Nikolai Timofejev
15 years in FinTech and payments. Maps your business model to the right licence scope and leads the file all the way to the FI decision, including banking and payment rails.
Get an investment license in Estonia.
The e-state's investment licence, filed from our home market: authorisation from Finantsinspektsioon under the Securities Market Act - portfolio management, advice, order handling and dealing on IFD capital from €75,000, a €1,000 administrative fee, statutory decision clocks of two to six months, and 0% corporate tax while profits stay in the business.
27 yrs
on the international marketon the market
60+
in-house specialistsspecialists
400+
Licenses obtainedlicenses obtained
Updated
Estonia in brief
Statutory clocks for the asset business.
Estonia authorises investment firms the way it runs everything - digitally, on deadlines written into law. Finantsinspektsioon licenses under the Securities Market Act across the MiFID service set: investment advice, reception and transmission, execution, discretionary portfolio management and dealing, on the IFD capital tiers of €75,000, €150,000 and €750,000. The administrative economics are the union's leanest - a €1,000 fee for the authorisation, and the statute binds the supervisor's diary: decisions within two months of a complete file, never later than six from application, with the fifteen-point documentation list defining exactly what complete means.
For the investment business specifically, the corporate system is the quiet weapon: 0% tax on retained profits means a manager's fee income compounds untaxed while the firm reinvests in team and platform, with the 22/78 charge falling only on distribution. Add e-Residency-grade administration, EU passporting into thirty states and the credibility of a jurisdiction whose register carries international retail brokers, and Estonia becomes the rational base for boutique managers, advisory houses and family-office platforms that want European standing without southern-cluster overheads. Prifinance is headquartered in Tallinn - this file is our home craft, drafted minutes from the supervisor that reads it.
The e-state's investment licence: FI authorisation under the Securities Market Act - IFD tiers €75k/€150k/€750k, €1,000 fee, statutory 2-6 month clock, fifteen-point file, EU passport on grant.
0% tax while profits compound - the boutique manager's system. Filed from our own Tallinn headquarters.
The two builds
The management and advisory firm - or the dealer.
One authorisation, IFD-tiered: advisory and portfolio-management firms at €75,000-€150,000, dealing firms at €750,000. We fix the service set first, then build once.
The advisory/management firm - or the €750k dealer.
01 - ADVISORY · MANAGEMENT FIRM
The asset-side firm
The wealth permissions: advice, order handling and discretionary management - €75,000 without client assets, €150,000 with. On the statutory clock, passported across the union.
The wealth permissions: advice, order handling and discretionary management - €75,000 without client assets, €150,000 with. On the statutory clock, passported across the union.
- ✓Advice · RTO · execution
- ✓Discretionary portfolio management
- ✓€75,000 - no client assets
- ✓€150,000 - general tier
- ✓EU passport into 30 states
- ✓0% tax while profits compound
02 - DEALING FIRM
€750,000 own fundsThe dealing firm
The market-facing model: dealing on own account at €750,000 own funds with the IFD prudential stack. The full-spectrum firm on the same statutory clocks and the same passport.
Dealing on own account at €750,000 with the IFD stack. Same statutory clocks, same passport, upgrade path built in.
- ✓Dealing on own account
- ✓€750,000 own-funds floor
- ✓K-factor prudential machinery
- ✓Same 2-6 month statutory clock
- ✓Same 30-state passport
- ✓Upgrade path from lighter tiers
Costs and timelines are confirmed for your case before any work begins. The state fee is €1,000; capital, people and substance are itemised in your quote.
Why Estonia
The lean-file jurisdiction for managers.
Estonia prices European licensing in statutory clocks, digital administration and a tax system built for compounding.
✓
Statutory decision clocks
Two months from completeness, six maximum. The supervisor's diary is written in the statute, not in service aspirations.2-6 months, in law.
✓
€1,000 entry fee
The union's leanest administrative ticket. The budget goes to capital and people, where it belongs.Leanest EU ticket.
