How to Close an Estonian Company as an E-Resident

AT A GLANCE

• E-residents can complete the full voluntary liquidation of an Estonian company entirely remotely — using their e-resident digital ID card to sign every document electronically. No visit to Estonia is required.
• The legal procedure is identical to that for any other Estonian company: 8 steps, a mandatory 3-month creditor waiting period, final accounts, and a deletion application. E-residency changes how you sign and file, not what you must do.
• All key Estonian state portals — the e-Business Register, e-MTA, and Ametlikud Teadaanded — accept e-resident digital signatures and are fully accessible without being in Estonia.
• Bank account closure is the only step that may require coordination outside the standard digital portals. Most Estonian banks and EMIs accept remote closure by written request, but their specific requirements vary.
• If the company has a co-shareholder who is a non-resident without an e-resident ID, that shareholder cannot sign digitally and must use a notarised power of attorney. The e-resident shareholder is not affected by this.

SECTION 01 — The Digital Tools You Will Use

The three Estonian state portals that handle every step of the process

Three portals handle the formal liquidation filings. All three accept e-resident digital signatures and are accessible from anywhere in the world with an internet connection and a working e-resident ID card reader.

SECTION 02 — What You Can and Cannot Do Digitally

A clear split between fully digital steps and those requiring physical coordination

SECTION 03 — The Liquidation Process: E-Resident Specifics

All 8 steps, with e-resident-specific notes at each stage

The standard 8-step liquidation procedure applies in full. The notes below cover what is specific to e-residents at each stage.

Prepare the resolution document confirming the decision to dissolve and the appointed liquidator. Sign digitally using your e-resident ID card via DigiDoc4. If there are multiple shareholders, each signs in the way applicable to them — co-shareholders without e-residency must sign before a notary.

As an e-resident, you can act as your own liquidator if you are a shareholder or board member. The liquidator appointment record is signed digitally and submitted as part of the Business Register application. Alternatively, you can appoint a local Estonian accountant as liquidator — useful if you want someone with direct access to MTA and the Business Register on your behalf.

Log in to ettevotjaportaal.rik.ee using your e-resident ID card. Submit the liquidation entry application. Once processed, the company name gains the suffix “likvideerimisel” in the public register.

Log in to teadaanded.ee and publish the liquidation notice. This is a separate step from the Business Register filing. The date of publication on Ametlikud Teadaanded starts the 3-month creditor waiting period.

During the 3-month period, continue filing all tax declarations via e-MTA. Monthly TSD declarations must be submitted on schedule. If the company is VAT-registered, VAT returns continue until the VAT deregistration date.

Notify all known creditors in writing. For an e-resident company, known creditors typically include the company’s bank, any active service providers (hosting, accounting software, registered address provider), and any outstanding invoices. Email notification is generally sufficient for companies that operated entirely digitally.

Settle all outstanding debts and obligations. For most e-resident companies (small digital businesses with no physical assets), this phase is relatively simple: cancel subscriptions, settle any remaining invoices, and ensure all tax accounts at e-MTA show zero balance.

The liquidator (whether you or an appointed accountant) prepares the closing liquidation balance sheet and a liquidator’s report. These are submitted to shareholders for approval. Sign the approval resolution digitally using your e-resident ID card.

Transfer any remaining balance to shareholders in proportion to their equity stake. Corporate income tax of 22% applies to distributions exceeding paid-in share capital — this must be paid to MTA before the distribution is made.

After the distribution, close all bank accounts and payment accounts. This is the one step that sits outside the standard state portals and requires direct contact with each bank or EMI.

Log in to ettevotjaportaal.rik.ee using your e-resident ID card. Submit the deletion application with the approved closing balance sheet, shareholders’ approval resolution, and the tax clearance certificate obtained from e-MTA. The state fee is €18.

Once the Business Register approves the application, the company is deleted from the register and ceases to exist. You will receive a confirmation via the portal. The entire final step can be completed in under an hour once all documents are ready.