Virtual Office FAQ
It looks like you’ve ordered a service from us. This can be a one-time single order or an ongoing subscription-based order. Please review your details. The purpose of sending reminders is to help you better meet your obligations. As a rule, it also comes with a direct link where you can conveniently make your payment. The definition of the beneficial owner is defined in § 9 of the Money Act, according to which a beneficial owner is a natural person who ultimately owns or controls a legal person through the direct or indirect holding of a sufficient number of shares, voting rights, or ownership, including participation in bearer shares or otherwise. The real beneficiary can be through direct or indirect control. Direct control is when a natural person has a shareholding of more than 25% in a company. Indirect control is when a company that is controlled by a natural person or several companies that are controlled by the same natural person owns more than 25% of the company. In principle, a situation is also possible where no natural person has a shareholding of more than 25% in the company. For example, it could be a private limited company with 4 shareholders with equal shares, all of whom have a 25% shareholding and the corresponding voting rights. Thus, within the meaning of the Money Act, none of them exercises control over the private limited company and such a legal person has no real beneficiary. The Manual for adding beneficial owners: Estonia invites anyone in the world to apply for e-Residency, as long as: E-Residency is particularly well-suited for many freelancers, consultants, digital nomads, solo entrepreneurs and other digital entrepreneurs interested in establishing a digital services company they can manage from anywhere. It is included with your order confirmation to be automatically downloaded. Please check your email. Once the letter has been received, it will be scanned or resubmitted as agreed. The contract, if related to the service, will be sent automatically with the order confirmation. You will then need to download and sign it, preferably digitally, and send it back to us. As stated in our Terms of Service, this must be done before the new period begins. Once this deadline has passed, it can be done before the end of the next period. Mobile-ID allows people to use a mobile phone as a form of a secure digital ID. Like the ID-card, it can be used to access secure e-services and digitally sign documents but has the added advantage of not requiring a card reader. The system is based on a special mobile SIM card, which the customer must request from the mobile phone operator. Private keys are stored on the mobile SIM card along with a small application delivering the authentication and signature functions. E-Residency enables digital entrepreneurs to start and manage an EU-based company online: Note, an e-Residency digital ID card provides access to e-services, but it is not a valid form of physical identification and cannot be used as a travel document. e-Residency does not confer citizenship, tax residency, physical residency or right of entry to Estonia or the European Union. There are no annual or maintenance fees for the e-Residency digital ID card. The e-Residency digital ID card is valid for (5) years. The state fee for renewal or replacement is the same. ID-card and Digi-ID are the easiest, most convenient and most secure methods of using internet banking and other e-services in Estonia. Digital identity card or Digi-ID is an ID-card like a smart card, that you can use for authentication of the holder and giving digital signatures in an electronic environment. Also encryption functionality is supported. You can apply for Digi-ID if you are: It depends on the package selected. There is a legal address for a company or private person. But also contact person service, document samples, help with establishing a company in Estonia, companies from self, bookkeeping services etc. For details, see the specific service. First of all, we hope this does not happen. However, if this happens, you have forced us to give the notice to the Estonian Commercial Register and initiate the debt collection process Estonian notaries have launched an e-notary service so that company owners can visit an Estonian Embassy abroad to transfer shares, instead of at a notary office in Estonia. You can read more about this on the e-Residency blog here. You can choose a notary by logging in with your digital ID at notar.ee. Don’t worry too much about which one to choose, as long as they can conduct the transaction in English and are part of the e-notary scheme. Notary fees are regulated by law and they all provide the same good quality of service. A Public Notary in Estonia is an intermediary between a physical or juridical person and the Estonian Business Registry. You have the right to demand that a notary who has certified or confirmed the application for representation represent him or her in the administration of the court registry department, including forwarding documents (see also § 30 (2) – (21) and § 33 (1) of the Notaries Act). If you want the notary to certify the substance of the application, the certification fee also includes legal consultation, preparation of a draft application, and information on how much you have to pay the state fee. In addition, at the request of participants, a notary has the right and obligation to prepare and submit to the population register a notice of change of residence data and an application for an activity license, license, and registration specified in Annex 1 