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In the 10th and final instalment of Enter e-Estonia: the video series, we take a look at the current cornerstone of Estonia’s online landscape: e-residency. Although a recent addition to the digital toolbox, its primary value is connecting people who don’t live in Estonia to the online solutions this Northern European country has to offer.
In this video: e-residency
E-residency became available in 2014,and since then more than 60,000 individuals from 160+ countries have applied. The process is straightforward and merely requires an online application, payment, and a trip to the nearest Estonian embassy to pick up their digital ID card. Once an e-resident, individuals are able to create and open an EU company online. They can register a business in Estonia, sign documents via their digital signature, and run a business within Estonia’s trustworthy environment.
It’s important to note that e-residency does not give people physical residence in Estonia. Yet, it does attract people from many fields including digital nomads, freelancers, and entrepreneurs. It gives an opportunity to connect people from all over the world and build an online community centered on innovation, transparency, and the values of e-Estonia. For those outside the EU, e-residency offers the chance to have an EU based online business, while even those within the EU can take advantage of Estonia’s low bureaucracy.
As the culmination of Estonia’s digital society, e-residency is the chance for anyone to experience the benefits that have come from building this unique, online ecosystem. And to see firsthand the ease of use, endless possibilities, and life-changing services that can be offered online to a country’s citizens.
