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https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/08/how-estonia-became-a-digital-society.html
E-residency
Another key feature of Estonia's digital society is e-Residency, a first-of-its-kind initiative that allows individuals to start businesses in the country without living there. The program serves as a launching pad for companies looking to do business in the European Union (EU) and benefit from the EU's single market.
More than 50,000 people from around the world have applied for e-Residency since it launched in 2014.
"People who have global businesses, have a global lifestyle, they want to be served, and we want to be the best ones in that area," Taavi Kotka, Estonia's first-ever chief information officer who helped create the program, told CNBC.
Digital nomad visa
Estonia is now building on its success with e-Residency to launch a visa for digital nomads; employees who work remotely around the world. The visa is an example of a public-private partnership at work between the Estonian government and Jobbatical, a cross-border hiring firm.
Benjamin Hall | CNBC
Karoli Hindrinks, CEO of Jobbatical, is working with the Estonian Interior Ministry to launch a digital nomad visa.
"What we are doing with the digital nomad visa it really reflects what our whole immigration policy is about," said Killu Vantsi, a legal migration adviser at the Estonian Ministry of the Interior, in an interview with CNBC. "We want to attract the talented people, entrepreneurs that are beneficial to our society to our economy."
Karoli Hindriks, CEO of Jobbatical, said other countries should follow Estonia's lead as they face aging populations and a lack of skilled workers.
"The countries that are closing down and not thinking about it, I'm very curious to see where they will be in 10, 15 years," she said.
E-residency
Another key feature of Estonia's digital society is e-Residency, a first-of-its-kind initiative that allows individuals to start businesses in the country without living there. The program serves as a launching pad for companies looking to do business in the European Union (EU) and benefit from the EU's single market.
More than 50,000 people from around the world have applied for e-Residency since it launched in 2014.
"People who have global businesses, have a global lifestyle, they want to be served, and we want to be the best ones in that area," Taavi Kotka, Estonia's first-ever chief information officer who helped create the program, told CNBC.
Digital nomad visa
Estonia is now building on its success with e-Residency to launch a visa for digital nomads; employees who work remotely around the world. The visa is an example of a public-private partnership at work between the Estonian government and Jobbatical, a cross-border hiring firm.
Benjamin Hall | CNBC
Karoli Hindrinks, CEO of Jobbatical, is working with the Estonian Interior Ministry to launch a digital nomad visa.
"What we are doing with the digital nomad visa it really reflects what our whole immigration policy is about," said Killu Vantsi, a legal migration adviser at the Estonian Ministry of the Interior, in an interview with CNBC. "We want to attract the talented people, entrepreneurs that are beneficial to our society to our economy."
Karoli Hindriks, CEO of Jobbatical, said other countries should follow Estonia's lead as they face aging populations and a lack of skilled workers.
"The countries that are closing down and not thinking about it, I'm very curious to see where they will be in 10, 15 years," she said.