to the Notarial Regulations (see § 37 of the Notarial Regulations). An authorization is a collection of rights within the limits of which a representative may act on behalf of the principal. It is essential for the Estonian Tax and Customs Board that the content of an authorization would be understandable and the person granting the authorization and authorized person would be identifiable. An authorization may be granted orally or in written form (by a power of attorney). The Estonian Tax and Customs Board shall accept: Since we offer services, not commodities, it is generally not possible. Exceptionally, for example, if a service has not yet been provided, cancellation of the order is possible. Estonian law allows for the physical person the cancellation of the order within 14 days after the order is submitted if there is a reasonable basis and in the case of sales of goods. This requirement does not apply to the service already provided. Note that your application must be made before the service duration has ended and you should not have unpaid bills. It is not possible to terminate the Contract prematurely. Disputes are resolved by way of negotiations. Upon not reaching an agreement the dispute is resolved in the jurisdiction of the service provider. The litigation is based on the Estonian Law of Obligations Act (VÕS) in general and on transactions made through a computer network more narrowly ( § 62 1 ). You can find answers to all the most frequently asked questions about the electronic use of ID-card and mobile-ID on the id.ee webpage: feel free to use our search function! However, if your problem remains unsolved, please contact the ID Help Centre through the form here. The more precisely you describe your problem and the emergence of the situation, the more personalized assistance we can provide. All answers with easy steps and instructions that could help to resolve your problem will be sent to you in writing! There are three main payment possibilities: NB! We do not have a payment link associated with a shopping cart. We use it from time to time for additional payments Smart-ID personal identification can be used today in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. If you are an alien living in Estonia or you want to help an alien create an account, the options are: Residents of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania (incl. People staying here on the basis of a permanent residence permit) have a residence permit card. It allows you to create a Smart-ID account exactly as you would with an ID card: just follow the on-screen instructions. Your personal identification code is written on the residence card. If you are a non-resident, ie a person who does not have a local personal identification code, it is not possible to create a Smart-ID account in Estonia and Latvia. However, it is possible to register a Smart-ID Basic account with limited rights in Lithuania by visiting the bank branch of Medicines Bankas, don’t forget to bring your identity documents! Certificate means the electronic evidence that ties a person (e.g. with their ID-card, Mobile-ID, digi-ID) to the right to perform legally binding acts (making bank transfers, signing contracts, etc.). In other words, the certificates are necessary to give us the reassurance that an activity or transaction was performed or a signature was given, etc. by the right person. The person whose ID-card is in the reader is identified immediately when you try to initiate an activity requiring identification. For example, you log in to your bank account or launch the ID-software on your computer. However, having an ID-card is not enough to gain access: every activity that may have legal consequences for you is tied to certificates for security purposes. Payment for the service is made when it is received by us, not when it is made. Your status changes immediately upon receipt. Check to see if the money has ever gone out of your way. Your e-Residency digital ID card is an electronic personal identification used to securely identify yourself over the internet. Just like showing identification when completing a credit card transaction at a store, you show your digital ID for verification over the internet so companies are certain you are you. ID card is the national technical support in Estonia. If starting to use the card online seems difficult or daunting, they are there to assist you through the process. On their website, you can find how-to videos, support articles, step-by-step solution finders, and the contacts of the support team. For an example of the videos, check out how to create a digitally signed document on your computer! Customer can log into the client area and pay to renew the subscription. All payment gateway extensions can be used to process manual renewal payments. Customer can choose a different payment method for each renewal payment. 1. The act to be performed by remote authentication and the corresponding time must be agreed with the notary in advance, either via the self-service of the website of notar.ee or directly. 2. To perform an act by remote authentication, the client is required to have and use a computer with a webcam and a microphone, an ID card with a card reader or Mobile-ID for digital signing. 3. Remote authentication only functions in the Google Chrome web browser, and the internet connection speed must enable video calls. 