4 key ways e-Residency makes business easy at every stage
‘Ease’ is one of e-Residency’s four core values. Find out just how simple it is for e-residents to start, run and grow a business in Estonia from anywhere.
Earlier this year, we introduced e-Residency’s core vision and values to the world. The e-Residency team identified them after a long process of self-reflection, stakeholder feedback, and research. Our vision and values differentiate us from competitors – other e-residency programmes, places or methods to set up a business.
Since identifying our vision and values, we’ve started integrating them into our daily work, strategic planning, and decision-making. Every project we commit to or goal we set must reflect the intent of our vision and values. A great example is our newly designed website, which:
- for the first time includes pages for each of our four core values: ease, trust, opportunity and community, and
- incorporates the intent of our vision and values in its minimalist design, simple and straightforward content, and its focus on the people using e-Residency.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll spend some time here on the blog on each of the core values to explain how they can benefit e-residents. In this article, we’ll focus on our ‘ease’ value, which is:
E-Residency makes business easy at every stage
Whether starting, running or growing a business, you'll find e-Residency 100% digital, always in English, and entirely built for your needs.
- Starting: You can set up a business in as little as 15 minutes
- Running: You can run your business from anywhere
- Growing: Estonia’s tax system is the most competitive in the world
Let’s dig into the four key benefits reflecting the ease of doing business with e-Residency.
24/7 remote access from anywhere in the world
E-residents have everything you need to run your business remotely
Estonia's transparent digital business environment is easy to use and navigate. Simply log in to Estonian e-services and authenticate yourself using your e-Residency digital ID to manage your business completely remotely. File your company annual report, declare VAT returns, digitally sign contracts, encrypt and send documents. What's more, government agencies like the Police & Border Guard Board and the Tax & Customs Board, have dedicated emails and telephone numbers and generally reply to questions rapidly.
The digital services you need, whenever you need them
Estonia is an EU member state and the only country in the world where all state services, including the online business environment, are available 24/7. These digital services allow e-residents to run your business on your terms, and tailored to your schedules and demands. Save time on administrative tasks and focus on growing your business. Deliver high quality client work, win new projects, or upskill yourself or your team.
Seamless services that allow you to focus on your core business
E-residents can register a company rapidly fully online
E-residents can register a company 100% digitally in two to four hours on average with their digital ID. This is much quicker than other business destinations, including the UK (24 hours), Delaware (5 days), Ireland (3-7 days), France (10 days), Spain (15 days) and Germany (20 days).
In fact, Estonia holds the world record for fastest company incorporation. In 2022, e-resident entrepreneur Dominik Panosch registered a business in Estonia in just 15 minutes 33 seconds. And he did it live onstage at London Tech Week!
Full, simple, secure access to the online business services you need
Access Estonian e-services using your highly secure, e-Residency digital ID. Do it whenever you need and from wherever you are in the world. All you need is an internet connection and your laptop or mobile with the relevant software (e.g. DigiDoc or SmartID).
E-resident Christelle lives in South Africa shares her experience of starting and running her company Easy Assistant&Co OÜ:
“I did everything online, I use Xolo, PayPal, TransferWise [Wise] and all the online resources to manage all my clients’ projects. Completely remotely – I can do everything, without even putting one leg outside the door.”
All Estonian online business services are available in English, because Estonia’s business ecosystem is diverse and English is widely spoken.
Easy, efficient and paperless business administration
E-Residency provides a sustainable way of doing business, by design
As an e-resident, you’re served by the world’s first completely digitally transformed society. In an age where we need to protect our planet and conserve resources, the option of doing business fully digitally and remotely also presents a sustainable solution.
E-Residency also provides a time-saving opportunity for e-residents. Reduce in-person meetings and paper-based activities, which are traditionally part of running a business. What's more, e-residents can benefit from belonging to Estonia’s innovation-driven business ecosystem without ever having to visit. There is no need to physically visit or telephone government agencies or notaries. Nor is there time wasted spending hours on hold on the telephone or queuing for anything. And with everything being digital, forget printing or scanning paper documents, or dealing with mail or postal deliveries,
E-resident Jan Lagast affirmed this point from his own experience:
“E-Residency enabled me to very quickly start operating a little kernel of my international business, and then gradually grow it without being overstretched by paperwork and structure.”
Tailored to the needs of today’s global entrepreneurs
From the legal framework to communication, every step of being an e-resident has been tailored to fit the needs of entrepreneurs who work from anywhere.
Easy access to a network of trusted service providers, support and advice
E-residents can access the knowledge you need to get started
E-residents have access to a broad choice of resources and support at every stage of doing business. The e-Residency Knowledge Base, customer support, and content channels inspire, advise and support you throughout your application process.
Find the professional services to run your business
The e-Residency Marketplace is a curated business directory with price comparisons and customer reviews. Get on-demand expertise from a vetted list of trusted business service providers. They all have e-resident clients and understand the ins and outs of running a borderless business.
France-based e-resident Soumya Kantti Datta found it easier to found Digiotouch in 2018 as an Estonian company with the help of e-Residency. He explained some of his reasoning in this interview on the blog:
“Many European countries have a lot of administrative red tape, whereas the Estonian experience was really amazing. Company registration, registered address, taxes and everything is done online, and there are lots of agencies to help you to get this done.”
Indeed, the Marketplace is a one-stop-shop for on the ground services that you need in Estonia. For example, appointing a local contact person and registering a legal address. You’ll also find partners who can help you with company formation, opening a business bank account, tax consulting, accounting, PR and marketing, recruitment, insurance, relocation and more.