✓
0% on retained profits
Fee income compounds untaxed while the firm reinvests. The corporate system every boutique manager wishes it had.Compound untaxed.
✓
Digital-state administration
E-filings, digital signatures and API-grade state systems. Running a regulated firm here costs hours, not headcount.Hours, not headcount.
✓
A register with names
International brokers chose Estonian authorisation for EU bases. The register carries recognisable weight.Carries real weight.
✓
Our headquarters
Prifinance files from Roseni 13, Tallinn. Home market, home language, supervisor minutes away.Roseni 13, Tallinn.
How it compares
How Estonia differs from other routes.
The comparison that matters: statutory speed and compounding tax against the practised south and dialogue-first neighbours.
Estonia vs other jurisdictions
| Feature |  Estonia | Other jurisdictions |
|---|---|---|
| Decision clock | 2-6 months statutory | Open-ended reviews |
| State fee | €1,000 | €5k-£30k spread |
| Tax while building | 0% retained | Headline rates from day one |
| Capital | €75k-€750k IFD tiers | Same tiers, other terms |
Decision clock
Estonia2-6 months statutory
Other jurisdictionsOpen-ended reviews
State fee
Estonia€1,000
Other jurisdictions€5k-£30k spread
Tax while building
Estonia0% retained
Other jurisdictionsHeadline rates from day one
Capital
Estonia€75k-€750k IFD tiers
Other jurisdictionsSame tiers, other terms
Country by country
| Country | License type | Taxation | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estonia | Investment firm - FI | 0% retained · 22/78 | IFD tiers, statutory clock |
 Lithuania | FBF licence - LB | 16% CIT | IFD tiers, single regulator |
 Latvia | IBS licence | 0% retained · 20/80 | IFD tiers, no state fee |
 Cyprus | CySEC CIF | 12.5% · 15% large | IFD tiers, practised cluster |
EstoniaLicense typeInvestment firm - FI
Taxation0% retained · 22/78
RequirementsIFD tiers, statutory clock
LithuaniaLicense typeFBF licence - LB
Taxation16% CIT
RequirementsIFD tiers, single regulator
LatviaLicense typeIBS licence
Taxation0% retained · 20/80
RequirementsIFD tiers, no state fee
CyprusLicense typeCySEC CIF
Taxation12.5% · 15% large
RequirementsIFD tiers, practised cluster
Before you apply
Requirements for the Estonian authorisation.Requirements for authorisation.
Finantsinspektsioon's clock runs from a complete file. The fifteen-point list defines complete. The checklist below is what a passing application contains.
01
Estonian company. An AS or OÜ with genuine management in Estonia.
02
Own funds - €75,000, €150,000 or €750,000 by service set, evidenced and sourced.
03
Fit-and-proper managers. Board members with investment-business records, assessed individually.
04
Transparent ownership. Qualifying holdings vetted to UBO level.
05
Three-year business plan. Services, client base and financials the supervisor can interrogate.
06
The fifteen-point file. Articles, internal rules, accounting policies and procedures per the Act's list.
07
Client-asset arrangements. Segregation and safeguarding where the service set holds them.
08
Prudential machinery. IFD capital and reporting computations live from day one.
09
AML/CFT programme. Estonian law compliance with a named MLRO.
10
Substance. A real Tallinn operation the supervisor can visit.
01
Estonian company, run locally.
02
Own funds per IFD tier.
03
Fit-and-proper board.
04
Holdings to UBO level.
05
Three-year business plan.
06
Fifteen-point file complete.
07
Client assets safeguarded.
08
Prudential machinery live.
09
AML with named MLRO.
10
Substance FI can visit.
Reflects the Securities Market Act and IFR/IFD as of 2026. Applications run through the FI portal.Securities Market Act + IFR/IFD, as of 2026.
How it works
From first call to the FI register.
01
Service set and tier
The set, capital tier and client map. Fixed in writing before any drafting.Tier fixed in writing.
02
Company and people
Estonian entity, capital evidence and the board the supervisor assesses.Board assessable.
