Join Estonian e-citizenship (E-Resident Estonia)
Not long ago, I received my Estonian Electronic Citizenship
(E-Resident) ID card. This write up is about this e-citizenship
program in Estonia, what it means to be an e-citizen, and the specific process
of applying.
Who provides expert online help for e-residency in Estonia?
barqat110 provides online help for e-residency in Estonia along with all expert advisory.
Estonian Virtual Migration, Whimsical Ideas from Estonia
The virtual immigration policy (e-citizenship program
E-Residency) is a very innovative policy introduced by Estonia in 2014. Citizens of any country have the opportunity to obtain a virtual national
status certified by the Estonian government and be able to apply online to
local banks in Estonia Accounts and online business.
After becoming a virtual national of Estonia, you do not need to change your nationality. Using the identity of a virtual national, you can get a physical address in Estonia, get the opportunity to do business in the EU, and enjoy the lower operating costs here. For some special industries, virtual nationals can also enjoy Estonia's low tax policy .
As a developed country with only 1.3 million citizens, Estonia attaches great importance to digital education. In 1997, Estonia provided all schools with Internet access within two years, and provided basic Internet education and communication technology education and training for all teachers in the country.
Now Estonia aims to become a global advanced digital
power through this policy.
In fact, many people around the world have obtained Estonian
electronic identities through this policy, and the most applicants are from
Finland, Russia, and the United States. This is an excellent way to do business
with the EU without leaving the country.
The virtual national application process is very simple, all you need is your passport and $120. After applying online, the ID card can be obtained at the Estonian consulate in Beijing, and the pass rate can basically reach 100%.
The Estonian government plans to use this method to allow the world
to do business with the EU centered on Estonia, thereby building a digital
trade center and increasing fiscal revenue for its own country.
It is believed that with the deepening of the digitalization process in the future and the continuous development of technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, the Internet of Things and blockchain, Estonia's move will have more far-reaching significance.
e-Residency Estonia
First of all, many people may not know much about Estonia, so let's briefly introduce:
Estonia is located in northeastern Europe. Its territory consists of the mainland and 2,222 islands in the Baltic Sea. It faces the Baltic Sea in the west, the Gulf of Finland in the north, Lake Chud in the east, and borders Latvia and Russia in the south and east respectively. The total area is 42,388 square kilometers. Temperate continental humid climate. The country's main ethnic group, the Estonians, belongs to the Baltic Finns.
The country is currently a member of the Nordic Council, the European Union,
the Eurozone, the Schengen Area, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and
the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and is one of the
world's high-income economies. -- Wikipedia
Besides having over 50% forest cover and pleasant air
quality, Estonia has one key feature - the most advanced digital society in the
world.
Shortly after independence in the 1990s, Estonia embarked on
its own path to an internet powerhouse. All primary school students have been
taught programming from the age of 7, Internet access has been declared a basic
human right, and free Wifi coverage in most areas of the country has been
completed as early as 2002!
So far, 99% of government services, including voting,
business registration, tax filing, etc., can be completed online by residents
of Estonia without leaving home. In addition, Estonia has also given birth to
many Internet companies, including the well-known Skype, Hotmail and recently
TransferWise.
Electronic Citizenship (E-Resident) of Estonia
In 2014, Estonia became the first country to introduce an
electronic citizenship program (E-Residency):
Before explaining what Estonian e-citizen "is",
let's talk about what it "isn't":
Being an e-citizen does not affect your nationality
E-citizenship is not a right of residence and cannot be used
as a visa
- If you want to travel to Estonia, you still need to apply
for a Schengen visa
It is not a means of tax avoidance
- Although the tax rate is not high, Estonia is by no means a
tax haven
- In contrast, Estonia has a very good reputation and is
suitable for long-term stable development
What are the benefits of joining Estonian e-citizenship?
Simply put, you can register a regular Estonian company without visiting Estonia in person, and then you can operate 100% online without any geographical constraints. At the same time, you can open an Estonian bank account for overseas investments and transactions.
In addition, it is said that it can also be used for cryptocurrency transactions and withdrawals.
Company registration is also the main reason why most people join E-Residency.
