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e-Governance

e-Governance in Estonia: 100% Digital, 100% Trusted

In Estonia, 100% of public services are available online 24/7. This seamless accessibility is made possible by a secure and citizen-centric digital ecosystem, where transparency, efficiency, and trust are the cornerstones.

Thanks to e-Governance, Estonia saves over 1,400 years of working time annually and provides a hassle-free environment for businesses and residents alike.

The Pillars of Estonian e-Governance

  • Digital Identity
    Every resident has a secure digital ID, enabling access to all state services with a few clicks.

  • Secure Data Exchange (X-Road)
    Government institutions share data securely through a decentralized system, eliminating silos and duplication.

  • High-Quality Databases
    Centralized, real-time registries enable data accuracy and seamless service delivery.

Transparent, Efficient, and Inclusive

Estonia’s approach to e-Governance combines:

  • e-Administration – efficient internal government operations

  • e-Services – accessible, user-friendly digital services

  • e-Participation – tools for citizen engagement in policymaking

Proactive and Invisible Services

Estonia follows the “once-only” principle: citizens provide their data just once, and government agencies re-use it securely. The next step is proactive services—where the government initiates service delivery based on existing data, without waiting for a citizen’s request.

Privacy and Trust

Estonian citizens have full transparency over who accesses their data. Strong legal frameworks and technologies such as KSI Blockchain ensure data integrity and trust, making Estonia’s digital society one of the most secure in the world.

Government cloud

The Estonian Government Cloud supports the modernisation and renewal of existing information systems, allowing the government to embrace opportunities offered by cloud technology. This will allow more agility in the provision of e-services by government agencies and critical service providers to residents and e-residents.

The solution will help to integrate the existing siloed IT infrastructure of the Estonian public sector into shared pool of resources. The Estonian public institutions will gradually transit from existing legacy systems to a new Government Cloud solution, which has been developed in accordance with the national IT Security Standard (ISKE), to ensure the compliance with safety and quality requirements. For example sensitive personal data is stored and handled with confidentiality, and integrity.

To accommodate physical security requirements, the Estonian Government Cloud will be deployed in two locations, having one location outside of the capital. This will allow to manage data and information systems in a distributed manner. To support the Estonian “digital” independence and uninterrupted operation of public IT services in state of emergency there is a long-term plan to establish e-embassies outside Estonia in friendly foreign countries.

The Estonian Government, represented by the State Infocommunication Foundation (RIKS), and a consortium of private sector companies including Cybernetica, Dell EMC, Ericsson, OpenNode and Telia, have developed the Estonian Government Cloud.

All consortium partners are responsible for specific contributions:

  • State Infocommunication Foundation (RIKS) – data centres and management of customer relations;
  • Cybernetica – ISKE certification process;
  • Dell EMC – hardware;
  • Ericsson – project management, hardware and software;
  • OpenNode – technical leadership and cloud orchestrator (self-service portal and service store);
  • Telia – operations, cloud related products and services

Contact

Visit us physically or virtually

We host impactful events both in our centre and online for government institutions, companies, and media. You’ll get an overview of e-Estonia’s best practices and build links to leading IT-service providers and state experts to support your digitalisation plans.

Questions? Have a chat with us.

E-mail:
Media:
Call us: +372 6273157 (Monday to Friday, 9:00-16:30 Estonian time)
Regarding e-Residency, visit their official webpage.

Find us

The Briefing Centre is conveniently located just a 2-minute drive from the airport and around 10- to 15-minute drive from the city centre.

You will find us on the ground floor of Valukoja 8, at the central entrance behind the statue of Mr Ernst Julius Öpik. We will meet the delegation at the building’s reception. Kindly note that a booking is required to visit us.

Valukoja 8
11415 Tallinn, Estonia