An e-Residency application takes time. From submission to the card in hand, it can take around two months. The company does not have to wait for it. An Estonian OÜ can be formed by Power of Attorney while the application is in process, and the card is linked to the company once it arrives.
The Company Comes First
The future shareholders and board members each sign a Power of Attorney on a video call with a European notary. The passport is shown on camera, the notary verifies the identity, and the document is signed on screen. It is certified in Estonian, apostilled the same day, and returned digitally. No visit to a local notary is needed, and nothing is sent by courier.
A Capture representative then attends the notary appointment in Tallinn and signs the formation documents under those Powers of Attorney. In a straightforward case, the company is formed within a few weeks. Nobody has to travel to Estonia.
Linking the Card to the Company
The Business Register lists a person without an Estonian personal identification code with a date of birth or a foreign personal code. That is why the company does not appear under “My dashboard” the first time the new e-resident logs in to the e-Business Register.
The register has a function for exactly this case. Under “Additional actions”, the “Refresh connections” button finds companies where a person with the same name is entered without an Estonian code. Clicking “Link” opens an application that replaces the date of birth with the Estonian personal identification code. The e-resident signs it with the card and submits it. Linking carries no state fee, and the registrar makes the change within one to five working days. The steps are set out in the e-Business Register guide.
What E-Residency Adds Afterward
From that point, you run the company directly. The e-resident logs in to the Business Register, signs register applications and the annual report, and signs other company documents digitally. Without the card, a notary or authorized representative handles each change to the register.
The two routes work together. The Power of Attorney establishes the company, and e-Residency runs it.
Capture is a licensed Estonian corporate services provider, FIU license FIU000432, and handles the formation from document preparation to registration. More on the process: Notary Formation and company registration in Estonia.
