The Estonian authorities want to put limits on the number of foreigners who can become e-residents of the country.
The Ministry of Interior of Estonia has already prepared a bill on the matter, proposing to no longer permit access to the Estonian e-residency to foreigners from countries that are deemed to be high-risk, Schengen.News reports.
Even though the Ministry did not share when the new rules will start applying, it is believed that they will enter into force next year.
In case the Ministry is permitted to move on with this plan, it will have the authority to create a list of high-risk countries, and it will also be able to set rules that will apply to nationals of these high-risk countries who want to become Estonian e-residents.
Speaking for Estonian Public Broadcasting, the adviser at the Ministry of Interior’s border guard and migration policy, Elen Kraavik, said that these measures are being planned following concerns that have been raised during an evaluation.
As she explained, the body carrying out the evaluation said that, in some cases, Estonia does not have strong cooperation with third countries whose nationals have been granted Estonian e-residency.
Due to this, it is difficult to verify the foreign nationals’ backgrounds when needed, as the relevant foreign authorities may decide not to provide the required information.
Kraavik further noted that the country has identified cases of attempts to exploit the e-residency programme and use it as a gateway to reach the EU through Estonia.
Estonia Already Applies Strict Rules for Russians & Belarusians Who Want to Become Estonian E-Residents
Estonia currently applies strict rules to nationals of Russia and Belarus and does not issue new e-residency cards to citizens of these two countries.
The decision of Estonia to apply such rules to Russians and Belarusians was taken following the war in Ukraine.
In line with the rules that Estonia has for these two nationalities, only extensions of the e-residency cards are allowed.
Those who apply for a renewal of their card also have to undergo strict rules as the Estonian authorities thoroughly review their applications before deciding whether to issue the card again or not.
Recent data show that a large number of Russians and Belarusians continue to hold valid Estonian e-residency cards.
As the Estonian Business and Innovation Agency (EISA) revealed, as of August 27, 2024, there were a total of 1,039 companies associated with a total of 995 Russian e-residents and 284 of them associated with 281 Belarusian e-residents.
Source: https://schengen.news/estonia-wants-to-limit-number-of-foreigners-eligible-for-e-residency-card/
