The short answer is: not always — but for most foreign founders running an Estonian company remotely, having one makes the whole thing significantly easier to manage.
Here is why.
What a Contact Person Actually Does
A contact person is a licensed representative listed in the Estonian Business Register on behalf of your company. The role exists to ensure there is always a qualified party in Estonia available to receive official communications and handle registry matters.
But the practical value goes further than receiving letters.
When Capture holds the contact person role for your company, we have direct access to the e-Business Register on your behalf. That means when you need to file an amendment, update your address, add a board member, or make any registry change — we can prepare and initiate it. You review and sign. Amendments are quoted before we begin and billed separately from the annual plan.
Without a contact person in that role, every registry interaction requires you to log in yourself, prepare the submission correctly, and manage the process from start to finish. For a founder operating from abroad, across time zones, that friction adds up.
When It Is Legally Required
Under the Äriregistri seadus (Commercial Register Act) § 24 (2), a contact person must be designated when the company’s legal address is outside Estonia.
In simple terms:
- Company address in Estonia — contact person not strictly required by law
- Company address abroad — contact person legally mandatory
If you use a licensed Estonian address such as the one included in our Standard and Premium plans, you are not under a strict legal obligation to appoint one. We include it anyway, and here is why.
Why We Include It in Standard and Premium
The legal threshold is not the right question for most of our clients.
The better question is: do you want to be able to pick up the phone or send an email when something needs updating in the register, and have it handled — or do you want to manage it yourself every time?
Our Standard and Premium plans include licensed contact person service because it is the foundation of what we actually do. It is what allows us to monitor your company’s official status and catch anything that needs attention. You retain full control and decision-making. We do the operational work.
The Basic plan at €120 per year is a legal address only. No contact person, no formation, no support. It exists for founders who genuinely want a self-service setup and are comfortable managing everything themselves.
Who Can Act as a Contact Person
Not anyone can hold this role. Estonian law limits it to qualified professionals and licensed service providers, including notaries, sworn advocates, audit firms, and licensed trust and company service providers authorized under Estonian anti-money laundering rules.
Capture holds FIU license FIU000432, which authorizes us to act as a contact person under Estonian law.
The Bottom Line
A contact person is not always a legal requirement. But for a foreign founder who wants their Estonian company to run without unnecessary friction, having a licensed provider in that role — one who can act in the register on your behalf — is not a nice-to-have. It is how the whole service works.
Get a licensed contact person with your Capture plan
Capture’s licensed contact person service is included by default in:
- Standard plan — €320/year — Legal address, licensed contact person, mail handling and digital formation for an OÜ involving up to 2 unique individuals across shareholders and board members.
- Premium plan — €520/year — Same core service for an OÜ or MTÜ involving up to 3 unique individuals.
- Notary formation — from €1,000 — Full company formation for founders without e-Residency, alongside an annual plan.