03
The application
The fifteen-point file complete at filing. The two-month clock started properly.Complete - clock starts.
04
FI review
Question rounds answered from our Tallinn headquarters. Decision within the statutory window.Statutory window.
05
Licence and passporting
Register entry, EEA notifications, banking live. Thirty markets on the e-state's rails.Union open.
Quick facts
RegulatorFinantsinspektsioon
State fee€1,000
Advisory tier€75,000
General tier€150,000
Dealing tier€750,000
Decision clock2-6 months
Passport30 EEA states
Tax0% retained · 22/78
The statutory clock runs from a complete file. Filing complete on day one is the entire strategy, and our home craft.
At home in Tallinn
Licensed from our own headquarters.
Prifinance - Estonia
Tallinn · Headquarters
Roseni 13, Tallinn
01
Company and capital
Estonian entity and capital structured to the service set. The corporate layer built for authorisation.Built to the set.
02
The FI file
The fifteen-point documentation set drafted in-house at headquarters. Complete on day one, because completeness starts the clock.Drafted at headquarters.
03
People and substance
Board members, compliance and MLRO sourced from our home market. Substance minutes from our own door.Home-market bench.
04
Passporting and launch
EEA notifications, banking and custody sequenced with authorisation. The union open from Tallinn.30 states at launch.
We also have offices in
Vilnius
Lithuania
Gedimino pr. 2
Prague
Czech Republic
Vlkova 532/8, Žižkov
Dubai
UAE
33 Level, Al Saqr Business Tower
London
United Kingdom
7 Bell Yard
Madeira
Portugal
Rua da Alegria 31, 1F
Budapest
Hungary
Korányi Sándor u. 4
Istanbul
Turkey
Perpa Ticaret Merkezi, A Blok
Good to know
Taxation of investment firms in Estonia.
The distributed-profit system was made for asset managers. Nothing while you compound, 22/78 when you take.
0% on retained profits
Fee and performance income compounds untaxed while the firm reinvests in team, platform and buffers.The compounding system.
22/78 on distributions
The corporate charge falls only when profits leave. Timing the founders control.Founders time it.
No separate dividend WHT
The distribution charge is the tax - no second layer in the standard case.One layer only.
Digital compliance
e-MTA filings alongside everything else. Administration measured in hours.Hours of admin.
Fee clarity
Management and performance-fee treatment is settled and simple - no rulings industry here.Settled, simple.
Treaty network 60+
A solid base across the EU and beyond. Group structures above the firm model cleanly.Clean structures.
Tax summary
Retained profits0%
Distributed profits22/78
Dividend withholdingNone additional
VAT on servicesExempt core · 24%
Tax treaties60+
*Figures as of 2026 per EMTA. Group and founder-level outcomes are modelled per structure.
Turnkey professional support
Experienced lawyers and international consultants.
We provide end-to-end support, from company registration and the application file to regulatory interaction and compliance oversight - with an individualized approach to each client.
Oleksii Kindratenko
Builds the application itself: Estonian company, AML/KYC policy pack, capital structure and tax registrations. His document sets are the reason reviews finish in months, not years.
Eugeniu Bevziuc
First point of contact for international founders. Runs the whole setup remotely, across time zones and languages - from the first call to a live, authorised firm.
Follow Prifinance
Active across our channels.
Estonia · Finantsinspektsioon
Launch your investment firm in Estonia with expert support.
Full-service assistance - from incorporation to authorisation, passporting and ongoing compliance - from our own Tallinn headquarters.
Get a consultation →Free legal opinion
Is Estonia the right fit for your project?
Our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.
Written assessment within 2-5 business days
Request a free conclusion →FAQ
The Estonia investment licence: quick answers.
What licence does an investment firm need in Estonia?+
Authorisation from Finantsinspektsioon under the Securities Market Act - the MiFID licence covering advice, RTO, execution, discretionary portfolio management and dealing, with permissions matched to the model.
