Banking in Estonia splits along one line, and it is not the line most guides draw. It is not resident against foreigner, and it is not bank against fintech. It is you against your company — because you have a legal right to an account here and your company does not.
Start with whose account it is. Everything else follows from that.
A personal account is a regulated consumer product. Finantsinspektsioon says banks must provide basic payment services and that this obligation covers consumers only — so a refusal is a last resort and a closure needs a stated ground.
A company account has none of that. There is no entitlement, no published appeal, and the price is set by who owns the company rather than by where you live. The same founder can be an ordinary customer personally and a foreign-tariff applicant commercially, on the same morning, in the same branch.
Personal Accounts
The five banks, what each charges a foreigner, and the fee a lease makes disappear.
🏢Business Accounts
What an OÜ pays, why one owner abroad changes it, and where share capital goes.
💻e-Resident Companies
The refusal problem, and the payment institution most e-residents end up with.
💳Credit Cards
The income floor a new arrival does not meet, bank by bank.
🌍Sending Money Abroad
Instant in euro, and the FX margin nobody publishes.
📈Investing
The investment account, and what deferring tax is actually worth here.
📊Brokers
Who reports to the Tax Board for you and who leaves it to you.
Which Page Answers Your Question
Four of these pages are about bank accounts and they do not overlap. Picking the wrong one is the commonest way to read three thousand words that were written for somebody else.
| If you are asking | The page | Because |
|---|---|---|
| “How do I open an account to be paid a salary?” | Personal accounts | The question is what documents prove a connection to Estonia, and which bank prices you as a resident anyway |
| “My OÜ needs an account. What will it cost?” | Business accounts | Corporate price lists are a separate document from private ones, and the trigger for the expensive tariff is the ownership structure |
| “Will an Estonian bank take an e-resident company?” | e-Resident banking | That is a substance question rather than a pricing one, and the honest answer for most applicants is no |
| “Where do I put the share capital?” | Business accounts | Any EEA credit or payment institution qualifies, and the route through the Business Register closed in October 2025 |
| “Is my money safe here?” | Personal accounts | Three different answers depending on whether you hold a bank, an e-money institution or a payment institution |
One thing worth knowing before you click anything
Only an Estonian-licensed credit institution puts your money under the Estonian deposit guarantee. A payment institution safeguards client funds in segregated accounts instead, which is a real protection and is a different one. Finantsinspektsioon publishes the list of who holds which licence, and it is the first thing to check about any provider a comparison site recommends to you.