Due to unforeseen circumstances, some e-Residency pickup locations operated by an external service provider were closed at the end of May.
The pickup locations affected are:
- Bangkok (Thailand)
- São Paulo (Brazil)
- Pretoria (South Africa)
- Tokyo (Japan)
- Singapore
All e-Residency kits dispatched to these locations have been sent back to Estonia in order to be dispatched to new pickup locations. We are working together with the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board (PBGB) to ensure all digital IDs reach e-residents as quickly and smoothly as possible. If your digital ID has been affected by this situation, the PBGB will reach out to you with more information and guidelines as soon as possible. If you have not already received a notification regarding this situation from the PBGB, please make sure to check your inbox’s spam folder. If you have not received an email from PBGB, please reach out to ppa@politsei.ee immediately.
E-residents who were expecting to collect their digital ID cards at affected locations before the end of May 2023
What happens next?
We are working together with the PBGB to ensure all digital IDs reach e-residents as soon as possible. If you were directly affected by the closure of these locations, you should have already received an email from Estonia’s Police and Border Guard Board. If you have not, please reach out to ppa@politsei.ee.
Where is my card?
All digital IDs affected by this have been shipped back to Estonia. These cards will then be re-dispatched to the affected e-residents’ chosen pickup location. Although we have no way of making accurate predictions on when your card may arrive at your new pickup location. We are doing our best to ensure that every e-resident is contacted individually and all digital IDs are delivered as quickly as possible.
How long do I have to find an alternative pickup location?
We are working hard to find a suitable solution for all e-residents whose digital IDs are affected by this and PBGB will update you about the process. If you have not yet received an e-mail, please contact the Police and Border Guard Board at ppa@politsei.ee as soon as possible.
What if my card expires before I receive a new ID?
You will need to follow the standard renewal process and request that your new digital ID card be sent to an active pickup location. Information regarding the renewal process can be found here.
Before your e-Residency digital ID card expires, you can also download and set up the Smart-ID app that allows mobile authentication. The Smart-ID app does not depend upon the expiration date of your card but in order to apply for Smart-ID, you will need to have a valid e-Residency digital ID. Your Smart-ID account is valid for 3 years. If you use Smart-ID, you will be able to continue logging in to and using some Estonian e-services, including the e-Business Registry, at least until you can collect your new card.
Please note that Smart-ID is a product provided by SK ID Solutions, which is an organisation independent of the Estonian Government. E-Residency has no responsibility if some government services are not available or do not work with SmartID. Please direct any support queries directly to Smart-ID.
E-residents who would like to collect their new card in these locations in the future
When will these pickup locations be open again?
These pickup locations will remain closed until further notice. However, we are currently working on alternative ways to deliver e-Residency digital ID cards to these locations. Our goal is to resume service at these locations and potentially add new pickup locations as soon as possible.
My closest pickup location is too far, what’s the alternative?
Unfortunately, you will need to travel to an active pickup location. You can find the list of active locations on the e-Residency website.
Will any other pickup locations close?
No, we do not foresee any other currently available pickup locations becoming unavailable.
Can I be the new external service provider to replace the previous external service provider?
The e-Residency digital IDs are distributed through pickup locations that are either select Estonian embassies or pickup locations specifically organised by a publicly procured service provider who offers their service through a public procurement contract. As the e-Residency programme is a government institution, it is not within our power to collaborate with individual service providers, and all such arrangements must be done according to the Estonian Public Procurement Act.
Who can I contact about the current situation?
If you have any questions regarding the delivery of digital IDs affected by this, please contact the Police and Border Guard Board directly at ppa@politsei.ee.
What if I have questions about the pickup process in general?
Please visit our Pickup location FAQ page here.