First launched in December 2014, E-Residency is a program that allows non-Estonians to have access to various Estonian services. They include taxation, banking, and company information among others. Note that Estonia is the first state to introduce e-residency in the world. This electronic system is designed to enhance identification. With the e-resident smart card, you can easily sign documents, access state websites.

When a person signs up for the Estonian e-residency, they are issued with a smart ID card by the government. The card is for digital identification as well as authorization. This simply means you can use it to access various digital services, carry out secure transactions, and sign vital documents even if they don’t live in this state.

Estonia is a state that’s trying creating a borderless digital society. The financial footprint of E-residents is monitored digitally. Besides that, it doesn’t affect income taxation in any way and neither can it help to establish income-tax liability.

– You can use this card to access all e-government services. So, it helps to minimize personal visits to various government agencies.
– It gives you access to employee management, independent business management, and to even obtain a permit.
– It’s the digital signature of the cardholder and it makes approval and registration of documents much easier. Note that a digital signature also makes it easier to sign contacts and do transactions online.
– It simplifies the process of company registration and the management process.

The procedure for e-residency is straightforward. It’s normally issued by Estonia’s Police and Border Guard Board. You first need to send an application with the required documents. After submission, the police department will pick up from there and start by doing a thorough background check. This is important in establishing if you have any offense in Estonia or your country of origin.

Additionally, they will check if you have an existing tie with Estonia. If there are no strong ties that have been established or if you have no plans to establish a tie, then your application will be declined. There should be a strong motivation behind your application for it to be approved. For your application to be considered, you will be requested to provide biometric data at the nearest Estonian office.

If your application is approved, you need to select where you will pick the digital ID from. This is normally one among the 38 Estonian consulates and embassies found around the globe. Alternatively, you can also choose to pick it from Estonia’s Police and Border Guard Station.