What information is available in Estonia on insolvency?
Estonia does not have a separate insolvency register. The Estonian commercial register and the register of non-profit associations and foundations, however, contain information on the bankruptcy of legal entities and self-employed people. Information on declarations of bankruptcy of legal entities and natural persons can also be found in the official electronic publication Ametlikud Teadaanded (Official Announcements), in which notices of bankruptcy and bankruptcy proceedings are also published.
The following are entered in the Estonian commercial register and the register of non-profit associations and foundations on the basis of a court judgment:
- the quashing of bankruptcy proceedings without declaring bankruptcy;
- declarations of bankruptcy together with the name and personal identification code of the trustee in bankruptcy, as well as a note stating that he or she is representing the company;
- the quashing of a declaration of bankruptcy together with an entry showing continued activity by the company;
- the quashing of a declaration of bankruptcy and deletion of the company from the register;
- termination of bankruptcy proceedings and the deletion of the company from the register or continuation of the company’s activities;
- a compromise and the term for this, with an entry showing continued activity;
- cancellation of a compromise and re-opening of the proceedings to declare bankruptcy, with a note that the company is represented by a trustee in bankruptcy;
- end of the compromise when it has expired, and discharge of the trustee in bankruptcy.
Details of trade bans imposed on a debtor or the person with power to represent them or prohibitions on the pursuit of commercial activities imposed on that person are not entered in the register.
The Estonian commercial register contains the following information on bankrupt legal entities:
- name of the legal entity;
- registry code;
- address;
- name of the trustee in bankruptcy;
- name of the management board member;
- date of the bankruptcy order/ruling and the number of the order or civil case.
Is access to information regarding insolvency free of charge?
Registry data can be accessed at the registry departments, online and at notary’s offices. Access to the data held in the commercial register and the register of non-profit associations and foundations and to file documents is free of charge at the registry departments.
No fee is charged online for searches concerning legal entities, self-employed persons and branches of foreign companies, for information about court proceedings or for access to registry card data. However, a fee is charged for all other searches, including historical registry card data and access to annual reports, articles of association and other documents. The rates charged for using the computer data in the commercial register are laid down in a regulation of the Minister for Justice.
A fee is charged for consulting registry data and file documents at a notary’s office. The fees are set out in the Notaries’ Fees Act.
Access to the official electronic publication Ametlikud Teadaanded (Official Announcements) is free of charge.
Details of trade bans are published and can be accessed free of charge online.
How to search for information on insolvency
You can search for a legal entity or self-employed person in the commercial register’s information system (the e-Business Register) by business name, name or registry code. The status of a legal entity or self-employed person indicates whether or not that person or entity is bankrupt.
History of the insolvency information service
The Estonian insolvency service has been available since 1 September 1995.
