OÜ
Also called: osaühing, private limited company
Osaühing: Estonia's private limited company, owned by shareholders with limited liability, which e-residents can register and run online.
An OÜ (osaühing) is a private limited company under Estonia’s Commercial Code. It is a legal person in its own right: it signs contracts, holds a bank account and owes its own taxes. Shareholders are generally not personally liable for its debts beyond their contribution to share capital, which has a legal minimum of €0.01 (source: abiinfo.rik.ee, checked 3 Oct 2026).
Every OÜ has at least one board member, who manages and represents it, and it is entered in the e-Business Register. It needs a legal address, and if that address is abroad it must also designate a contact person in Estonia.
With e-Residency, a founder can register an OÜ online without visiting Estonia. The state fee for online registration is €265 (source: abiinfo.rik.ee, checked 3 Oct 2026). To see what running one costs each year, read How much does an Estonian company cost per year? or try the cost calculator.
General information only, not tax or legal advice. This site is not affiliated with, endorsed by or operated by the Republic of Estonia or the e-Residency programme.
Guides that use this term
Related terms: Share capital, Board member, e-Business Register, e-Residency. All terms.
Sources
- Start an EU company online, Republic of Estonia e-Residency programme. Checked 3 Oct 2026.
- Commercial Code, Riigi Teataja (Estonian State Gazette). Checked 3 Oct 2026.
- e-Business Register, Centre of Registers and Information Systems (RIK). Checked 3 Oct 2026.
- abiinfo.rik.ee, for: Minimum share capital of an OÜ; State fee for registering an OÜ online (expedited procedure).
Figures last checked: 3 October 2026. Each figure links to its source; see all sources and dates.
Last reviewed .