Estonian officials want a few good netizens! The Baltic nation is offering official “e-Stonian” status — which comes with a dot es (.es) domain — to foreigners willing to part with £ 40 (US $63). Criminals need not apply.

Why Do Estonian Officials Want Online Businesses To “Set Up Legal Shop” In Estonia?

Is Estonia’s push for e-migrants a Borg assimilation campaign? Will “all your everything” belong to Estonia if you take them up on their e-migration offer?

According to experts, all e-migrants are safe in e-Stonia. The country just wants to attract tech investors. Who doesn’t. Estonia’s just taking it one step further and advertising.

E-Stonia: It’s Worth A Look. Really.

Truth be told, Estonia’s offer may be downright attractive to many businesses. A digital-friendly nation, the country’s policies are decidedly 21st century. For example:

• Estonia’s No-Prying Policy. “By law, the state may not ask for any piece of information more than once, people have the right to know what data are held on them and all government databases must be compatible, a system known as the X-road.”
• Digital Taxes. Estonia has an e-tax system that “takes less than an hour to file, and refunds are paid within 48 hours.”
• Wired Woodlands. That’s right, accessing WIFI in Estonia’s vast forests is not a problem.
• E-Everything. Estonians are so proud of their technological prowess that they sometimes refer to their nation as e-Stonia. Everything is “e” in Estonia. e-elections, e-taxes, e-police (maybe I was wrong about the Borg thing!?), e-healthcare, e-banking, and e-school.

(Besides, Estonians seem pretty chill.)

What you get as a business with Estonia e-migrant status:

• Estonia Bank Account
• Ability To Sign Documents Under That Country’s Laws
• Ability to Launch and Manage Estonian-Based Businesses From Abroad
• Ability to Encrypt Files

What You Won’t Get With An Estonian E-Migrant Card:

• Full Legal Residency
• Permanent Right of Entry
• Full Citizenship

Think Estonian e-migrant status may be beneficial for your startup? Get in touch with Kelly / Warner to explore your options.