# How to become an e-resident of Estonia: who can apply, the fee, the pick-up and the timeline

Apply for Estonian e-Residency yourself: what it gives and what it does not, who can apply and which citizenships are restricted, the online application, the 150 euro state fee, the 30 day review, picking up the card in person, and how long it all takes.

Law as of 14 Oct 2026. General information, not advice for your situation.

[Part of the guide: e-Residency and your Estonian company: what it gives, the legal address and the contact person](https://oscaraccountant.com/en/guides/e-residency-address-contact-person)

e-Residency is a digital ID that Estonia gives to people who do not live there. With the e-Residency card you can found and run an Estonian company (OÜ) online, from anywhere. You apply yourself, online, and pay a state fee of 150 euros. No agent is needed: in fact, applications through an agent are refused.

The Estonian Police and Border Guard Board (the police authority that also issues ID cards) handles the application. We call it "the police" below.

**In short**

- Apply online at [eresident.politsei.ee](https://eresident.politsei.ee/). It takes 30 to 60 minutes.
- Pay 150 euros by card. You do not get it back if you are refused.
- You get a decision within about 30 days.
- You collect the card in person, at an Estonian embassy or a police office in Estonia.
- Most people have the card 2 to 4 months after applying.

## What it gives, and what it does not

With the card you can log in to Estonian e-services and sign documents digitally. Above all, you can [register an Estonian OÜ company online](https://oscaraccountant.com/en/guides/founding-an-ou/register-an-ou-online) and run it.

It does **not** make you a citizen or a tax resident of Estonia. It is not a visa and not a travel document, and it gives no right to live in Estonia or the EU. It does not guarantee a bank account. You pay tax where you live and work: see [founder residency](https://oscaraccountant.com/en/guides/founder-residency-pe-cfc).

## Who can apply

Almost anyone with a clear, lawful purpose who is not already an Estonian citizen or resident. You must apply yourself.

Since 01.10.2025 some citizenships are restricted ([police: restrictions](https://www.politsei.ee/en/instructions/e-resident-s-digital-id/citizenship-based-application-restrictions)):

- **Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, DR Congo, Iran, Mali, Nigeria, North Korea, South Sudan, Syria, Yemen:** only with an exception, for example three years of residence in Europe or a real business in Estonia.
- **Russia and Belarus:** only with an earlier e-Residency card and a real business in Estonia.

The police check your background: criminal record, visa refusals and entry bans. They may ask about your business, look at public social media, or call you by video.

## The application

Open [eresident.politsei.ee](https://eresident.politsei.ee/) and choose **First-time applicant**.

![The start page of the e-Residency application of the Police and Border Guard Board, with the First-time applicant and Renewal applicant buttons](https://oscaraccountant.com/content/guides/become-an-e-resident/02-application-portal.webp)

You log in with your e-mail address and a one-time link, with no password.

![The login page of the application: enter your e-mail address, then Access with email](https://oscaraccountant.com/content/guides/become-an-e-resident/05-login.webp)

You need:

- **Your passport or EU ID card**, valid for at least two more months.
- **A recent photo**: colour, under six months old, a .jpg of 1 to 5 MB and at least 1300 x 1600 pixels ([photo rules](https://eresident.politsei.ee/photo-requirements)).
- **A short motivation**: how you will use e-Residency.
- **A CV.**

Pick an e-mail address you will keep: it cannot be changed later. The form asks detailed questions about your companies, bank accounts, crypto, criminal record and past travel bans. Answer everything truthfully. You also choose where you will collect the card; changing it later costs extra.

## The fee

![The official steps on e-resident.gov.ee: choose a pick-up location, prepare documents, fill in the application and pay the 150 euro fee online in about 30 minutes](https://oscaraccountant.com/content/guides/become-an-e-resident/01-apply-and-fee.webp)

**150 euros**, paid by Visa or Mastercard in the application form. Someone else may pay for you. It is not refunded if you are refused. There is no yearly fee ([costs and fees](https://learn.e-resident.gov.ee/hc/en-us/articles/360000625118-Costs-fees)).

## Picking up the card

![The official timeline on e-resident.gov.ee: identity check 30 days, card delivery 2 to 5 weeks](https://oscaraccountant.com/content/guides/become-an-e-resident/03-review-and-delivery.webp)

The police decide within 30 days (sometimes longer if they need more information). You then get an e-mail when the card reaches your pick-up point, usually 2 to 5 weeks later. You can collect it at:

- a police office in Tallinn, Tartu, Pärnu or Narva;
- one of 39 Estonian embassies;
- one of 12 mobile pick-up points, such as Bangkok, Dubai or São Paulo, which open only a few times a year.

![The police offices in Estonia where you can collect the card: Tallinn Tammsaare, Tartu, Pärnu and Narva](https://oscaraccountant.com/content/guides/become-an-e-resident/04-pick-up.webp)

Go in person with the passport or ID card you applied with. Your fingerprints are taken there. Nobody else can collect it for you, and it is never posted. Collect it soon: an uncollected card is destroyed after six months ([pick-up locations](https://www.politsei.ee/en/instructions/e-resident-s-digital-id/pick-up-locations)).

