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by sparky_z 110 days ago
I remember many years ago (maybe around 2014?) reading about a smallish European country that implemented this sort of thing really well. There was nothing but glowing praise for it at the time. I want to say maybe it was Latvia?

Does anyone remember what I'm talking about? I'm wondering if there been any long-term takeaways for how well it ended up working.
4 comments
mhitza 110 days ago
If you mean Estonia. They had their 10 year anniversary of the e-Residency program in 2024 https://xcancel.com/e_Residents/status/1863538927098908813 around 33000 registered companies but no open financial numbers.

My business is incorporated in Estonia. Though I'm on the lookout at how "EU incorporated" will be, if that becomes a thing.

"estonian e- residents generated a record €125 million of state revenue in 2025" https://www.e-resident.gov.ee/blog/posts/e-residents-generat...

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steelbrain 110 days ago
Maybe Estonia? I was an e-resident and was really impressed by the digitization of the government systems (and non-government ones too! They inter-op) in Estonia.
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dzhiurgis 110 days ago
Speaking for Lithuania - we have something like 6 or 7 digital ID forms and until like last year or so - they all sucked, i.e.:

* Using your bank to login - well if you left country you generally close your bank.

* SIM card auth (similar to SMS, you get a code on your phone) - most popular, except same as above + doesn't work with eSIM.

* Chip card - requires reader, unclear software and certificates on card expire after 2 years which makes it useless if you moved abroad.

* Smart Id - scans your passport, does face scan and stays on your phone - pretty convenient, but turns out there are multiple levels of auth and this particular one isn't that useful...

* Contactless - the holy grail that's only been implemented recently - scan your id card/ passport using phone. I've only used it once, did require some esoteric software, but seems like a step in the right direction.

Bonus: e-gov forms actually predate mobile era. They have been built so long that you can forget trying to fill them on your phone. And if you do get to fill them, you'll most likely receive email that you need to come into the office for 'verification' which pretty much defeats entire system.

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scirob 110 days ago
its not only good https://www.reuters.com/article/technology/estonia-sues-gema...
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