Changes for owners of Estonian companies

A few innovations for owners of Estonian companies

…according to the law, which entered into force on February 1, 2023, legal entities in a foreign country must appoint a contact person and the term of their powers by April 30, 2023…

What does a contact person mean for business? 

A contact person is a marker for all Estonian legislative bodies that the company is operating (not only in financial statements) but also has a legal representative with whom it is possible to interact on all issues.

Having a legal office and a representative is a desirable must-have for the transparent operation of your business in Estonia.

I indicated a contact person during the registration

Suppose the contact person was appointed before 1.02.2023. In that case, you must apply to add the term of office of the contact person through the electronic business register by April 30, 2023. This can be done if you have an Estonian e-Residency certificate online through the online cabinet.

Or, if none of the board members can use an Estonian identity card, including an e-Residency card, mobile ID, or smart ID, to sign the electronic application to apply, then the application may be submitted by a notarized power of attorney or through a personal visit.

Essential points of the contact person’s application

• If only the term of office of the contact person is added or changed in the application, no state fee is paid.
• However, the state fee must be paid if a new contact person is added (or other information is changed).

Even if a contact person has already been appointed, but the term of office is added on April 30, 2023, the contact person will be automatically removed from the legal entity’s data.

What happens if you do not apply for a contact person? 

Generally, a contact person is optional for companies whose address is located in Estonia. If you have paid for the legal address service but have not applied for the extension of the contact person’s validity, this will not affect the company’s activities. 

Suppose the legal address of your business is located in another jurisdiction. In that case, the registrar may initiate a procedure for imposing a fine or deleting a legal entity without a contact person.

To get advice on prolonging the contact person, send a request through the form below or a message on Telegram/Viber, Whatsapp for consultations. Our working hours are 9:00-19:00 from Monday to Friday.