Pro Tip: Start implementing e-invoicing capabilities now, even if not immediately required. Early adoption gives you a competitive advantage and ensures smooth operations when requirements become mandatory for your business.
E-Invoicing in Estonia: Everything You Need to Know
Estonia is one of Europe’s most digital-friendly countries. However, to succeed here, learning to know the e-invoice system isn’t optional - it’s essential.
- What is an e-invoice?
- When do you need to send one?
- How can you start sending electronic invoices?
In this guide, we give you a clear, actionable overview of how the electronic invoicing in Estonia works and how to implement it for your business.
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What is an E-Invoice?
While many think sending a PDF invoice by email qualifies as electronic invoicing, the reality is quite different.
An e-invoice (e-arve in Estonian) is a structured XML format file that transfers machine-readable data directly from the sender's accounting software to the recipient's system.
Key Difference: Unlike PDF files or paper invoices, e-invoice contains encrypted data that can be automatically processed by accounting systems, eliminating manual data entry and significantly reducing errors.
Use Sliptree!
The Easiest Way to Send E-Invoices?
Sliptree is an invoicing software created for freelancers and small businesses, which allows you to send both regular and e-invoices.
It's free to start and incredibly simple to use.
No need for accounting software or separate e-invoice operators
No technical knowledge required
Start with 0 costs, no credit card required!*
Register now and get your first 14 days to send free unlimited e-invoices.
It's easier than you think!
How to Send an E-Invoice in 5 Minutes?
Create an account, verify your identity and send your invoice with a couple of clicks.
That's it!
1. Create a free account
Register a Sliptree account for your business.
2. Verify your identity
Verify yourself using Smart-ID, Mobile-ID or ID card. You need to be at least an e-resident for this step.
3. We'll make sure it's really you
The system makes an instant query to the Business Register to make sure you have the right to represent your business. This ensures that no one else can send e-invoices on behalf of your company.
4. We register you with an e-invoice operator
To send e-invoices you need to register with an e-invoice operator. Sliptree will do it for you, through our partner Billberry. No fees, happens instantly and you can always disable it if desired.
5. Create the invoice
Enter customer details, which you can automatically pull from the Business Register and add products or services that are automatically saved for future use.
6. Click send!
We automatically check whether your customer accepts e-invoice. If so, you can send the e-invoice immediately. Otherwise you can just send the same invoice as PDF via email.
Incredible ❤️ Everything looks so good - there's nothing to complain about 😁 You have made the program really convenient and user-friendly – stylish and easy to use! Thank you for making my life easier ❤️❤️❤️ I am so happy with how caring and respectful you are towards your clients 🙏
Salim Imanov
CEO of TripleTrade OÜ
The beauty of Sliptree is that it's very easy to learn. We've never needed a training and even personally customised it for our company when invoicing our clients. Plus, for a global digital company likes ours, sending invoices in multiple languages is a nice touch.
David Bailey
CEO of Blu Mint
Simple, fair pricing
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Only upside!
Benefits of Using E-Invoices
By adopting e-invoices, businesses can streamline their invoicing process, reduce paperwork, and ensure compliance with local regulations.
This digital approach not only saves time but also supports more secure and efficient payments for businesses of all sizes.
Save on accounting
Creating and sending an e-invoice saves both time and money by eliminating the need for your accountant to manually enter invoices.
Secure information transfer
E-invoices are transmitted in an encrypted format, ensuring that the data remains confidential and accessible only to authorized users within the customer's accounting system.
Care for the environment
Say goodbye to PDF files and overflowing inboxes! Sending e-invoices is an eco-friendly choice that reduces the number of PDFs and emails, lowering data volume and shrinking your ecological footprint.
Automatic data entry
This means fewer errors and less time spent checking invoices. Data moves between systems automatically.
Comply with regulations
Sending e-invoices complies fully with Estonian legislation. Since July 2025, not only the public sector institutions but also any private company has the right to only accept electronic invoices.
Future-proof your business
Digital invoicing solutions represent the trends of the future. The preference for e-invoices is steadily growing in the private sector as well. Stay ahead by adapting early!
Go beyond e-invoices
Why Use Sliptree?
Sliptree makes sending both traditional and electronic invoices, as well as sales quotes, effortless. Perfect for entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small-business owners.
- Maintain your brand visuals
Instantly create professional and visually appealing invoices. Personalize your invoice templates to match your brand identity.
- Follow invoice history
Monitor all invoices at a glance - identify who has seen or paid the invoice and send reminders to those with outstanding payments.
- From quotes to payments
Generate sales quotes within Sliptree and easily convert successful quotes into sales invoices.
