Starting a company in Germany vs Estonia
This guide explains how to start a company in Germany, and how the process compares with Estonia and its e-Residency programme.
estonia is the best place for your business
Over 140,000 entrepreneurs, freelancers and digital nomads have become e-residents of Estonia to start and run a company fully online. With e-Residency, you can skip the bureaucracy and access low-cost business administration services.
8,000+
e-residents from Germany
3,000+
companies created by Germans
15
minutes to open a company
8,000+ e-residents from Germany & why you should apply too
- Register a company in Estonia 100% online with your digital ID card
- Sign contracts and manage all aspects of your company securely online
- Pay low administrative costs (incl 10X less share capital than a German GmbH)
- No obligation to join a chamber of commerce
Guide to Estonian e-Residency for e-residents in Germany
- Four reasons to become an e-resident
- How to apply for e-Residency
- Digital security and advanced digital services of Estonia
- How your business can benefit from e-Residency
Meet the e-residents
“Anyone who has founded a company in Germany will appreciate the advantages of Estonia streamlined government platforms & fully digitalized procedures. This saves entrepreneurs a lot of money & time.”
Tim Schnöckelborg
Founder of e-Commerce Guru OÜ, German entrepreneur living in Tallinn
How to get started
1
Become an e-resident
Apply online, pay state fee, and choose a pickup location for your digital ID. State fee: €150.
Learn how & apply2
Choose a service provider
Obtain an Estonian contact person and legal address from our Marketplace. Cost: €30-150 monthly average (some include bookkeeping and other features).
Choose your service provider using our Marketplace2
Register company in Estonia
Register company structure online at e-Business Registry. Pay state fee for company registration. Cost: €265.
Register a company online at e-Business Registry4
Apply for business banking
Find a fintech partner in our service provider marketplace.
Find business banking serivces
Read Germany-specific content
Survey: 69% of Germans open to founding in another EU country
A 2026 survey of prospective German founders uncovers that bureaucracy is the biggest hurdle to starting a business. Learn more about all the findings.
German entrepreneurs increasingly choose Estonian e-Residency
Germany has become the top country for applications to Estonia’s e-Residency program: in 2025, applications by German residents grew by roughly 50 percent over the previous year, and German e-residents founded one-third more companies than in 2024.
10 top questions about e-Residency from entrepreneurs in Germany
A summary of the top questions and answers from the recent e-Residency AMA session for entrepreneurs in Germany
Coder´s delight
Around the world from from Barcelona to Bali – Zentered’s Patrick Heneise uses e-Residency to code from anywhere
September fests 2022: e-Residency in Germany
E-Residency is heading to Deutschland and we’d be delighted to meet up with you
Apply for e-Residency
