Citizens of Russia and Belarus will no longer be able to obtain Estonian e-residency

On March 8, the Estonian government decided to suspend the registration of Russian and Belarusian citizens as e-residents of Estonia, not to consider applications for registration that have already been received, and to take closer control of registered e-residents among citizens of Russia and Belarus.

The aim of such a step is to prevent the use of e-resident status in Estonia to circumvent sanctions, the government's press service said.

"We do not want to contribute in any way to creating benefits for the states that started the war against Ukraine. We do not want to allow the illegal transfer of money or assets and in any other way to damage Estonia's reputation and economy, as well as the EU's legal and cyberspace. We also do not want the opportunities offered by Estonia to be used maliciously to support the aggression against Ukraine," said Interior Minister Christian Jaani.

According to the decision, the acceptance of new applications for registration by e-residents of Estonia from citizens of the Russian Federation and Belarus is suspended, and the already submitted applications will be denied. Previously issued e-resident certificates will continue to be valid, but their holders will be closely monitored with the possibility of revoking e-resident status if necessary.