[{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki40\/e-residency-of-estonia-wikipedia\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki40\/e-residency-of-estonia-wikipedia\/","headline":"e-Residency of Estonia – Wikipedia","name":"e-Residency of Estonia – Wikipedia","description":"Estonian virtual residency program e-Residency identity card e-Residency of Estonia (also called virtual residency or E-residency) is a program launched","datePublished":"2015-06-20","dateModified":"2015-06-20","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki40\/author\/lordneo\/#Person","name":"lordneo","url":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki40\/author\/lordneo\/","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c9645c498c9701c88b89b8537773dd7c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c9645c498c9701c88b89b8537773dd7c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Enzyklop\u00e4die","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/wiki4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/download.jpg","url":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/wiki4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/download.jpg","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/b\/b2\/Estonian_Digital_Identity_Card_Issued_to_E-Resident_-_Issued_2022.jpg\/220px-Estonian_Digital_Identity_Card_Issued_to_E-Resident_-_Issued_2022.jpg","url":"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/b\/b2\/Estonian_Digital_Identity_Card_Issued_to_E-Resident_-_Issued_2022.jpg\/220px-Estonian_Digital_Identity_Card_Issued_to_E-Resident_-_Issued_2022.jpg","height":"145","width":"220"},"url":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki40\/e-residency-of-estonia-wikipedia\/","about":["Wiki"],"wordCount":5024,"articleBody":"Estonian virtual residency program  e-Residency identity carde-Residency of Estonia (also called virtual residency or E-residency) is a program launched by Estonia on 1 December 2014. The program allows non-Estonians access to Estonian services such as company formation, banking, payment processing, and taxation. The program gives the e-resident a smart card which they can use to sign documents. The program is aimed towards location-independent entrepreneurs such as software developers and writers. The first e-resident of Estonia was British journalist Edward Lucas; the first person to apply for and be granted e-residency through the standard process was Hamid Tahsildoost from the United States.[1][2][3][4]Application[edit]An application for e-residency can be made online by filling in a form, supplying a scan of a national passport and a photograph, and giving the reason for applying (which does not strongly affect the outcome of the application). Kaspar Korjus, former managing director of the e-residency program, said that applicants who had been involved in financial misbehaviour such as money laundering would be rejected. Successful applicants would be invited to an interview in Tallinn or an Estonian embassy about three months after applying, and would then, if successful, be issued their card.[5] The certificates of the document are valid for five years, up from three years when the program was first announced.[6] After that period, if a person wishes to continue using e-services, they have to apply for a new document. The application process will be the same as when they first applied. A state fee needs to be paid again when they submit a new application.Benefits and limitations of e-residency[edit]E-residents will have their financial footprint monitored digitally, in a manner stated to be transparent; the reaction to the widespread financial misbehaviour at high level revealed by the Panama Papers leak was suggested to be a factor helping the more transparent Estonian initiative according to Korjus. E-residency itself does not have an effect on income taxation \u2014 neither does it establish an income tax liability in Estonia nor does it relieve from income taxation in the resident’s home country.[5]E-residency allows company registration, document signing, encrypted-document exchange, online banking, tax declaration, and fulfilment of medical prescriptions. Other services become available as the scheme is expanded.[7] A digital ID smart card issued by the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board in Estonia or at an embassy is used for access to services.[8]Entrepreneurs can obtain EU residency after purchasing real estate in Estonia as a long-term benefit. The Estonian side benefits in particular by developing Estonia into an international business center with expanding service offerings for foreign entrepreneurs and investors in the disciplines of finance, consulting, accounting, and law.[9]Korjus said that registering an Estonian business was “useful for internet entrepreneurs in emerging markets who don\u2019t have access to an online payment provider”, and for startups from countries such as Ukraine or Belarus which suffer financial limitations from their governments.[5]E-residency is not related to citizenship and does not provide the right to physically enter or reside in Estonia.