You can apply for your e-Residency digital ID online through the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board (PBGB) application environment. This article answers most common questions about the application process, required documents, fees, and next steps.
If you are still considering whether e-Residency is right for you, see:
1. Before you apply
Prepare your documents
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Copy of your identity document
You will need to upload a clear colour scan or photo of your valid passport or EU identity card. You must bring the same document when collecting your e-Residency digital ID. See the PBGB's instructions for document copies.
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Digital passport photo
A recent colour digital passport photo (taken within the last six months) is required for processing, even though it will not appear on the card. You can take the photo at home or visit a photographer. See the PBGB's requirements for the passport photo.
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Motivation statement
Write a short statement explaining how you plan to use your e-Residency digital ID card and how your activities may contribute to Estonia. This is your chance to highlight the opportunities you see with the e-Residency.
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CV file or an online link
Provide information about your education and work experience.
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Credit card
The state fee for processing the application is €150. Payment must be made when submitting your application. Accepted card types are VISA and MasterCard.
Choose your pickup location
You need to collect your e-Residency digital ID card in person to verify your identity. Choose a pickup location that is closest to you or most easy to travel to. The pickup location is chosen during the application. Changing it later is possible but not encouraged, as it requires an additional fee and will delays delivery.
Most e-residents collect their card within 2-4 months after applying. See Application status and timeline for details. If there isn't a location nearby, check the Pickup location FAQ to plan ahead.
2. Apply online
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Create you account
Start your application in the PBGB application environment by creating an account with your e-mail. Use an email that will remain valid for at least the next 12 months, as it cannot be changed later. You will receive a one-time login link (valid for 60 minutes) to activate your account. No password is required.
You can find an FAQ for troubleshooting at the PBGB website, should it be needed.
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Fill out, save, and continue
Completing the application takes about 30-60 minutes. You can use a computer, tablet or mobile device, but some answers may require longer typing. You have 2 months to submit your application. To save progress, complete each page fully and click Save and proceed. Partially filled pages cannot be saved.
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Submit personally
In line with the Identity Documents Act, you must complete and submit your application yourself. Applications submitted through intermediaries (such as legal bureaus or service providers) are not accepted.
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Be thorough
Follow instructions carefully. Incomplete or incorrect applications may require additional checks and take longer to process.
3. Pay the state fee
- The state fee is €150, payable when submitting your application.
- Accepted card types: VISA and MasterCard (credit or debit). Ensure your card supports online and 3D Secure payments.
- No invoices are issued for this payment. You will receive a receipt by email.
- The state fee covers processing. It is non-refundable if your application is denied or not completed.
If you experience any troubles with the payment, see PBGB FAQ.
4. Track your application
The review process generally takes 30 calendar days, but PBGB may extend it if necessary.
You will receive email notifications from the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board and you can track progress in the same application environment.
If approved, your e-Residency digital ID is generally ready for collection within 2-5 weeks.
See Application status and timeline for details.
Tips for taking a passport-style photo at home
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Background and lighting
- Use a plain, light background.
- Ensure natural lighting, no shadows or overexposure.
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Taking the photo
- Ask someone else to take the photo.
- Face the camera directly, head straight, neutral expression.
- Your face should cover 70-80% of the photo.
- Take from the correct distance - cropping later reduces quality.
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Uploading
- Do not edit or filter the photo.
- Only .jpeg or .jpg formats are accepted.
- Size: 1-5 MB, minimum of 1300 x 1600 pixels.
NB!
Submitting a clear photo helps your application moce forward quickly. Poor-quality photos cause delays.
Corrections and cancellations
Change application details
After submission, data cannot be edited in the application environment. Contact PBGB directly at ppa@politsei.ee with your full name, date of birth, or application number, and they will forward your request to the issuing officer.
Change pickup location
Changing pickup location is possible but not recommended. It delays delivery and requires an additional fee. See Pickup location FAQ How to change your pickup location section for details.
Cancel application
Contact PBGB at ppa@politsei.ee as soon as possible. Include your full name and date of birth or application number. If cancellation is requested before processing begins, you may apply for a refund using the official form on the PBGB website.
Frequently asked questions
Application environment
Your account’s lifespan depends on whether you have already submitted your application. You have 2 months from the initial login (account activation) to submit your application. If you have not completed the application process within that period, the account will be deleted. If the application has been successfully submitted (i.e. the state fee has also been paid), the account will be valid for 12 months (from the initial login), thereafter it will be deleted.
You can delete your account by yourself at any moment, using the “Delete account” functionality in the application environment. Please note that once an application has been submitted, deleting the account in the application environment will not delete the data from the Police and Border Guard Board (PBGB) information systems or suspend the processing of the application.
Filling out application
Digital ID cards have two lines for the first name (15 + 15 characters) and one line for surname (28 characters). Please note that according to the Estonian Identity Documents Act § 91, section (2) if your first name is longer than 15 + 15 characters and your surname longer than 28 characters, the letters at the end of the name which cannot be supplied in the corresponding data fields shall not be written. The fields in the system do not allow for more characters.
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Example of a first name
FABRICE STÉPHANE PATRICE shall be written as FABRICE STÉPHANE PATRIC -
Example of a surname
MOHAMEDELBAGHIR ABDELMAHMOUD OSMAN shall be written as MOHAMEDELBAGHIR ABDELMAHMOUD
The letters that they do not have, are substituted with letters available.
A national identification number, national identity number or national insurance number is used by the governments of many countries as a means of tracking their citizens, permanent residents, and temporary residents for the purposes of work, taxation, healthcare and other government-related functions. This personal identification code generally appears on government-issued identity documents.
You can read more about identification numbers in different countries here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_identification_number
If your country does not have a personal identification code, please choose "Not applicable in my country of citizenship."
The identification documents accepted by the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board are passports or European Union identity cards. The document needs to be issued by your country of citizenship. Other documents are not accepted when applying for e-Residency. For example, if you are a citizen of a country x, but a resident of a country z, you will need to provide a document issued by country x.
The copy of your identity document must be in colour. Black and white copies are not accepted.
If you upload a copy of your ID card (EU citizens only), please be sure to upload copies of both sides of the document (front and back).
For security reasons, we are only able to issue e-Residency digital IDs from the official locations listed on the application. For your pickup location, you can choose a location from the list most convenient to travel to from your location.
Please note that a pick up of your e-Residency digital ID within another country does not provide you with the legal right to enter that country. Before you select a pickup location and submit your application, please verify you have the ability to enter the country and obtain any necessary travel visa.
Note, once your e-Residency digital ID has arrived to a pickup location, you will need to collect it within 6 months.
State fee payment
There are several reasons why your payment might fail:
- your bank does not authorise the payment;
- the card you are using for the payment does not support 3D Secure payments;
- you have made several payment attempts from the same IP address at short intervals, and the payment service provider has temporarily blocked you;
- your Internet connection is not sufficient and/or your browser settings are blocking the payment;
- the service of the payment service provider is experiencing difficulties.
In the first two cases, please contact your bank. Alternatively, you may ask someone else to make the payment for you. In the rest of the cases, please wait a while and try again. You might also try deleting your browser’s search history and cookies.
If the payment still fails, please contact the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board at ppa@politsei.ee and be sure to provide at least the following information in your e mail:
- the browser that you used
- the operating system that you used
- when and how many times in a row you attempted to make the payment.
After submission
The processing of applications is electronic. If the official processing your application needs to clarify details or pass on important information, they will contact you via email.
Please make sure that the email address you provide in the application form is valid and check your emails regularly so that you do not miss communications from the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board official.
Please note the emails might go to your spam folder, so it's advisable to check your spam folder during the application process.