase without a VAT number — €1,200 Registered address and contact person service for one year are included.;
remote purchase with a VAT number — €1,450 Registered address and contact person service for one year are included..

Both include the registered address and contact person service for the first 12 months. The companies for sale page lists the companies available now.

Forming a new company without e-residency

A founder without e-residency forms the company through a notary — in person in Tallinn, or remotely under a notarised power of attorney:

remote formation by power of attorney — €1,250 Registered address and contact person service for one year are included.;
formation in person in Tallinn — €950 Registered address and contact person service for one year are included..

State and notary fees, the registered address and the contact person for the first 12 months are included in both. With an e-residency card, a sole founder who is also the only board member can instead form the company online — €950.

Running the company without e-residency

Register changes — board, business name, address, contact person, articles: with a card every signer signs digitally (€490); without one, the change goes through a notary by power of attorney (€990). A change of shareholders is always notarised.
Annual reports — with a card you sign digitally; without one, we submit the reports under a power of attorney signed before a notary in your country, as a rule with an apostille (not needed in Latvia, Lithuania, Poland or Ukraine). The power of attorney surcharge is €300, once per order however many reports.
Address and contact person — a company whose address is abroad must have a contact person in Estonia (Commercial Register Act § 24(2)); the address and contact person together cost €350 / year after the first 12 months.
Bank account — usually opened remotely with an electronic money institution such as Revolut Business or Wise Business; the decision is always the provider's. We help with the application — €350.

When e-residency is still worth having

If you expect to change the board, the address or the articles more than once, or you want to sign the annual reports yourself, the card saves the notary and power of attorney route each time — compare the two register entry prices above. You apply for e-residency yourself; our guide how to apply for Estonian e-residency explains the steps. E-residency is not a residence permit and does not make you or the company Estonian tax resident. If your card was issued between 10 December 2021 and 16 August 2023, it stops signing on 9 December 2026; until your new card arrives the routes without a card above apply (what to do).

How we help

order a ready-made company remotely, without e-residency;
form a new company by power of attorney;
order a register change by power of attorney for an existing company.

Prices exclude VAT. All communication takes place by email.

Ready to start? Remote purchase by notarised power of attorney — no e-residency, no travel to Estonia. 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
Commercial Register Act — 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

Do I need to be an e-resident to form a company?

No. A founder without Estonian e-residency can form the company through a notary, in person in Tallinn or remotely under a notarised power of attorney. An e-resident may also use the online company registration portal.

Do I need e-residency to have an Estonian company?

No. E-residency makes signing easier, but an Estonian company can be bought, formed and run without it — on the power of attorney route where a signature is needed.

Which company changes can be made online without a notary?

Changes of the management board, the business name, the address, the contact person and the articles of association, and a change of share capital, when every shareholder and board member signs digitally with an e-residency card or Estonian ID card. A change of shareholders or the transfer of a share is always certified by a notary and is not offered online.

Estonian company without e-residency