Owning an Estonian company has some unique advantages:
- Low start-up costs
- Only €190 to register a company
- Share capital can be deferred. Although it is stipulated that the minimum share capital is €2,500, you may not invest at first, and then make up for it gradually (in contrast, your company cannot pay dividends until all the share capital is invested).
Be careful not to confuse registration fees
with share capital. Equity is the money that belongs to your company, and after
you have invested it in your company, you can freely use the money to run your
business.
0% tax on revenue in Estonia
- Estonia's tax system is unique. Businesses do not need to
pay tax when they generate profits, and only pay tax when they distribute
profits.
- That is, as long as the money you earn is still in the
company's account, it is 0% tax. You can use the money to continue investing,
of course, to buy electronic equipment or software, or even book flights and
hotels - as long as you are going to "meet clients."
High reputation
- Estonia belongs to the EU and your company also has
credibility as an EU business.
So whether it is for digital nomads, freelancers, or people
engaged in Internet entrepreneurship, international trade, and blockchain
transactions, becoming an Estonian e-citizen is quite attractive.
Simple application process
The application process for Estonian e-citizenship is simple.
First, please have 2 things ready: passport and €120 (Visa/MasterCard).
Estonian e-residency program is plagued by cryptocurrency fraud
The Estonian e-residency scheme has come under the radar of local regulators, as foreign residents who gain remote access to Estonia’s digital infrastructure through the e-residency scheme are being linked to a number of cryptocurrency frauds.
The crypto-friendly country was at the center of a $220 billion money-laundering scandal. In response to the scam, Estonian regulators immediately revoked the licenses of more than 500 crypto companies.
Today, only 353 companies in Estonia have crypto licenses, compared to 1,234 companies with licenses at the end of 2019. While the scandal has done enough damage to Estonia’s digital progress, participation in crypto scams through the e-resident scheme is expected to further deteriorate Estonia’s reputation.
As Estonia pushes its digital expansion, 'borders become
meaningless once electronic residency is in place'
Estonia's e-Residency programme announced today, driving more
applicants from more distant parts of the world by adding ID pickup points in
Singapore, Bangkok, São Paulo and Johannesburg.
These additional locations reflect the need to serve the
growing number of applicants and their nearest digital nomad hubs in major
cities in the region, notably Medellin, Colombia, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil, Chiang Mai, Thailand, and Bali, Indonesia.
Established procedures, even through a pandemic
The e-Residency programme broke new ground in 2014 as Estonia
was one of the first EU countries to allow non-residents, non-citizens to apply
for official government status. As an EU member state, this actually allows
non-EU residents to establish trade links in the largest economic bloc with
just a few mouse clicks and low start-up costs.
Then came COVID-19, and suddenly several countries around the
world followed suit and implemented digital government services. Still, Estonia
remains a powerhouse in this area, and digital provisioning is a core
requirement for all government communications.
In the E-Residence 2.0 White paper, published in December 2018, Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid made 49 proposals to further improve infrastructure and services, boost the growth of e-residence, and help fund an estimated 5-10 million digital tours Pastoralists provide services, even remote workers who do not yet realize they are digital nomads.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, e-residence is thriving among digital nomads.
Kristi Sit - Estonian brand
In today's statement, however, President Kaljulaid said: "While the global pandemic has limited our ability to travel, work and do business across borders, it has also accelerated digital transformation among governments, businesses and freelancers.
As more and more people choose to live and work rather than stay in one place, there is a growing need for a locationless digital toolbox to support them.
As the world's "first
digitally transformed country, Estonia is pleased to welcome More freelancers,
entrepreneurs, business owners and location independent workers from all over
the world join our e-residency program. "
Lauri Haav, managing director of e-Residence, put it bluntly: "Once you have e-residence, boundaries are meaningless" is the key message.
He added: "We are very excited about announcing new
access points in Africa, South America and Asia. Expanding our digital and
physical network and empowering the enterprise has always been a priority for
us and this rollout has taken place. For a while. Entrepreneurs, business
owners and freelancers from all over the world have a lot to offer, and we hope
that making the process of joining e-residency easier will encourage more of
them to choose us and help their companies grow."
Statistics
The program crossed its 80,000th e-resident, according to its public dashboard last week. But interestingly, I had predicted that one or two countries would dominate the application, although I was happy to see otherwise.