[8]It is not a way to avoid paying taxes in the country of actual residence – instead, one becomes a taxpayer both in Estonia and in the country where one is a citizen and tax resident.;It is not the same as Citizenship and does not imply any support from the Estonian government in obtaining electronic residence (Filonenko, O. (2021, October 5). Estonian e-Residency: Pros and Cons. | Redwerk).The e-residency program was developed primarily for location-independent startups and companies offering digital services, which means that e-residency is not the best alternative if:You are tied to a specific location, and you cannot offer your services only using your laptop and the Internet;you trade physical goods andhave a physical office on a permanent basis (Filonenko, O. (2021, October 5). Estonian e-Residency: Pros and Cons. | Redwerk).Background[edit]E-residency was led by Taavi Kotka, the vice chancellor of communications and state information systems in the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications.[10] Although the idea of issuing ID cards to non-residents had been discussed at least from about 2007,[11][12] and proposed again in 2012 by Estonian cybersecurity expert Anto Veldre,[13] the concrete proposal (“10 million e-residents by 2025”) was presented by Taavi Kotka, Ruth Annus, and Siim Sikkut on an idea contest by Estonian Development Fund in 2014. The project was initiated with the prize money from the contest. It is developed by a state-owned foundation, Enterprise Estonia.[14][15]Kotka stated that, while the further goal of the project would be to gain millions of e-residents, its purpose was to increase the number of active enterprises in Estonia. The private sector must be able to develop concrete services on the legal and technical platform provided by e-residency, while the state would continue developing the legal framework according to the needs of the enterprises.[11][16] It has also been discussed in Estonian media that e-residency could be used to spread knowledge about Estonian culture online to develop cultural export.[17] By 18 January 2015, there had been applications from 225 countries, most of them from Finland (224), Russia (109), Latvia (38), the United States (34) and the United Kingdom (22).[18][failed verification]The Estonian virtual residency program shows how\u00a0established\u00a0nations may\u00a0adopt\u00a0strategies\u00a0similar to\u00a0micronations,\u00a0providing\u00a0an example of what citizenship might look like in a post-national world.[19]Reception[edit]In general the e-residency project was positively reviewed in the news media, being recognized for its innovativeness and potential.[20][21] Estonia’s former Minister of Finance J\u00fcrgen Ligi noted in 2014 that it was as yet unclear how e-residency would bring capital to Estonia.[22] Some legal experts warn that using e-residency to incorporate a letterbox company in Estonia might under certain circumstances make that company’s profits subject to double taxation, as this is a completely new legal status that has not been considered in the framework of existing international agreements to avoid double taxation.[23]There has been international interest in different countries, with the issue being covered by media in the United States (The Atlantic;[24]The Wall Street Journal;[25]Ars Technica [26][27]), United Kingdom (The Guardian;[28][29]Wired UK,[30] Finland (Helsinki Times [31]), Australia (ABC[32]), Italy (Wired-it[33]), and others. In neighbouring Finland, it elicited some fear that e-residency might give Finnish enterprises an urge to move to Estonia.[31]There was an increase in interest after the Panama Papers leak pointed out the need for greater transparency in offshore business. After Britain voted to leave the European Union, companies were seeking options to continue to be able to trade in euros, and others had other reasons: in the two weeks following the referendum, applications from Britain (with 616 e-residents hitherto) increased tenfold.[5]Security concerns[edit]One of the biggest challenges for the Estonian government and other institutions is how to secure the certainty of personal identification in the case of people from countries with whom Estonia does not have justice, security, or law enforcement cooperation. It is also impossible to effectively check the backgrounds of such countries’ citizens or, if required, prosecute the crimes they have committed. Furthermore, the ability to function as an entrepreneur provided by e-Residency may greatly complicate criminal investigations, because, for example, identifying a person who has committed tax fraud or fraud and conducting processes can be difficult due to his or her permanent presence overseas. As a result, criminal investigations, evidence gathering, court hearings, bankruptcy proceedings, and other processes may be slowed or halted.[citation needed]In 2017, the Estonian government froze[34] the digital ID cards of the e-residency program, two months after discovering a major security flaw that could enable identity theft. ID cards that were issued between 16 October 2014, and 25 November 2017, were suspended until owners updated to a new security certificate by March 2018.The Estonian government first revealed the original flaw in September,[35] but gave no details until much later.Partner services[edit]The e-residency program offers a marketplace of trusted services of potential use to businesses run using the program.See also[edit]References[edit]^ “President Ilves annab t\u00e4na \u00fcle esimese e-residendi kaardi” (in Estonian). Estonian Development Foundation. 