Online Company Formation in the EU: When You Can Do It Remotely

What EU law requires

The EU company-law digitalisation rules come from Directive (EU) 2019/1151, which amended Directive (EU) 2017/1132. Member states had to apply most of the rules from 1 August 2021, with a possible extension of up to one year.

• Fully online formation. Article 13g requires that a company can be formed without the applicants appearing in person before any authority, notary or other body. This includes drawing up the instrument of constitution.
• Which company types. The obligation covers the company types in Annex IIA, mainly each country's private limited company, such as an OÜ, a GmbH or a BV. A country may exclude other types from online formation.
• Templates and deadlines. Member states must publish templates. Formation should be completed within five working days for natural persons using templates, or ten working days in other cases, once all documents and payments are complete.
• Online capital payment. Where share capital must be paid during formation, payment to a bank operating in the EU and proof of it must be possible online.

The directive leaves room for national procedures. A country can still involve a notary or require contributions in kind to be handled differently, as long as online formation remains possible. That is why "online" looks different from country to country.

Directive (EU) 2025/25 updates these rules. Member states must transpose it by 31 July 2027 and apply it from 31 July 2028. It makes a preventive legality check of the instrument of constitution mandatory in every member state. A company forming a subsidiary in another member state will not need to resubmit documents already held in its home register; the new register retrieves them through the register interconnection system. The directive also creates an EU Company Certificate and a digital EU power of attorney. Until national laws apply these changes, the current national procedures remain in place.

Identity: the real gatekeeper

Every online route depends on verifying who you are. Article 13b requires member states to accept two kinds of electronic identification from EU citizens: eIDs approved by their own member state, and eIDs issued in another member state and recognised for cross-border use under the eIDAS Regulation. A country may refuse means that do not meet the required assurance level.

This guarantee does not cover every founder. A non-EU founder, or an EU citizen whose country has no recognised eID, may need a different route: a national digital ID from the chosen country, a video identification with a notary, or a representative acting under a power of attorney.

A member state may require physical presence only on a case-by-case basis. The directive allows it where there are reasons to suspect identity falsification, or problems with legal capacity or authority to represent the company. Even then, the other steps must remain online.

Four routes to an online company

Our country profiles show four broad patterns. They describe the formation step only.

• Registry portal with a digital signature. You file directly with an accepted eID or qualified electronic signature. Examples: Estonia with an Estonian digital ID, Poland through the S24 portal with a qualified eIDAS signature, Latvia with eParaksts, Portugal through Empresa Online with Portuguese credentials.
• Online notarial deed by video. A notary verifies identity and executes the deed over a secure video connection. Examples: the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, and Germany when participants meet the Bundesnotarkammer's accepted eID requirements.
• Power of attorney to a local representative. You sign a notarised, often apostilled, power of attorney abroad and a local lawyer or agent files for you. Spain, Italy, Czechia, Bulgaria and Romania are common examples. You avoid travel, but you add notary, translation and representative costs.
• Local eID in practice. Some portals work smoothly only with a national identity code or eID, such as MitID in Denmark, BankID in Sweden or the START platform in Croatia. Non-residents often use an adviser or a power of attorney instead.

Country overview

The table summarises the remote-setup field of each country profile. Each profile keeps its own review date, and the detailed text there sets out the conditions.

Registry timing usually starts after a complete application. It excludes obtaining a digital ID, preparing documents and opening an account. See all 43 jurisdictions on the Europe formation hub, or put two side by side with the comparison tool.

Estonia, step by step

Estonia is often the first choice for remote founders because the whole OÜ filing runs online. The condition is identity: every founder and board member, and the contact person provider when appointed, must sign with a supported Estonian digital ID.

1. Obtain a digital ID if you need one. Non-residents usually apply for e-Residency. The official guide says most applicants collect their card within two to four months. You must submit the personal application yourself and collect the card in person at an official pickup location. This is the step that is not remote.
2. Choose the company address. Use an Estonian legal address, or the management board's address abroad. The foreign-address route requires a licensed contact person, who also signs the application.
3. File the application. With the card, you file through the e-Business Register. The registry usually reviews a complete online application within one business day. The state fee is €265.
4. Open an account separately. Registration does not include a bank or payment account.

e-Residency is a digital identity. It does not give tax residence or a right to live in Estonia. Read the full Estonia company formation guide for capital, costs and annual obligations.

What often stays offline

• Getting the identity means. A national eID card, e-Residency card or qualified signature certificate can require an appointment, a pickup or an identity check.
• Bank accounts. Several profiles note that traditional banks may want to meet the director. Payment institutions and electronic money institutions often onboard online, but each provider sets its own eligibility. See business accounts for non-residents.
• Notarised documents from abroad. A power of attorney may need a notary visit and an apostille in your own country.
• Tax numbers. Some countries require a local tax number for founders or directors, such as an NIE in Spain or a codice fiscale in Italy.
• Where you actually work. Forming a company online does not change where it is managed or where you live. Those facts drive tax and reporting obligations.

For non-EU founders, director residence rules and signing routes add another layer. Read company formation for non-EU residents.

Before you choose a route

• List every person who must sign: founders, directors, any contact person.
• Check which identity means each person holds today and whether the country accepts it.
• If a new digital ID is needed, plan for its full lead time before the registry step.
• Confirm whether a notary, translation or apostille is involved, and who pays for it.
• Ask the account provider about eligibility before you file.

The proposed EU Inc regulation would add a further online route through an EU-level interface. It is a proposal, not an available service. See how EU Inc registration is proposed to work.