What capital is required?+
The IFD tiers: €75,000 for advisory and order-handling models without client assets, €150,000 as the general tier, €750,000 for dealing on own account - with prudential requirements layered above.
How fast is the process really?+
The statute answers: decisions within two months of a complete file, six months maximum from application. The fifteen-point documentation list defines complete - filing it whole on day one is our home craft.
What does the application cost?+
€1,000 in administrative fees - the union's leanest ticket. The real budget is capital, people and substance, itemised before we start.
Why is the tax system special for managers?+
Because 0% on retained profits means fee income compounds untaxed while the firm grows - the 22/78 charge falls only on distribution, at timing the founders choose. For boutiques reinvesting heavily, no EU rate competes.
Does the licence passport across the EU?+
Yes - the full MiFID passport into 30 EEA states by notification, identical in effect to any member-state licence. We run the notifications as part of launch.
What people does the supervisor require?+
Fit-and-proper board members with investment-business records, assessed individually, plus named compliance and AML ownership - a bench we source from our home market.
What substance is expected?+
A firm genuinely managed from Estonia: local board presence, real premises and operations the supervisor can visit - with the digital state keeping the overhead light.
Estonia or Lithuania for a Baltic base?+
Twins with different instruments: Lithuania offers the single-regulator dialogue at 16% CIT; Estonia offers statutory clocks, the €1,000 fee and the 0%-retained system. Cash-generative boutiques usually lean Estonian; we model both.
Why Prifinance for Estonia?+
This is our home market - headquarters at Roseni 13, filings in Estonian, the supervisor minutes away, and the fifteen-point file drafted by the people who do it most.
What licence?+
FI investment firm authorisation.
Capital?+
€75k/€150k/€750k.
How fast?+
2-6 months by statute.
Fee?+
€1,000.
Why the tax?+
0% while compounding.
Passport?+
30 EEA states.
People?+
Assessed board + MLRO.
Substance?+
Real, light-overhead.
Or Lithuania?+
Clocks vs dialogue - model both.
Why you?+
Home market, home craft.
Client notes
Google4.7★★★★★
Founders who wanted it done right.
Google4.7★★★★★
“As a software development crew at FewMoreTaps OÜ, we've had the pleasure of working with Prifinance on some key financial moves.First of all, navigating the world of corporate banking and finance can be a maze, but Prifinance made it feel like a walk in the park. They helped us set up a corporate bank account without the hassle of jumping on a plane or drowning in paperwork. Everything was done remotely, smoothly…”
Google
“I had their assistance in company registration and I would recommend them. They were answering all my clarification during the process and offering all their supportThank you Daniel and Irinia”
Google
“We found PRIFINANCE COMPANYvia the Internet and asked for help in organizing the opening of their company in Estonia. PRIFINANCE COMPANY specialists helped us a lot with this. Their professional, competent approach and knowledge of their business left us with only the best impressions.”
Google
“I'm thrilled with my experience with PriFinance! They helped me obtain a crypto license in Estonia without any hassle. The team was super understanding and always available to answer my questions and assist. It was great to see how they put effort into preparing the documents to ensure everything went smoothly. I'm delighted with the outcome and highly recommend PriFinance to anyone looking to get a license…”
Google
“Opening an account with Prifinance in a Swiss bank was such an easy and quick process that I was shocked. It all started with the first call, where I received detailed guidance on the required documents and the entire procedure.One of the key highlights was their attention to detail. As someone who usually gets tangled up in paperwork, I was pleasantly surprised when they sent me all the documents and…”
Google
“I recently had the pleasure of working with Boris.. and I must say, it was a fantastic experience. Boris went above and beyond to assist me with my residency needs. His professionalism, knowledge, and dedication truly stood out. I highly recommend working with Boris and the team!”
Google
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Get a free legal opinion on your project - our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.Free legal opinion: which Estonian route fits your project and what it will cost.
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Prifinance is an independent law and advisory firm. We are not a regulator and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of Finantsinspektsioon or any other public authority. Authorisations are granted by, and obtained directly from, the competent authorities.