E-Resident's digital ID

Until the 2nd of March 2027 you are requested to upload a copy of your valid travel document as a file when applying for an e-Resident’s digital ID. The requirements for the travel document as well as the provided copy can be found here. Among other things you need to make sure that:

• your travel document is officially recognized as a valid travel document by the Republic of Estonia. You can check this using the official list of recognized documents: https://www.consilium.europa.eu/prado/en/prado-recognised-documents.html. If needed, confirm with the issuing authority or the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board whether the document type and version are accepted for identification and border‑crossing purposes.

• your travel document is valid for at least 2 more months from the date of submitting your e-Resident’s digital ID application. Check the expiry date and, if necessary, apply for a new travel document in your country of citizenship

Change in the requirements from the 2nd of March 2027 onward

Starting from the 2nd of March 2027 only biometric travel documents with a NFC chip (read & verify) and with supported Country Signing Certification Authority (CSCA) certificates will be accepted when applying for an e-Resident’s digital ID card.

The new requirement is due to changes in the application process that are based on the relevant legal amendments. Pursuant to Section 20⁹(1) of the Identity Documents Act, from the 2nd of March 2027 the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board will establish or verify the applicant’s identity on the basis of the personal data submitted with the application, including biometric data, and a valid foreign biometric travel document.

As a result, a remote biometric verification service, the EstID app, will be integrated to the application process. It will verify the authenticity and validity of the biometric travel document as well as capture and compare the applicant’s facial image and fingerprints. Furthermore, various security checks are applied during data capture, such as liveness detection, detection of injection and presentation attacks. This change enhances the security of the e-Residency program and contributes to risk mitigation.

The requirements listed above (travel document needs to be recognized by the Estonian Republic and needs to be valid for at least 2 more months from the date of submitting your application) will also still apply after the change.

Here are simple instructions on how to identify whether your document is biometric and if it has a NFC chip.

1. Look for the International Biometric Symbol

• Small rectangle with a circle (resembles a camera/chip).

• Usually on the bottom front cover of a passport; sometimes also on the data page.
• Adding the symbol to ID cards is not mandatory, so the absence of the symbol does not necessarily mean that the document is not biometric. Please note that ID cards are only accepted from citizens of European Union countries.
• If the symbol is present, the document is ICAO‑compliant and contains a contactless chip.

2. Check if the chip is readable (NFC) – make sure that the NFC reader of your phone is in working order and enabled

• Install a trusted app, e.g ReadID Me
• Open the app and scan the machine readable zone (text that usually contains arrows).
• Place the back of your phone flat against the document.
• If the app shows your digital photo and personal details, the chip supports NFC and works correctly.

Unfortunately, at the moment, it is not possible to easily check whether the Country Signing Certification Authority (CSCA) certificates are supported. You will be able to check once the new verification process is in place (2nd of March 2027) and you can use the official app.

FAQ

How do I know if my travel document(s) is biometric and if the certificates are supported?

We unfortunately are not able to tell whether your document has certificates that are supported until after the new verification process is in place. After then,you will be able to use an official app to check validity.

To find out if your documents are biometric, you can look for the International Biometric Symbol on your passport as instructed above. This symbol means your passport has a biometric chip. You can find the instructions above on how to check if the chip is readable and whether data can be extracted.

What do supported and not supported documents mean?

Supported documents are travel documents where a phone can read and extract the data stored on the chip and then verify the chip data is authentic and unchanged using the issuing country’s Country Signing Certification Authority (CSCA) certificates.

• Supported: biometric travel documents with chips that can be read and be verified using the issuing country’s Country Signing Certification Authority (CSCA) certificates.

• Not supported: travel documents that are not biometric or are only partially verifiable (not all data can be read, extracted and verified) and travel documents with Country Signing Certification Authority (CSCA) certificates that are not supported.

It is possible that the older generation of documents in your country of citizenship is not supported but the new generation is so in case you have a travel document that is about to expire, you can try applying for a new one and see if it has the necessary functions.

What must I do if I do not have a biometric travel document and my e-Resident’s digital ID is expiring, or if I wish to renew early to extend its validity and gain more time?

If your card is expiring, or you wish to renew ahead of time to extend your card's validity to gain more time (for example, to apply for a biometric passport if one is not yet available to you, or to wait for your country of citizenship to begin issuing biometric documents), you can initiate the renewal process earlier. If you choose to do so, please select "Other" as the reason for renewal on the application form and add a short explanation of why you are renewing earlier than required.

You can submit your application under the current conditions until the 26th of February 2027 at 4 PM (GMT +2). After that the application environment will go under maintenance and will be reopened with the new features on the 2nd of March 2027.

If my country of citizenship has recently started issuing biometric travel documents but I still hold a valid non‑biometric (older) document?

You must first apply for a new biometric passport or ID card in your country of citizenship before applying to renew your e‑Resident’s digital ID.

What happens if my country of citizenship is not moving towards issuing biometric travel documents?

You may issue a notarized power of attorney to a person who can perform the necessary company‑related activities on your behalf. There is a list of companies on the e-Residency Marketplace that offer Power of Attorney services.

You can also renew your e-Resident’s digital ID early to gain more time to offboard. You can submit your application under the current conditions until the 26th of February 2027 at 4 PM (GMT +2). After that the application environment will go under maintenance and will be reopened with the new features on the 2nd of March 2027.

What happens to my company when my e‑Resident’s digital ID expires and who cannot renew it under the new system?

If your Estonian e-Resident’s digital ID expires and you are unable to renew it, the company itself does not automatically disappear or lose its legal status. The company remains registered in the Business Register, and all legal obligations (such as annual reports, taxes, etc.) still apply.

To continue managing your and ensure compliance, a person (e.g., a service provider, a lawyer) should be appointed to carry out these legal obligations on the basis of a notarized power of attorney. If the company is no longer needed, it should be liquidated with the assistance of a qualified service provider.