What is the indicative cost?

From US$ 4,500 + government fees. The lower bound is for clean, standard profiles; the upper bound is for complex ownership structures, multi-jurisdiction projects or regulated activity. A fixed quote follows a 30-minute scoping call.

Do I need to be physically present in Estonia?

In most cases, no. The entire process runs remotely under a notarised power of attorney. A handful of jurisdictions require an in-person visit (typically biometrics for a residence permit) — we plan those as efficiently as possible.

Do you handle the follow-on — banking, tax, compliance?

Yes. Every project is built so the same desk that runs this service takes on ongoing banking, monthly bookkeeping, annual filings and compliance. No hand-off to another provider.

What if my situation isn't standard?

Non-standard situations — complex ownership chains, regulated activity, exits from high-tax jurisdictions, existing structures — are the norm for us, not the exception. We scope in 30 minutes before issuing a quote.

Who actually does the work — partners or account managers?

Every project is led by a named partner. Senior staff handle the filings. Administrative tasks (delivery, courier, calendar) sit with junior staff. The partner remains the single point of contact across all eight practices.

Does tax residency change automatically?

No. Tax residency is determined by domestic tests in the origin and destination country, not by visa status. We coordinate the visa and tax sides specifically to keep the position consistent.

Founder visa in Estonia | INNOVA Consulting Group

▸ About this service

What is founder visa in Estonia?

Founder visa is one of 6 parts of our “Immigration & Relocation” practice. It covers the full cycle from initial scoping to operational launch, run by a single named partner from our Estonia desk.

What it is in Estonia: canada SUV · UK Innovator · Estonia. e-Residency moves all administration into a remote format. Crypto-asset licensing has been reformed — the requirements are now substantially stricter, but the routes exist.

▸ In detail

How we handle founder visa

The “Founder visa” project in Estonia is structured as a 4-stage process run by a single named partner.

Entrepreneur visas, employment passes, investor residency — sequenced with the corporate setup so neither blocks the other.

The same desk that runs founder visa handles your banking, bookkeeping, compliance and — where needed — your wind-down.INNOVA · Operating model

▸ Jurisdiction

Why Estonia

Estonia is a digital state with one of the most convenient corporate systems in the EU: e-Residency for remote management, deferred corporate tax (payable only on distributed profit), and an EU passport for your structures. One of our priority hubs for crypto projects and European operating companies.

▸ 01 · Advantage

A reliable regulatory environment

e-Residency moves all administration into a remote format. Crypto-asset licensing has been reformed — the requirements are now substantially stricter, but the routes exist.

▸ 02 · Advantage

Banking ecosystem

LHV, SEB, Swedbank — realistic onboarding from 2 weeks with the right document pack. We know exactly what each bank needs so you don't get a rejection.

▸ 03 · Advantage

Corporate tax 22% on distribution (the 22/78 mechanism, from 01.01.2025; 0% on retained profit)

The real tax position depends on the structure — we model it before registration.

▸ 04 · Advantage

INNOVA desk on the ground

Tallinn · partner office · since 2017

▸ Why us

Why INNOVA

Operational differences that hold up on the 2nd, 5th and 10th project — not just at first impression.

01

One partner — the whole cycle

Registration, banking, tax, compliance, immigration — run by one team from start to finish.

02

14 years of practice

Working since 2012 through several regulatory cycles — including FATCA/CRS, the tightening of banking, and the introduction of UAE CT.

03

Regulator-grade documentation

Every output document is ready for audit and investor scrutiny — whatever the size of the deal.

04

Multi-jurisdiction within the group

Cross-border work is handled inside the group — no chain of external subcontractors.

▸ Process

How the work is structured

A 4-stage process led by a single named partner — from the intro call to the operational hand-over.

01

Route assessment

Routes and realistic timelines

▸ Result: Selection of the optimal route

3 daysStep 1 of 4

02

Document gathering

Certificates, financial documents and references

▸ Result: Document-pack assembly

2–4 weeksStep 2 of 4

03

Submission

Filing with the embassy or online

▸ Result: Application preparation

1 weekStep 3 of 4

04

Decision and relocation

Approval, biometrics, entry and settling in

▸ Result: Submission and ongoing handling

1–6 monthsStep 4 of 4

▸ Information exchange

What we need from you · what you get from us

What we need from you to begin, and what you receive on completion.

▸ From you

What we need

→

Passport + biographical dataall family members
Education + qualificationswhere the route requires
Police clearance certificatesper jurisdiction
Financial evidenceto thresholds
Health and insurancewhere required

▸ From us

What you receive

↓

Visa / residence permitissued
Resident cardbiometric
Tax-residency application supportdocumented
Family-member visaslinked
Renewal calendarset up

▸ Engagement formats

Four ways to work together

We don't quote a fixed price without understanding your situation — cost depends on the complexity of your case. Start with a free call, then we pick the right format.

M/01

Intro call

A 30-minute online consultation. We discuss your situation, define the project scope, and propose a structure and timeline. Free.

30 min · freeBook →

M/02

Written analysis

A written consultation with a full review of the business — tax positioning, structure options, jurisdiction comparison, banking path. Turnaround: 5 business days.

5 b.d. · on requestRequest →

M/03

Operating roadmap

For complex situations — multi-jurisdiction structures, regulated activity, founder relocation. A full plan with stages, dependencies, deliverables and timing.

2–4 wks · on requestRequest →

M/04

Direct execution

You know what you need — we execute. No advisory mark-up and no discovery phase.

2–8 wks · on requestStart →

▸ About cost We don't work at dumping rates and we don't publish a fixed price list — every project is scoped individually. The exact price is quoted after the intro call, usually within 24 hours.

▸ Questionnaire

Fill in the questionnaire

Complete the online questionnaire: it creates your account on the portal, where your structure, renewal reminders and documents will live.

Fill in the questionnaire

4 steps · creates an INNOVA portal account · 24h review.

▸ Online · ~5 min

→

▸ INNOVA portal · what you get

Once you submit the questionnaire we create a portal account. Inside: your live structure, a renewals calendar (annual returns, register updates, tax filings), a document vault (certificates, share register, bank letters), a partner chat and project status. A single place for your entire operational life.

▸ Client review

From a client

A review from a client who went through a comparable project. Verified, the engagement is ongoing.

After two failed launches with other providers, INNOVA set up our Estonian OÜ, EMI partnership and treasury in nine weeks. The compliance pack was so clean it became the template for our next two markets.

EE

SaaS co-founder

Tallinn, Estonia · name under NDA

▸ Sector

SaaS / Treasury

▸ Project

TLL · 9 mo · ongoing

▸ Status

Anonymised · ongoing

▸ FAQ

Frequently asked questions

The questions we're asked most often. If yours isn't here, an intro call is the fastest way to get an answer.

Most “Founder visa” projects in Estonia run from 2 to 8 weeks start to finish. The fastest stage is document filing; the longest is post-registration onboarding (banking, tax registration). A single named partner runs the project throughout.