---
title: "E-residents have created over 10,000 companies in Estonia"
id: "43295"
type: "post"
slug: "e-residents-have-created-over-10000-companies-in-estonia"
published_at: "2019-11-23T09:40:32+00:00"
modified_at: "2019-11-23T09:40:37+00:00"
url: "https://estonianworld.com/business/e-residents-have-created-over-10000-companies-in-estonia/"
markdown_url: "https://estonianworld.com/business/e-residents-have-created-over-10000-companies-in-estonia.md"
excerpt: "In November 2019, the number of Estonian companies created by e-residents exceeded 10,000, Enterprise Estonia said, adding that the number of e-residents paying taxes in […]"
taxonomy_category:
  - "Business"
publisher: "Estonian World"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Sten Hankewitz"
author_url: "https://estonianworld.com/author/stenhankewitz/"
---

# E-residents have created over 10,000 companies in Estonia

![The Estonian e-residency starter kit, including an Estonian ID card that can be used to authenticate one and sign documents online.](https://estonianworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/e-residency-kit-1024x683.jpg)

The Estonian e-residency starter kit, including an Estonian ID card that can be used to authenticate one and sign documents online.

By  [Sten Hankewitz](https://estonianworld.com/author/stenhankewitz/)
  ·  November 23, 2019  · [Business](https://estonianworld.com/category/business/)
 · 2 minutes of reading

### In November 2019, the number of Estonian companies created by e-residents exceeded 10,000, Enterprise Estonia said, adding that the number of e-residents paying taxes in Estonia has grown by 58% compared with the same period in 2018.

According to Ott Vatter, the CEO of the e-residency programme, most companies are registered in the IT sector and business consulting.

“Many e-resident companies focus on creating smart jobs and high added value. E-residency offers global market players a unique opportunity to manage their business wherever they are. This also makes it very attractive for EU citizens to set up a business in Estonia, since the opportunities for distance business are much more limited in other member states,” Vatter said in a statement. 50% of the e-residents who set up an Estonian company are citizens of the European Union.

The range of activities of Estonian companies created by e-residents is constantly expanding. For example, there are now many e-residents in the forestry, agriculture, health, commerce or education sectors paying taxes in Estonia. “This shows the e-residency programme can meet the needs of entrepreneurs in different sectors of the economy,” he added.

### The number of tax-paying e-residents has grown 58% compared with 2018

The growth in the number of Estonian companies established by e-residents has increased dramatically in the last two years, with over 7,000 being created. “Compared with the previous year, the number of active e-residents who are paying taxes in Estonia has grown by 58%. The money they receive will be used, for example, in education, culture and social welfare, bringing direct benefits to the people of Estonia,” Vatter noted.

![Image](https://estonianworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/E-residency-EAS-1024x683.jpg)

E-residency card in action (e-residency programme).

The e-residency programme was created in 2014 with the aim of providing foreign citizens with secure access to the digital services of the Estonian state. With their digital identity card, e-residents can digitally sign documents and log into portals and information systems that recognise the Estonian ID card. E-residency does not grant citizenship, tax residence or a residence or entry permit to Estonia or the European Union.

Since the launch of the e-residency programme, more than 62,000 e-residents have established over 10,100 companies in Estonia, employing nearly 1,700 people. The programme has brought direct revenue to the Estonian economy of more than €31 million in nearly five years.

Cover: The e-residency card issued for Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft (e-residency programme).

## About The Author

![Avatar photo](https://estonianworld.com/wp-content/uploads/local-avatars/15/1707599474-bpfull-100x100.jpg)

[Sten Hankewitz](https://estonianworld.com/author/stenhankewitz/)
Sten Hankewitz is a lifelong journalist and the Executive Editor at Estonian World. Having lived in Estonia, Spain, the UK and all around the US, he now resides in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. He loves to write and besides working at Estonian World, he [writes books](https://estonianworld.com/culture/the-grand-illusion-estonian-worlds-sten-hankewitz-publishes-a-novel-about-growing-up-in-the-soviet-union/)
 and contributes to other outlets. He has strong convictions and shows them unashamedly. You can follow Sten on [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@stenhankewitz)
, [X](https://twitter.com/stenhankewitz)
 and [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/shankewitz/)
. You can also [email him](mailto:sten@estonianworld.com)
.