Intelligent Solution Group > Services > Company registration in Estonia (OU)

Company registration in Estonia (OU)

If you run a fintech business or a fledgling start-up that you’d like to launch on the European market, take a closer look at Estonia.

Price: from 5 100 €

The benefits of running a non-resident business in Estonia

the country is not a traditional offshore jurisdiction;

a 0% corporation tax rate if the company does not distribute its profits;

double taxation agreements that have been signed;

Bank accounts for Estonian companies can be opened at high-street banks;

A minimum share capital of €2,500 is required to register an OU;

remote management of the company.

We recommend that you do not attempt to complete the registration process yourself, but instead contact our specialists so that:

register a company in 10–20 days;
avoid wasting time travelling to Estonia;
avoid making mistakes when submitting applications to register a company;
avoid having to delve into Estonian law yourself.

Требования

1

A company must have at least one director and one shareholder.
2

There are no citizenship requirements.
The company must have a local representative who acts as the point of contact for government authorities. Information about the company’s shareholders and directors is available in the public register.

3

It is necessary to keep accounts and submit an annual report, which consists of financial statements and a management report.
4

A registered address is required for receiving correspondence.
Financial records must be retained for at least seven years after the end of the financial year.

Please leave your contact details. One of our specialists will contact you within 30 minutes to discuss your enquiry.

Alla Head of Sales Department

Book a consultation! Choose a date and time that suits you.

Taxes in Estonia

From 1 January 2025, the tax rate on distributed profits will be 22%. The tax is levied only on distributed profits; retained earnings are not subject to tax;
From 2026, there are plans to introduce a temporary defence tax of 2% of a company’s profits to fund national security;
From 1 January 2024, the standard VAT rate will increase from 20% to 22%;
Capital gains tax is treated as standard company income. The tax is charged at the time of profit distribution.

The stages of our work:

Analysis of your situation and selection of the company’s business activities

Checking whether the company name is unique

We are preparing the documents required to register a company

We are submitting an application to register a company in Estonia

We prepare the company documents and send them to you

We prepare the paperwork for opening a corporate bank account

We are submitting applications to several banks to obtain pre-approval

We select one financial institution from those that have approved the applications.

We’ll guide you through the bank’s checks: KYC and AML procedures.

Once the process is complete, your account manager will notify you that your account has been opened.

Additional services

charged separately

purchase of a ready-made company;
opening a bank account for a legal entity;
company renewal;
obtaining a VAT number;
verification of the source of funds; setting up online banking;
making payments;
financial accounting;
recovery of funds from frozen accounts.

Is it mandatory to pay in the authorised capital of €2,500 immediately upon registering an OU in Estonia?

No, it is not necessary to pay up the authorised capital immediately upon registration. You can register a company without actually paying up the capital – it must be declared, but can be paid up at a later date. However, until it has been paid up in full, you will not be able to distribute profits as dividends. We will explain how to handle this process correctly to avoid any issues with the registration authorities and banks.

Is it possible to register an Estonian company without opening a bank account in Estonia?

Yes, you can register an OU in Estonia and open a business account with a European payment system (such as Wise, Paysera, Revolut or others) if Estonian banks refuse to do so. We assess your situation and propose the best financial solution — whether that’s an account in Estonia, the EU or a fintech platform. It all depends on your line of business and the geographical location of your clients.

Do you provide a local contact person, as required by law?

Yes, we provide a Legal Contact Person service, as required by Estonian law for non-resident companies. This is a natural or legal person registered in Estonia who is authorised to officially represent the company’s interests in dealings with government bodies. The service is included in the company’s annual maintenance package and fully complies with the requirements of local regulators.

Cases:

CASE: How to recover frozen $600,000

The client faced a problem with frozen funds in the account of his international company. The bank where the account was held was in the process of liquidation and froze all funds while starting an audit of its clients.

CASE: Forgotten $400,000

Our client decided to completely liquidate his company, established about 10 years ago in Latvia. During the liquidation process and communication with the bank, we discovered that the client had $400,000 in the account for several years — money everyone had forgotten about.