Although it emerged almost a decade ago, the e-Residency program is becoming increasingly popular today. The idea is to offer virtual citizenship to anyone who wants to do business remotely in Estonia.

In fact, thousands of people around the world have already invested in the program and many ended up moving to the country whose population is equivalent to 20% of the capital of São Paulo. But size is not a document and the local government has a lot to offer!

In this sense, starting a business in Estonia can be less bureaucratic than opening your business in Brazil, in addition to having friendlier taxes. Many companies have even managed to obtain large contributions from foreign investors.

Therefore, if you want to work remotely and have a good company idea, it's worth checking out e-Residency and getting your virtual citizenship in Estonia. Want to know how it works? So see more details below.

In force since 2014, e-Residency is a program that will function as a digital identity for undertaking in Europe. Still little known in Brazil, it is an opportunity to open your online business within the EU.

In fact, the entire program is offered by the Estonian government itself as a virtual citizenship, so don't worry as it is completely reliable. Interested entrepreneurs will actually open a “European CNPJ”.

Through it, they will be able to carry out transactions with European companies and transactions in euros without paying exchange fees. Furthermore, they can receive contributions from foreign investors and taxes are still friendly.

Currently, there are more than 100 thousand foreign remote entrepreneurs who have opened their businesses in Estonia. In total, there are more than 170 different nationalities taking advantage of this unique opportunity to have a company in Europe.

It may seem like a distant dream, but the Estonian government makes the virtual citizenship process in the country very easy. Generally speaking, interested parties must fill out an online form and pay some fees.

This way, it is possible to have a remote company with less bureaucratic functioning than in Brazil! However, remember that e-Residency is only for online business and does not give you the right to move freely around Europe, ok?

Furthermore, the tax rates will be directed to the country itself and are not high, just 20% on the distributed capital. That is, if you pay dividends or financial reward to investors.

Now if your capital is reinvested in the company itself, the Estonian government will not charge taxes. The ideas range from public management solutions to platforms for online classes. So be creative!

Even if you cannot get foreign investors, you can prosper with your business in Estonia through e-Residency virtual citizenship. After all, you will be able to have foreign clients and your company's revenue will be in euros.

Plus, you can work from anywhere in the world! So, even if you don't have an Estonian visa, you can stay in Brazil with a startup that has the distinction of operating within the European Union!

Although it can make it easier to open your business online in the country, the Estonian government does not offer any type of special visa for those who have virtual citizenship of Estonia. In other words, you will not be able to come and go freely.

Furthermore, you will need to have a small investment amount to pay the fees for opening your company in Estonia in addition to having your valid passport on hand. So, analyze carefully before choosing e-Residency.

If you are interested in having your e-Residency to own a company within the European Union, know that the process is not as bureaucratic as it seems. Furthermore, everything will be issued directly by the Estonian government.

In other words, you don't need to worry as the program is safe and reliable. See a simplified step-by-step guide below and start planning to take your business to Estonia and have a foreign startup!

Just like any other program, some documents will be required when filling out the online form. In fact, you will also have to scan some of them to attach to your process on the official website.

Therefore, it is interesting to plan in advance to have everything at hand when requesting to open a company on e-Residency. The documents to obtain your virtual citizenship in Estonia include:

Well, those interested in having their virtual citizenship in Estonia should access the official e-Residency website and click on “Apply now” and then on “Join e-Residency”. They must then fill out the form and attach the documents.

Finally, they must pay the fee of around 120 euros via credit card and wait for the response, which should arrive via email and takes 6 to 8 weeks. Remembering that the fee is non-refundable regardless of the result!

If your application has been approved, you should receive an Estonian virtual citizenship kit. In fact, when filling out the form you will be able to choose the best location to collect your kit if approved.

Then, head to the chosen location to pick up your digital certificate and a USB reader. Finally, you will have to pay another fee of 265 euros to register your company in Estonia!

As you can see, it is completely possible to open your company in Estonia on your own. However, if you prefer, there are specialized companies that can help you fill out the forms correctly.

In other words, all the bureaucracy is up to them. Companies like Facilite and Xolo are good options if you still feel insecure. Now, if you are going to travel to Estonia, remember that e-Residency digital citizenship is not a visa!

In fact, did you know that this year ETIAS, the new authorization form for entry to Europe, will come into effect this year? Although it's simple, you need to ask in advance to avoid any setbacks at immigration! See how to request.