We trace the most important events that led us here. It is not a path that can be copied, but the challenges we faced and the opportunities we found can inspire others to discover their own.
For us, e-Estonia has led to a society with more transparency, trust, and efficiency.
1994
first draft of “principles of estonian information policy”
Strategic outline for IT development, ratified by parliament 4 years later.
EFFECT: 1% of GDP earmarked as stable state funding for IT.
1994
1996
launch of the tiger leap initiative
Country-wide IT infrastructure development initiative.
EFFECT: 90% of the population uses the Internet regularly; #1 in the Digital Development Index.
1996
1996
first e-banking service
Online banking solutions developed by private banks.
EFFECT: development of high-quality e-banking services encouraged people to get online, to embrace government e-solutions and to later use e-ID.
1996
2000
e-cabinet meeting
Database and scheduler for streamlining governmental decision-making processes.
EFFECT: the average length of cabinet meetings of the Estonian government has been cut from 4-5 hours to as little as 30 minutes.
2000
2000
e-tax board
Online tax declaration.
EFFECT: declaring taxes now takes about 3 minutes online; 98% of people declare their income electronically.
2000
2000
m-parking
A system that enables drivers to pay for city parking via mobile phone.
EFFECT: 90% of parking fees are paid via mobile phones, Estonia’s m-parking solution has been adopted in countries around the world.
2000
2001
x-road
Distributed data exchange layer for registers and information systems.
EFFECT: X-Road has become the backbone of e-Estonia, allowing the nation’s public and private sector information systems to link up and operate in harmony. 99% of public services are accessible online 24/7.
2001
2002
e-id and digital signature
Digital identification based on the mandatory ID card.
EFFECT: 98% of Estonians have an ID-card; digital signatures save 2% of GDP annually.
2002
2005
i-voting
maximising accessibility to local and general elections.
EFFECT: one third of the votes in parliamentary elections are cast online; votes are cast from over 110 countries.
2005
2007
cyber security
Concerted effort to enhance IT security.
EFFECT: Estonia has become one of the leading nations in cyber security. Both the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Center of Excellence and the EU IT Agency are situated here in Tallinn.
2007
2008
blockchain technology
Scalable blockchain technology KSI is developed by Estonian cryptographers.
EFFECT: Estonia has become a pioneer of blockchain technology. Several government registries are backed by the KSI Blockchain.
2008
2008
e-health
A nationwide system integrating data from Estonia’s healthcare providers.
EFFECT: the electronic health record has created a comprehensive pro le of each patient, reducing bureaucracy and giving access to time-critical information in emergency situations.
2008
2010
e-prescription
A centralised paperless system for issuing and handling medical prescriptions.
EFFECT: 99% of medical prescriptions are handled online; routine refills can be issued without appointments.
2010
2013
public services green paper
Mapping challenges and solutions for developing state e-services
EFFECT: a better understanding of the public’s needs and the clear definition of goals and principles for the development of e-services.
2013
2014
road administration’s e-portal
One-stop online service for drivers and owners of vehicles
EFFECT: the e-portal provides services six times faster, 20% cheaper, and increases transparency.
2014
2014
e-residency
A borderless digital society for any global citizen to join.
EFFECT: e-residency is the first digital nation for global citizens. The number of e-residents and their businesses is steadily increasing.
2014
2015
world's first data embassy
Estonia green-lights plan to create the first data embassy outside its borders
EFFECT: Estonia is the first country in the cloud, our critical databases and services are backed up in a high-security data centre in Luxembourg
2015
2017
NIIS X-road consortium
Nordic Institute for Interoperability Solutions (NIIS) ensures the development and strategic management of X-Road and other e-governance solutions
EFFECT: founded by Estonia and Finland NIIS is a pioneer of cross-border e-governance solutions, intent on providing better content and services for the public
2017
2018
seamless services roadmap
Proactive government services that react to life events requiring minimal bureaucracy
EFFECT: seamless services provide a more natural relationship with the state; the first seamless service goes live in 2018
2018
2019
government AI strategy
outlining the current and future usages of AI in government and private services
EFFECT: a detailed strategic plan for promoting implementation of AI solutions in public and private sector
2019
2020
proactive child care
when a child is born, a population entry activates all of the following services, and the family gets all the benefits they are entitled to automatically
EFFECT: parents of a newborn no longer need to apply for benefits
2020
2020
remote verification for notaries
remote authentication enables the conduct of notarial acts using Veriff’s online identity verification platform
EFFECT: there are now only two things that need to be done physically in Estonia - getting married and divorced
2020
2021
world's first autonomous hydrogen vehicle
the hydrogen shuttle Liisu, developed by Auve Tech and researches from University of Tartu, is aimed at enhancing last-mile transportation
EFFECT: driverless hydrogen vehicle Liisu is an environmentally friendly alternative to personal cars
2021