The top 10 countries of nationality among e-residents are fairly
evenly distributed and they are: Finland, Russia, Ukraine, Germany, China, UK,
USA, India, France and Italy.
Men in the 26-45 demographic seem to dominate the list so far, with women making up only about 13 percent of all e-dwellers.
Males aged 26-35 are by far the most popular participants
Estonian Electronic landscape with other countries
While Estonia retains its first-mover advantage, it is not
the only country, including other EU member states, to allow the use of digital
signatures for official purposes.
The European Commission's regulation of Eidas - the core work of EU member states' digital infrastructure - indicates that at the time of writing, a total of 17 EU countries have been notified or pre-notified of compliance with the cross-border recognition process.
But actually, from my experience as a non-citizen dealing with at least 5 other EU countries, there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure a smooth user experience. Although the electronic environment is clearly changing rapidly for the better.
Is Estonia seeking to attract UK academics and businesses with E-Residency programme?
Estonia's E-Residency program, which allows foreigners to obtain digital IDs and set up local companies online without having to travel to Estonia, seeks to attract UK academia and markets that still want EU funding and markets after Brexit. enterprise.
Due to the ease of filing taxes and setting up a business under Estonian law, this program is currently very popular with technology companies. Since "Brexit" referendum, about 1,000 British citizens have applied for E-resident status, which costs as little as 100 euros, almost double the rate before the referendum. The E-Residency Program is designed to present Estonia's image as a digital nation, but it also provides additional tax benefits and other benefits if those who acquire E-Residency status subsequently use their ID to set up a company. Estonia aims to have 10 million E inhabitants by 2025.
A number of academic institutions in the UK have also tried to continue to apply for EU funding through the programme. Estonian officials are now considering whether the project could bring greater benefits to British citizens and businesses, such as retaining the right to "go through", allowing businesses to sell to customers across the EU through one member state. UK-based fintechs will be of particular interest.
Estonian e-citizenship project: you may need a passport to
become a global citizen
Estonian e-citizenship project: you may need a passport to
become a global citizen
Chapter 11 of the Bible, Old Testament, Genesis:
Humans have tried to cooperate to build the Tower of Babel
leading to heaven, but because God has given humans different languages, humans
have no way to communicate and cooperate, so the Tower of Babel project failed,
and humans have embarked on a long road of mutual understanding. .
Freedom must be a dream that everyone cannot escape. For
example, freedom of wealth, freedom of time, footsteps all over the world, and
by the way make some endless money.
Like a global citizen, go anywhere, live like a local, make
friends with the locals, and discuss with them about culture, education,
economy, entertainment, and everything about life, and you can do business
together.
If we say that in the past 10 years, the Internet has given
us a new world, completely changed our basic necessities, food, housing,
transportation, study and life, and new technologies will continue to grow on
their own as if they had grown their own lives, what does that mean?
The way of life in the future will be completely different
from the present.
With the upgrade of basic means of transportation and
communication equipment, and the development of new technology applications, we
will have a breakthrough in communication and transactions with people in any
city in the world. An ordinary person can easily call the world home, and more
It is easy to be and must be someone with an international perspective.
In different corners of the world, there are already so many
people living interesting lifestyles that I want or can't imagine, all of which
have fully aroused my curiosity.
If you have studied, worked and lived overseas for many
years, or you will be a trapeze in various countries and cities due to work
reasons, you must already have better basic conditions or better tools to deal
with the world.
I found a tool that should be more in line with the situation
where I have no overseas life experience, I live in a certain place all the
year round, and I hope that I don't need to make a big effort to relocate the
city, but I still want to do my business all over the world. people.
Here's a passport to becoming a citizen of the world:
Estonia's "e-citizenship" project.
In order to develop the economy and attract foreigners to
open companies and do business there, the Estonian government provides
"electronic citizen digital identity certificates" for non-citizens
to obtain Estonian electronic citizenship.
People with this status can use the Estonian government
system online, register companies online, sign documents and contracts with
digital signatures, manage companies remotely, open bank accounts in the
country to manage funds, and file company tax returns online.
But this is not proof of nationality, it does not have the
resident status of Estonia or the EU, it has no right of entry and residence,
it has nothing to do with personal outbound tourism and immigration, and it is
only used for business activities.
Where is Estonia?
She is a small Nordic country, facing Finland across the sea
to the north, bordering Russia to the east, and a country called Latvia to the
south.
Her capital is Tallinn, just across the sea from Helsinki,
the capital of Finland. There are direct flights from Chongqing to Helsinki.
After arriving, you can go to Tallinn on the other side of the sea to eat and
drink by taking a 2-hour boat, which is a good travel route. I heard that
prices in Tallinn are cheap, and Helsinki people also like to go shopping
across the sea on weekends and holidays, and eat, drink, and have fun.
Having said that, Helsinki people can buy discounted goods,
but what does Estonia have to do with us Chinese? What's the use of getting an
electronic identity certificate from their home?
I found three benefits!
(1) Quickly apply for a legal and valid overseas bank card
through the Internet
(2) Easy to open a low-cost international company without
geographical restrictions
(3) The tonality of this country is in line with the trend, a
digital republic without borders, a soil that is very suitable for the growth
of blockchain applications
(1) Quickly apply for a legal and valid overseas bank card
through the Internet
(2) Easy to open a low-cost international company without
geographical restrictions
(3) The tonality of this country is in line with the trend, a
digital republic without borders, a soil that is very suitable for the growth
of blockchain applications
First, get an overseas bank account
In the past, I have never lived or studied abroad, nor did I
have any transaction needs to exchange funds with overseas. Even if I do
overseas shopping or overseas shopping, I have to swipe my credit card and then
repay in RMB, and I have never felt that there is any problem.
However, starting this year, I have deeply realized how
painful it is to not have an overseas bank card. Either it is not like China
Merchants Bank, which requires a high threshold of 5 million, or it is not like
Minsheng Bank, which can only be handled in some cities in the north, the
deepest cities, or the only way to go to the bank in Hong Kong to handle it
on-site. For me, it is extremely inconvenient. For example, U.S. stock trading,
such as... (see the third point, the soil of the trend)
If you can get an overseas bank account just through the
Internet without leaving your home, it will definitely work in many places in
the future. This needs to be explored and tried. This is very attractive for
people who have not yet and are inconvenient to apply for overseas cards.
Second, start a low-cost international company
This electronic identity and its supporting remote management
services are very useful if you want to conduct business cooperation with
people in any corner of the world, and easily handle business, tax or capital
transactions.
Estonia is a country that integrates the EU, Euro and
Schengen areas. That is to say, as a Chinese working and living in China, I can
remotely open and manage a start-up company in the EU, Euro and Schengen areas.
There must be more room to play.
The picture comes from Baidu search
Third, the trend of soil
The entire e-Resident project is based on blockchain
technology. Estonian e-citizens can notarize documents on the blockchain
anywhere in the world.
The country will also launch a digital cryptocurrency called
estcoin in the name of the government, and crowdfunding will be conducted
through the national central bank, and estcoin will also be the official
currency of e-citizens.
It's a really interesting world.
At present, in China, you can only go to the Estonian Embassy
in Beijing to collect it. You will get the following blue box, which contains
three things: a card, a card reader, and a password paper.
👇👇👇👇👇
This heralds a new type of economy that has begun to
flourish.
No matter where you are in the world, whether you are in a
first-tier international city or a remote mountainous area in a third world
country, no matter what language you speak, no matter which passport you hold,
you all have the same real name in this economy Certified e-Resident, using
high technology to exchange wisdom for wealth.
So far, there have been 33,438 applicants from 154 countries
and 5,033 companies built on the e-Resident ecosystem. Including Pope Francis,
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Estonian President Kirsty, French President
Macron, angel investor Tim Draper and other elites, the entire Chinese-speaking
region (including Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore) has more than 1,800 members and
is currently In the rapid growth, it is expected that by the end of 2020, the
Chinese community will grow to 22,500 people.
Jack Ma's father said that Alibaba has made it easy to do
business in the world.
On Alibaba, small and micro enterprises in China and the
world can display their products and link global business partners more
conveniently. By analogy, the Estonian e-Resident project is an upgraded
version of "making the world easy to do business".