4. To perform an act, it is required to log into the self-service of the website of notar.ee. For more detailed information about how the notarial acts can be performed by remote authentication, please visit the website of the Estonian Chamber of Notaries. If the intended activity of the company is not related to Estonia, you will not be able to open a bank account in Estonia. This requires, for example, cooperation partners in Estonia – the partnership must also be verifiable (contracts, sales invoices, letters of confirmation), etc. Also, to open an account with an Estonian bank, a board member of the company shall be present in the opening process. So if you can come to Estonia and you have a strong relation to Estonia, we recommend: But wait a moment, why you need a bank account in Estonia? You can open a bank account in your selected country, in your home country or use our partners. Just establish a company in Estonia, get your papers legislated and the open bank account where you want and can do it. At the moment we are introducing a There are two solutions: Cost approx. 50 EUR. The premise is Package ONE 2. Another option is that we bill you part of the utility costs yourself, pay for it, and send the bill. Cost 25 EUR. The premise is Package TWO There are many solutions for this in the world, we prefer the following: Digitally and securely sign legally binding agreements with parties in the European Union. and Worldwide Application form for a visa can be pre-filled online. If the visa application is submitted to other Member State representing Estonia in issuing short-stay visas, kindly fill in the Schengen visa application form of the respective Member State. Below is a list of the most commonly used Estonian government e-services. An e-resident is a non-resident according to Estonian tax legislation. Only income derived in Estonia is taxed in Estonia. If there is no activity or income derived from Estonia, taxes should be paid in the country where the service is provided or activity is done or income is derived from, the pure e-residency alone does not influence the foreign or Estonian taxation. An Estonian company established by an e-resident is an Estonian tax resident. The Estonian e-residency does not automatically exempt from taxation elsewhere. Tax residency is the place where you actually have to pay the taxes. For example, if you are an Estonian citizen, but have lived more than 183 days per year in Finland, then you become a tax resident in Finland and have to pay the taxes there. In general, a company’s tax residency is in the country where the company is established. So, if the company is established in Estonia, then by law the tax residency is in Estonia. There are exceptions to this rule that will change the tax residency of your company, which we will discuss later in this article. When talking about tax residency or even e-Residency, it is important to emphasize that neither is an actual residency. So, if you receive your e-Residency card, then this doesn’t make you a resident nor a tax resident of Estonia – it is a common false perception. E-Residency is not related to visa or a resident permit and doesn’t enable you to travel to Estonia. E-Residency card is a digital identity that allows you to run a business in Estonia from the distance and fully online. To explain tax residency and citizenship, we first need to consider that there are two separate parties involved: a private and a legal person. This means that your company is a legal person, and you alone are the private person. Citizenship only applies to a private person and is determined by your passport. The tax residency on the other hand is not the same as citizenship and is determined by tax laws. The tax residency status can be in the same country as your citizenship, but it also might be different or change in time. In the self-service you can: You can use e-Notary in: In the self-service you can: What is the address of the e-notary? To provide contact person services there is a need for a licence, we have that. Virtual Office in Estonia has a licence (licence no FIU000051) to be an authorized contact person in Estonia. The licence is provided by Estonian Ministry of Economic Affairs. We can help with official registration in the Estonian population registry if there is legal background for obtaining. 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. The e-Resident digi-ID card is not a physical identification or a travel document, and does not display a photo. You’ll find laws and regulations concerning current application here: Identity Documents Act, State Fees Act. You’ll find the terms and conditions for use of certificates of personal identification documents of the Republic of Estonia here. Please be informed that the Police and Border Guard Board performs background checks on all applicants.General (39)
Estonia is NO. 1 most entrepreneurial country in Europe (World Economic Forum) with the world’s most digitally advanced society
You need the following to use the ID-card and Digi-ID electronic services:
What are they and why do I need them?
State Portal
Log in to see and manage your personal information
Service Providers
Some service providers have integrated e-Residency digital ID log in on their websites
Company Registration Portal
Register your company online
e-Business Register
Manage your business information
e-Financials
Web-based public accounting software
e-Tax/e-Customs
Submit relevant documentation to the Estonian Tax and Customs Board
e-apostille
Use e-apostille when you need your company formation documents apostilled
NB!
The state fee for the e-Resident’s digital ID card is 100 euros. Depending on the chosen pick-up location, additional fees apply:
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