I suppose that you have been searching information about Estonian e-Residency and you think that it is a good tool and you want to apply for it. At this point you know, as Estonian Police and Border Guard Board website says, that:
e-Residency is a transnational digital identity available to anyone in the world interested in administering a location-independent business online. e-Residency enables to use secure and convenient digital services that facilitate credibility and trust online. Please be aware that e-Residency does not confer citizenship, tax residency, residence or right of entry to Estonia or to the European Union. It is not a visa or residence permit.
Fees and what you need
First of all you must know that the e-Residency fee is 120€, well if you can travel to Estonia to pick-up is only 100€. Moreover you must visit an Estonian embassy to pick-up the e-Residency card.
To apply for e-Residency you need also:
- A copy of your government-issued ID
- A passport-style digital photo
- Your motivation statement — A written paragraph about your reasons for applying, which is used by the Police and Border Guard Board in their assessment of your application
- Choose a pick-up location. Very important nowadays because the Coronavirus. Visit this webpage to find them. Read carefully these FAQs before to apply for it.
If you want more information or ask some specific question about a pick-up location you can send them an e-mail.
I sent an e-mail to two Estonian embassies before to choose the pick-up location. I wanted to enjoy a weekend trip and pick-up the card the next Monday, so I had to plan it carefully.
This is the link to apply for it:
Steps after applying
After applying for it you, if everything works fine, you will receive some mails from Estonian Politsei or Embassy/Pick-up location. These are the subjects of these e-mails:
- Your application for the e-Resident’s Digi-ID has been received
- Your application for the e-Resident’s digital ID has been accepted for processing
- E-Resident’s digital ID — e-Residency granted
- e-Resident card (and the translation to the pick-up location language)
Read the e-mails carefully and when your card arrives to pick-up location, ask for an appointment to avoid possible issues.
After that, once you picked-up your card, you will receive an e-mail telling you that your card is activated.
- Your e-Resident’s digital ID has been activated
When these steps are done you are an e-Resident. Congratulations.
But your journey just started…