It differs in:
1. Can buy and sell more kinds of goods: This is not only the
blockchain version of Alibaba, but also the blockchain version of Facebook and
Linkedin. More digital information and services are defined as commodities for
trading;
2. It is easier to register a company: it is still an EU
company, and it does not operate remotely without geographical restrictions. As
long as there is an Internet, everything can be linked;
3. More convenient remote transaction supporting services:
enjoy the economic and trade policies that integrate the European Union, the
euro area, and the Schengen area, and more convenient third-party services such
as finance and taxation, so that businessmen can avoid unnecessary trouble and
focus on business. ;
4. Community economy with infinite power: To become an
e-Resident requires real-name authentication, biometric information collection
and payment, and a group of people who share common values, are curious about
the new world and are eager to work hard to become rich are screened out from
all over the world. It's easier and more fun to deal with.
1. Can buy and sell more kinds of goods: This is not only the
blockchain version of Alibaba, but also the blockchain version of Facebook and
Linkedin. More digital information and services are defined as commodities for
trading;
2. It is easier to register a company: it is still an EU
company, and it does not operate remotely without geographical restrictions. As
long as there is an Internet, everything can be linked;
3. More convenient remote transaction supporting services:
enjoy the economic and trade policies that integrate the European Union, the
euro area, and the Schengen area, and more convenient third-party services such
as finance and taxation, so that businessmen can avoid unnecessary trouble and
focus on business. ;
4. Community economy with infinite power: To become an
e-Resident requires real-name authentication, biometric information collection
and payment, and a group of people who share common values, are curious about
the new world and are eager to work hard to become rich are screened out from
all over the world. It's easier and more fun to deal with.
This development trend is irreversible, and this new type of
economy is thriving. As the sharer Hao Jie said in the opening video, human
beings have been walking on a long-term road of mutual understanding, and the
most effective mutual understanding is business Communication, we are
witnessing and can participate in the construction of this new road to the
Tower of Babel.
e-resident program
What is the use of Estonian e-resident status and what are the benefits?
Can register and open an EU company via Estonian e-residency:
With the help of Estonian e-residency you can easily register a an Estonian company online only, which will a n EU company.
Overseas bank accounts can be opened:
You can open a bank account in the most secure country in the world and the most electronic banking and financial industry, so that you have your own overseas bank account.
For Chinese people, with the continuous devaluation of China's RMB
and the tightening of foreign exchange policies, having an overseas account not
only allows you to effectively hedge assets, but also a shortcut to complete
overseas asset allocation. In short, if you want to buy a house abroad in the
future, investment, to avoid the devaluation of RMB assets, it will be much
more convenient to have an overseas account, and there will be no anxiety about
not having a personal overseas account or having no way to handle an account.
Safety:
Estonia is home to the NATO Cyber Security Defense Center, Estonian e-resident status allows you to sign documents and contracts with a digital signature, verifying the authenticity of digitally signed documents sent by others
Save time and trouble:
The fastest speed to complete the application for an electronic resident card and register a company, all company-related affairs can be operated online, without the need for the actual landing, convenient and fast.
How to register and open an EU company through Estonian e-residency?
To register and open an EU company via Estonian e-residency:
This is a rare opportunity for you to enter the EU. Your company can carry out various business activities in the name of an EU company overseas, covering the whole of the EU. In addition, taking Estonian e-resident status and opening an EU company is a shortcut to effective tax avoidance - not only are the circulation of goods within the EU all tax-free, but if the revenue is not used for dividends, there is no need to collect taxes. Estonia has signed double taxation treaties.
Is there a time limit for Estonian e-resident status?
Your electronic ID card is valid, and your electronic
resident ID is not limited by time. As long as you have no criminal record, you
can update your ID card after the validity period of your ID card expires.
Are overseas accounts safe?
Estonia belongs to the European Union and the Estonian
banking system is directly regulated by the European Central Banking System.
Estonia is also home to the NATO Cyber Security Defense Center.
Who is suitable for Estonian e-residency?
Engaged in: International traders, e-commerce people, financial industry, entrepreneurs, people who travel abroad frequently, people who plan to immigrate overseas or go abroad for education.
Finally, remind everyone to pay attention to card safety.
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