Estonia OÜ Registration via e-Residency: Steps, State Fee, Capital

OÜ registration in Estonia, step by step

1. Choose the signing route. Founders and board members sign in the e-Business Register with an Estonian ID card, Mobile-ID, Smart-ID or the e-Residency digital ID. Without a digital ID the company is founded through a notary.
2. Check the name. The name must differ clearly from names already in the register and include "osaühing" or its abbreviation "OÜ".
3. Set the address. The company needs a legal address in Estonia. If the management board is located abroad, the company also appoints a contact person in Estonia to receive official documents.
4. File the application. Enter the shareholders, board members, share capital, articles (the standard articles work for most single-founder companies) and the main activity code, then sign.
5. Pay the state fee. €265 for the expedited procedure, usually reviewed within one business day, or €200 for the regular procedure (RIK state fees, in force since 01.01.2022).
6. After registration. Open the business account, register for VAT when the business needs it and set up bookkeeping. Corporate tax works on distribution: 0% on retained profit, 22% when profit is paid out.

Share capital, legal address and contact person

Share capital. Since 1 February 2023 the minimum share capital of an OÜ is €0.01. The amount and the contributions are set in the founding application.

Legal address. Every OÜ needs an address in Estonia where documents can be served. A service provider can supply it.

Contact person. When the board's location is outside Estonia, the company names a contact person in Estonia. The contact person's details sit in the register.

Beneficial owners. The application lists the company's beneficial owners, and the data must be kept current.

What happens after you register an Estonian OÜ

The company receives its registry code once the registrar approves the application. From there the usual next steps are a business account (Estonia corporate banking), VAT registration when supplies in Estonia pass €40,000 a year or earlier on a voluntary basis (VAT and GST compliance) and monthly bookkeeping. Founders new to e-Residency start with our e-Residency guide; online stores read Estonian company for e-commerce.