## What you get

- **The card**, valid for 5 years, with your Estonian personal code.
- **A USB card reader.**
- **PIN codes**: PIN1 to log in, PIN2 to sign.

Install the free ID software from [id.ee](https://www.id.ee/en/article/install-id-software/), and the card works within 24 hours. You can also set up **Smart-ID** on your phone. Mobile-ID is not available to e-residents.

## How long it takes

| Stage                              | Time             |
| ---------------------------------- | ---------------- |
| Fill in the form                   | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Police review                      | About 30 days    |
| Card travels to your pick-up point | 2 to 5 weeks     |

In total, about 6 to 8 weeks until you can collect the card, and 2 to 4 months for most people. A mobile pick-up point can add more.

## Renewal

The card cannot be extended. Before it expires, apply again, pay 150 euros again, and collect the new card in person. Start two to three months early. Keep your company's annual reports and tax returns up to date: the police can refuse a renewal if your company has not met its duties.

## Next step

With your card, [register an Estonian OÜ company online](https://oscaraccountant.com/en/guides/founding-an-ou/register-an-ou-online) in about an hour.

## Let Oscar do the work

Oscar sets up the books of your new company from the first day.

[Join waitlist](https://oscaraccountant.com)

## Sources

- [e-Residency: become an e-resident](https://www.e-resident.gov.ee/become-an-e-resident/)
- [e-Residency: what is e-Residency?](https://learn.e-resident.gov.ee/hc/en-gb/articles/360000711978-What-is-e-Residency)
- [e-Residency: who is eligible?](https://learn.e-resident.gov.ee/hc/en-gb/articles/360000625078-Who-is-eligible)
- [e-Residency: how to apply](https://learn.e-resident.gov.ee/hc/en-gb/articles/360000633237-How-to-apply-FAQ)
- [e-Residency: costs and fees](https://learn.e-resident.gov.ee/hc/en-us/articles/360000625118-Costs-fees)
- [e-Residency: pick-up location](https://learn.e-resident.gov.ee/hc/en-gb/articles/360000624298)
- [e-Residency: digital ID FAQ](https://learn.e-resident.gov.ee/hc/en-gb/articles/360000633497-Digital-ID-FAQ)
- [e-Residency: renew your digital ID](https://learn.e-resident.gov.ee/hc/en-gb/articles/360000624318-Renew-your-digital-ID)
- [Police and Border Guard Board: application environment](https://eresident.politsei.ee/)
- [Police and Border Guard Board: citizenship-based application restrictions](https://www.politsei.ee/en/instructions/e-resident-s-digital-id/citizenship-based-application-restrictions)
- [Police and Border Guard Board: how much and how to pay](https://www.politsei.ee/en/instructions/e-resident-s-digital-id/how-much-and-how-to-pay)
- [Police and Border Guard Board: procedural time limit](https://www.politsei.ee/en/instructions/e-resident-s-digital-id/procedural-time-limit)
- [Police and Border Guard Board: pick-up locations](https://www.politsei.ee/en/instructions/e-resident-s-digital-id/pick-up-locations)
- [Police and Border Guard Board: pick-up](https://www.politsei.ee/en/instructions/e-resident-s-digital-id/pick-up)
- [Police and Border Guard Board: frequently asked questions](https://www.politsei.ee/en/instructions/e-resident-s-digital-id/frequently-asked-questions)
- [Identity Documents Act (Estonian text)](https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/ITDS)
- [State Fees Act (Estonian text)](https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/RLS)
- [id.ee: install the ID software](https://www.id.ee/en/article/install-id-software/)

## Related pages

- [e-Residency and your Estonian company: what it gives, the legal address and the contact person](https://oscaraccountant.com/en/guides/e-residency-address-contact-person): What Estonian e-Residency lets a foreign founder do and what it does not give, what happens when the card expires, when an OÜ needs a contact person, a legal address abroad or at a virtual office, how documents are served by e-mail, how to choose a service provider, and why e-Residency does not make you tax resident.
- [Founding an OÜ in Estonia: capital, articles, name, fees and first steps](https://oscaraccountant.com/en/guides/founding-an-ou): How to found an Estonian private limited company (OÜ): the share capital and how it is paid in, the articles of association, the state fees online and at a notary, the business name, the EMTAK activity codes and licences, a company as founder, holding or direct ownership, the first weeks after registration, and the risks of a shelf company.
- [The founder abroad: tax residency, permanent establishment and CFC rules](https://oscaraccountant.com/en/guides/founder-residency-pe-cfc): How Estonia decides tax residency, when a home office abroad creates a permanent establishment, and how your home country can tax your OÜ.

Reviewed on 14 Oct 2026. Law as of 14 Oct 2026. General information, not advice for your situation.

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