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Legal system

Transparent legislation and the second-fastest court proceedings in Europe make Estonia a safe bet for your business.

  • 98% of companies established online
  • #8 in economic freedom globally 2024
  • 2nd fastest court proceedings in Europe

Doing business

#4in economic freedom in Europe 2024

The Estonian legal environment favours entrepreneurship. Foreign investors have the same rights and obligations as local entrepreneurs. That means you can establish a company and conduct business in Estonia just like a local, with no restrictions.

Estonia has concluded bilateral treaties for the protection of investments with countries including the USA, Germany, France, Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Switzerland. Estonia also has agreements for avoiding double taxation with more than 60 countries.

Startup Estonia has partnered with nine Estonian law firms to create a set of model legal documents to simplify the startup journey so you can focus on the company and deal-specific matters. These documents are freely available to help educate the Estonian startup community, speed up the foundation and early-stage investment process, and lower legal costs.

Justice & legal aid

2ndfastest court proceedings in Europe

Thanks to fully automated court processes and e-justice solutions, Estonia’s court system is one of the most effective in the world.

The country’s three-level court system is one of the simplest in Europe. Most first-instance courts (county, city, and administrative) are in county centres. Courts of appeal are courts of second instance in Tartu and Tallinn. The Supreme Court, the court of the highest instance, is in Tartu, the country’s second-biggest city.

Legal system

Here are some useful links regarding the Estonian legal system:

You are also welcome to send us an enquiry for more specific information.

Estonia means business

News & events

Need more information?

Need more information?

What is it like to run a business in Estonia? How to benefit from the e-solutions and the efficiency of our business culture? What are the opportunities in specific sectors? Who to partner up with?

The Estonian Investment Agency’s team is happy to help you via its complimentary e-Consulting service, organize online or offline follow-up events such as virtual investment visits and guide you through the fairly simple process of investing in Estonia.

request e-consulting