how to collect your e-⁠Residency digital id card

Where can I collect my e-⁠Residency digital ID card? What's a pickup point? And what should I know before choosing the pickup location?

Are you ready to apply for e-⁠Residency? Do you know you’ll need to pick up your digital ID card in person from a designated pickup point? This is so you can authenticate your identity and give your fingerprints to an authorised representative. There are over 50 pickup points (which we also call ‘pickup locations’ or  ‘collection centres’) worldwide. You’ll need to indicate in your e-⁠Residency application the place where you will pick up your kit - which includes your digital ID card, your PIN codes and instructions for use.

So, before you apply, make sure you know all about the collection process and what to consider before choosing the pickup location. 

And if you still have questions about applying for e-Residency, read this article first.

During the e-Residency application process, you’re asked to select a pickup location. Feel free to choose any pickup location that is closest to you or most convenient to travel to. When choosing the pickup point, there are a few things to keep in mind:

1. You’ll need to be able to legally travel to that location - your status as an e-⁠resident doesn’t provide you with the legal right to enter a foreign country. 
2. You’ll need to collect your document in person as your fingerprints must be provided when collecting your e-⁠Residency digital ID card. 
3. You’ll have to collect your e-⁠Residency digital ID card within 6 months after it has arrived at the location you ordered it to be sent. 

What if you cannot find a pickup location in your country? You’re still welcome to apply for e-⁠Residency, but you’ll need to choose a pickup location in another country. Make sure you have the right to enter that country before booking your travel there. 

While waiting for your e-⁠Residency kit to arrive

You’ve got a positive outcome of your e-⁠Residency application and you’re waiting for your document to arrive at your desired location. As it can take 2-5 weeks for your e-⁠Residency kit to arrive, here are a few suggestions on how to spend your waiting time effectively:

1. Learn how to use an e-⁠Residency digital ID card
2. Read an article comparing types of businesses available for e-⁠residents in Estonia
3. Learn about the process of establishing a company in Estonia
4. Get inspired by our e-⁠residents’ success stories. 

Once your document has arrived at your pickup point, you’ll receive a notification letter with instructions related to scheduling your pick up. 

When planning the trip for collection, please keep in mind: 

1. It isn’t possible to give someone else permission to collect your document as you’ll be asked to provide your fingerprints when collecting your e-⁠Residency digital ID card. 
2. There aren’t any alternatives for physical collection. For security reasons, it is only possible to collect your document from one of our official pickup points. As part of the collection process is the identification of the user of the document, we are not able to send your e-⁠Residency kit via mail or courier. Your e-⁠Residency digital ID card will be issued to you personally together with your PIN codes which you should never give to anyone else. 

Learn more about how to keep your digital identity safe in the following article:

In some cases we’ve heard that emails confirming your e-⁠Residency kit is ready for pickup can end up in spam folders. So if you have not received such a notice at least 5 weeks after you received approval from the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board, please check your spam folders. You can also contact the pickup location directly. They are best to advise on topics related to collecting an e-⁠Residency kit. 

In most cases it is possible to change the pickup location. Please keep in mind that additional time will be needed to re-route your document. Plus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will charge a state fee for the change if your document has already been sent out of Estonia. This change fee ranges from €10 to €80 depending on where the document needs to be re-routed. 

There are three types of e-⁠Residency pickup points: (1) Police and Border Guard Board offices in Estonia, (2) Estonian Embassies, and (3) Mobile pickup points. We cover these in detail below.

The PBGB issues e-⁠Residency cards in the following locations in Estonia (click for details):

1. Narva
2. Pärnu  
3. Tallinn (Tammsaare)
4. Tallinn (Pinna)
5. Tartu

The Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issues e-⁠Residency cards in the following embassies (click for details):

1. Abu Dhabi 
2. Ankara
3. Athens 
4. Baku (external office of the Estonian embassy in Ankara that is situated in the premises of Latvian Embassy in Baku) 
5. Beijing 
6. Berlin 
7. Brussels  
8. Bucharest 
9. Budapest 
10. Cairo 
11. Canberra 
12. Copenhagen 
13. Dublin 
14. Helsinki 
15. Kyiv 
16. Lisbon 
17. London 
18. Madrid
19. Minsk
20. Moscow
21. New Delhi 
22. New York City (Consulate General) 
23. Nur-Sultan 
24. Oslo 
25. Ottawa 
26. Paris 
27. Prague 
28. Riga 
29. Rome 
30. Seoul 
31. Stockholm 
32. Tbilisi 
33. Tel Aviv 
34. The Hague 
35. Vienna 
36. Vilnius
37. Warsaw 

The Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issues e-⁠Residency cards in mobile pickup points periodically once every two months on certain dates and in specified locations, which are currently: 

1. Barcelona (Madrid)
2. Frankfurt (Berlin)
3. Munich (Berlin)
4. Milan (Rome)
5. Lviv (Kyiv)
6. Dubai (Abu Dhabi)
7. Edinburgh (London)
8. Zurich (Vienna)

If you choose one of these locations, you will be informed about the exact dates to collect your card once it has been delivered. For more information, please contact the corresponding coordinating Estonian embassy (listed in brackets above) or the Consular Department of Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: konsul@mfa.ee. 

The Police and Border Guard Board also issues e-⁠Residency cards in mobile pickup points regularly every three months on certain dates and in specified locations, which are currently:

1. Bangkok, Thailand
2. Buenos Aires, Argentina
3. São Paulo, Brazil

People affected will be informed about upcoming missions in a timely manner so they can smoothly schedule their card collection. If you have questions about collecting your card from one of these specific locations, contact the PPA by sending an email to ppa@politsei.ee.

We are looking forward to welcoming you to our community soon! To hear about our new e-⁠Residency pickup points and the latest updates, subscribe to our newsletter below.