E-residency

What is e-residency?

The Republic of Estonia is the first country in the world to offer e-residency. Everyone has the opportunity to apply for the secure digital identity provided by the Estonian government – to gain secure access to digital services, to get anything and everything done digitally (sign all documents, launch and manage companies, do banking, encrypt files, etc.).

An Estonian e-resident is a foreigner for whom Estonia has created a digital identity and issued a digital identity card. The e-resident’s card is a state-issued digital document that can only be used in the electronic environment in order to identify the person and to give digital signatures.

You can find more information on e-residency on the homepage.

How to apply for an e-resident’s digital ID card?

The easiest way is to apply online.

While in Estonia, it is possible to apply for an e-resident’s digital ID card through the Police and Border Guard Board. You can find more information on the application procedure here.

Issue of an e-resident’s digital ID card

The application is processed by the Police and Border Guard Board, who will perform a background check and make a decision regarding the granting (or refusal) of the e-resident’s digital ID.

In the case of a decision to grant e-residency, the e-resident’s digital ID card, card reader and PIN codes will be sent to the place of issue, selected when the application was submitted.

The applicant will be notified as the ID-card reaches Portugal. The digital ID-card must be picked up personally at the embassy and the applicant must bring his or her passport.