- Always secure
All your data is securely stored and always accessible, so you never have to worry about losing important information.
- Let us handle the boring stuff
We ensure all your e-invoices meet the Estonian standards and regulations and offer the possibility to convert the e-invoice into the pan-European PEPPOL standard.
- Built for Estonia & beyond
We understand the local requirements and ensure your invoices meet all Estonian standards and regulations. Additionally, Sliptree is designed for global invoicing, supporting over 15+ languages and currencies.
Do I Have to Send E-Invoices?
Whether you are required to send e-invoices depends on your business relationships. In Estonia, certain situations currently require the use of electronic invoice capabilities.
Since 2019, it has been mandatory to send e-invoices to public sector entities, and this requirement is gradually extending to private sector businesses. Moreover, starting from July 2025, private companies will also have the right to exclusively accept e-invoices.
Updates to the Accounting Act from July 2025
Starting from July 1, 2025, all Estonian businesses registered to receive e-invoices will have the right to require suppliers to send e-invoices.
If you provide goods or services to Estonian companies, you may need to update your invoicing procedures. But don’t worry, Sliptree makes this process incredibly simple for you!
Future Requirements
By 2027, the Estonian Ministry of Finance intends to mandate e-invoicing for all business-to-business (B2B) transactions. This means that every company operating within Estonia will eventually be required to have e-invoice capabilities for domestic payments.
So, even if you’re not currently obligated to send e-invoices, adopting this functionality now will help future-proof your business.
How Does E-Invoicing Actually Work?
First you create a regular invoice. Your e-invoice software, such as Sliptree, will convert this into a machine-readable XML file. This then gets sent through a certified e-invoice operator who transmits the XML-formatted invoice data directly into the recipient's accounting system.
Once received, the customer can review the invoice details and initiate payment through their internet banking platform. The banking system validates that the payment amount and payment date are correct, ensuring all information is valid before forwarding the payment order to process the transaction.
The system checks the bank account for sufficient funds, and if available, executes the payment to complete the transaction. In case of insufficient funds, it is possible to make a partial payment, allowing the recipient to pay the invoice in installments.
How to Receive E-Invoices in Estonia
To start receiving e-invoices in Estonia, your business should register as an e-invoice recipient in the commercial registry. This registration gives you the right to require your suppliers to send machine readable electronic invoices, ensuring all invoice data is delivered in a format that can be processed automatically.
Once registered, you can choose to receive e-invoices directly into your accounting software or through a trusted service provider. This setup eliminates the need for paper invoices and manual data entry - making invoice management and payments much more efficient.
Frequently asked questions
Can't find an answer? Send us an email and we'll respond as soon as possible.
- How do I know if my customer accepts e-invoice?
If you're not sure whether your customer can receive an e-invoice, you can check in the e-Business Register whether their business has joined an e-invoice operator.
- Why should I use Sliptree instead of accounting software?
Maybe you shoudn't. Sliptree is designed for small businesses and freelancers who want to send invoices quickly and easily. If you need more advanced features like double-entry accounting, you should look into accounting software.
- Can I send free e-invoices with Sliptree?
Yes! We offer a 14-day free trial. No credit card required. If you don't feel like continuing after the trial, your account will be limited to 10 invoices a year and 5 customers.
- How do I know that my customer has received the e-invoice?
In Sliptree you can track the invoice journey from creation to payment. When an e-invoice is successfully sent, a corresponding entry appears in the history. If there is any error with the invoice, we notify you immediately.
- Can I import or export data from Sliptree?
Yes, with a CSV file you can mass import your products and customers. You can also export your data at any time.
- Is using e-invoices secure?
Absolutely! E-invoices are even more secure than traditional invoices as the data is encrypted and transmitted directly to the recipient's system. This ensures that unauthorized individuals can't access the information, and the invoice won't get lost or overlooked in the recipient's mailbox.
- Can I send e-invoices to companies outside Estonia?
Yes, Sliptree supports converting the Estonian e-invoice format into the PEPPOL standard for international transactions. Moreover, Sliptree supports creating invoices in a wide range of languages and currencies.
- What is PEPPOL?
PEPPOL is the European standard for electronic invoicing between different software providers across the European Union. This means you can send machine readable electronic invoices to clients in other EU countries.
- Does Sliptree support multiple languages?
While the e-invoice format itself is standardized, Sliptree platform and the invoices created by Sliptree are supported in over 15 different languages.
Ask away!
Need help creating the e-invoice? Get in contact!
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If you have questions, write to us at [email protected]. We respond quickly and expertly.
Send Your First E-Invoice Today
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