Which Powers of Attorney Issued by Foreign Notaries Are Accepted in Estonia?

When handling legal matters in Estonia, one crucial factor to consider is whether a notarized power of attorney (PoA) from a foreign country will be recognized. Estonia has strict regulations regarding the acceptance of foreign notarized PoAs, and if a country is not on the approved list, such documents will not be accepted, regardless of their legal validity in the issuing country. 

Why Might You Need a Power of Attorney in Estonia? 

General power of attorney in Estonia gives you an opportunity to act on behalf of the granted person and do the following:  

• Company registration or business operations 

• Making purchasing or selling transactions 

• Managing accounts and bank operations 

• Legal representation in Estonia 

• Collecting payments 

• Handling Tax operations and other related responsibilities 

The special power of attorney grants limited authority for specific tasks and operations, such as signing contracts or representing the company for the legal matters. 

Countries Whose Notarized Powers of Attorney Are Accepted in Estonia: 

Full Recognition: The following countries have notaries whose authenticated or certified PoAs are considered equivalent to those issued by an Estonian notary: 

Conditional Recognition: Other officials whose certified or authenticated power of attorney is equivalent to a power of attorney certified by an Estonian notary:

Additional Recognized Authorities:

Beyond the notaries listed above, certain officials in specific jurisdictions are also authorized to issue PoAs equivalent to those certified by Estonian notaries:

Please double check before submission: List of foreign officials whose certified or certified power of attorney is equal to a power of attorney certified by an Estonian notary – Riigi Teataja

What Happens If Your Country Is Not Listed?

If your country is not among those approved, Estonia will not accept notarized Powers of Attorney from there—even if they are legalized with an apostille or verified by a public official. 

How Helvetios Can Help

Helvetios specializes in assisting businesses and individuals with:

• Registering a company in Estonia

(Note: You can register a company not only by power of attorney, but also with the help of e-residency, and we can assist you in obtaining it).

• Obtaining an Estonian e-residency card
• Opening a bank account for your business
• Handling tax reports and compliance
• Providing guidance on all matters related to starting and successfully running a company in Estonia

Additionally, we can help authenticate powers of attorney through other methods, such as via consulate or Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). Please feel free to reach out to us for assistance.

Countries Whose Notarized Powers of Attorney Are NOT Accepted in Estonia: