Estonia AS vs OÜ
Legal Entity Comparison
Time of Update: 2026-03-31
AS is a legal entity in Estonia, also known as a Public Limited Company. It is a type of company with combined ownership, and shareholders can be one or more individuals. AS has limited liability and can participate in the market publicly. According to Estonian law, AS needs at least one director but does not require a designated legal representative. Additionally, AS does not need to have local citizens as directors, but it still requires at least one director. AS also needs a company secretary, but capital verification is not required. According to Estonian law, the minimum registered capital for AS is 25,000 euros. Overall, AS is a flexible legal entity suitable for one or multiple shareholders, without the need for a designated legal representative or local directors, but still requiring at least one director and a company secretary.
Estonia Legal Entity Comparison
Estonia Legal Entity Comparison
Basic Information
AS
OÜ
Ownership:
Consolidated Ownership
Ownership:
Consolidated Ownership
Limited Liability:
Positive
Limited Liability:
Positive
Publicly Participates In Capital Market:
Positive
Publicly Participates In Capital Market:
Negative
Shareholder / Director / Secretary Requirements
AS
OÜ
Requirements For Shareholders:
One or more
Requirements For Shareholders:
At least one shareholder
Requirements For Directors ::
At least one
Requirements For Directors ::
N/A
Legal Representative Not Mandatory:
Negative
Legal Representative Not Mandatory:
Positive
Local Directors Not Mandatory:
Positive
Local Directors Not Mandatory:
Positive
Local Secretaries Not Mandatory:
Negative
Local Secretaries Not Mandatory:
See Memo
Registered Capital Requirement
AS
OÜ
Minimum Registered Capital Requirement:
25,000 euros
Minimum Registered Capital Requirement:
1. Starting from 1500 euros.
Capital Injection Not Required:
Negative
Capital Injection Not Required:
See Memo
Capital Injection Requirement:
N/A
Capital Injection Requirement:
- Registered Capital must be paid before incorporation.
- TKEG Expat helps clients register Estonian OU company with an initial registered capital of 1 EUR. After incorporation, the registered capital can be increased.
Memo
AS
OÜ
Memo:
N/A
Memo:
Estonia recently lifted up the requirement for local contact person. However, new rule imposes a mandatory mailbox service.
EE
Estonia
CI - Company Incorporation
Estonian OU Company Incorporation
From EUR 1,525.00 / Company
Product Valid: Positive
Applicant Must Be Present: no
Applicable country/region
EE - Estonia
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