1 December 2014. Archived from the original on 6 February 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2015.^ Eesti avab 2014. aasta l\u00f5pus oma e-teenused \u00fclej\u00e4\u00e4nud maailmale Majandus- ja kommunikatsiooniministeerium (in Estonian) (Accessed on 6 February 2015)^ Milliste h\u00fcvede osaliseks saab Eesti esimene e-resident Edward Lucas? Eesti P\u00e4evaleht, 29 November 2014 (in Estonian) (Accessed on 6 February 2015)^ “E-residency \u2013 up against great expectations”. E-Estonia.com. 13 January 2015. Archived from the original on 6 February 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2015.^ a b c d Maeve Shearlaw (15 September 2016). “A Brexit bolthole? For \u20ac100 you can become an e-resident of an EU country you’ve never visited”. The Guardian.^ Saue, Victoria (4 May 2018). “Estonia is extending the validity period of its digital ID cards”. Medium. Retrieved 19 April 2019.^ “Estonian e-Residency – Which services can I use as an e-Resident?”. e-estonia.com. Archived from the original on 5 June 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2016.^ a b “About e-Residency”. Government of the Republic of Estonia. Retrieved 29 October 2018.^ Prause, Gunnar (31 March 2016). “E-Residency: a business platform for Industry 4.0?”. Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues. 3 (3): 216\u2013227. doi:10.9770\/jesi.2016.3.3(1). ISSN\u00a02345-0282.^ “Eesti info\u00fchiskonna arengukava 2020”, pp. 2, 15, 22 (in Estonian) (Accessed on 6 February 2015)^ a b Hans L\u00f5ugas Taavi Kotka: e-residentsus on \u00fcksnes vahend, vaja on paremat majanduskeskkonda Eesti P\u00e4evaleht, 14 October 2014 (in Estonian) (Accessed on 6 February 2015)^ Kallemets, Kalev (18 September 2014). “E-residentsus aitab v\u00e4lisinvestoreid Eestisse” (in Estonian). L\u00e4\u00e4nlane. Archived from the original on 6 February 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2015.^ Anto Veldre Info\u00fchiskonnast hereetiliselt Postimees, 9 November 2012 (in Estonian) (Accessed on 6 February 2015)^ Indrek Kald Arengufondi ideekonkursil kolm v\u00f5itjat” \u00c4rip\u00e4ev, 12 June 2014 (in Estonian) (Accessed on 6 February 2015)^ “10 miljoni eestlase” idee p\u00e4\u00e4ses Arengufondi konkursi kolme v\u00f5itja sekka ERR, 12 June 2014 (in Estonian) (Accessed on 6 February 2015)^ Taavi Kotka Kui seda ei tee Eesti, siis teeb seda keegi teine Memokraat, 13 October 2014 (in Estonian)(Accessed on 6 February 2015)^ \u00dclo Pikkov E-residentsus ja Eesti virtuaalne kultuuriruum Sirp, 16 January 2015 (in Estonian) (Accessed on 6 February 2015)^ Kas e-residentsus toob rohkem venelasi Eestisse kinnisvara ostma? \u00c4rip\u00e4ev (in Estonian), 6 February 2015 (Accessed on 6 February 2015)^ Keating, Joshua (26 June 2018). Invisible countries\u00a0: journeys to the edge of nationhood. Nelson, Bill (Cartographer). New Haven. ISBN\u00a09780300235050. OCLC\u00a01041140240.^ Kaupo Kask Mida kujutab endast e-residentsus? Advokaadib\u00fcroo Biin & Biin (in Estonian) (Accessed on 6 February 2015)^ \u00dcks k\u00fcsimus \u00c4rip\u00e4ev, 15 December 2014 (in Estonian) (Accessed on 6 February 2015)^ Ligi: on ebaselge, kuidas e-residentsus raha sisse toob Postimees, 6 December 2014 (in Estonian)^ K\u00e4rt Anna Maire Kelder E-residentsuse varjatud karid ehk mis juhtub teisest riigist juhitud \u00e4ri\u00fchinguga Eesti P\u00e4evaleht, 29 November 2014 (in Estonian)^ Uri Friedman The World Now Has Its First E-Resident The Atlantic, 1 December 2014^ Liis K\u00e4ngsepp Estonia to Offer \u2018E-Residency\u2019 to Foreigners The Wall Street Journal, 21 October 2014^ Cyrus Farivar Estonia wants to give us all digital ID cards, make us \u201ce-residents\u201d Ars Technica, 8 December 2014^ Cyrus Farivar I\u2019m now an Estonian e-resident, but I still don\u2019t know what to do with it Ars Technica, 22 August 2015^ Nabeelah Shabbir Estonia offers e-residency to foreigners The Guardian, 26 December 2014^ Anthony Cuthbertson Estonia First Country to Offer E-Residency Digital Citizenship International Business Times, 7 October 2014)^ Ben Hammersley Why you should be an e-resident of Estonia, July 2015^ a b Merle Must Estonian e-residency attracts Finnish businessmen Helsinki Times, 12 December 2014^ Kirsten Drysdale Estonia offers e-residency to allow non-citizens access to government services and business online ABC, 25 November 2014^ Mila Ligugnana e-residency: residenza virtuale e digitale, in Estonia \u00e8 gi\u00e0 realt\u00e0 Wired-it, 17 October 2014^ “Estonia has frozen its popular e-residency ID cards because of a massive security flaw”. Business Insider. Retrieved 1 March 2018.^ Korjus, Kaspar (5 September 2017). “Here’s what e-residents need to know about the potential security vulnerability”. Medium. Retrieved 1 March 2018.External links[edit]"},{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki40\/#breadcrumbitem","name":"Enzyklop\u00e4die"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki40\/e-residency-of-estonia-wikipedia\/#breadcrumbitem","name":"e-Residency of Estonia – Wikipedia"}}]}]