Switching your Estonian company’s service provider is one of those tasks that sounds complicated but is actually straightforward when you know the steps. Founders switch for many reasons: pricing has changed, service quality has slipped, the company has grown and needs something different, or they simply want everything in one place. Whatever the reason, the process of moving your virtual office, accounting, or contact person to Unicount follows a clear sequence that most founders complete within a few days.
This guide explains exactly what can be transferred, what documents you need to gather before you start, how long each part of the process takes, and what happens during and after the switch to make sure nothing falls through the gap.
What you can switch to Unicount
Unicount provides three core services for Estonian companies: virtual office and registered address, accounting, and contact person. Each can be switched independently or together, and the process for each is slightly different.
- Virtual office and registered address: if your current provider gives you a registered address in Estonia and you want to move that address to Unicount’s Artius office building in Tallinn, you switch your virtual office subscription and then update the registered address in the Estonian Business Register yourself.
- Accounting: if your company currently has a monthly accounting plan with another provider, you can move your bookkeeping, accounting software, and tax filing to Unicount’s accounting team. The key step here is gathering your historical accounting records from your current provider before the switch.
- Contact person: if your company uses a foreign registered address and has a licensed contact person through another provider, you can move that contact person appointment to Unicount. Like the registered address switch, this requires an update in the Estonian Business Register.
You can switch all three at once or one at a time. Most founders switching to Unicount do the virtual office first because it is the simplest, then add accounting once they have seen how the platform works.
Before you start: what to gather
Before initiating any switch, gather these items. Having them ready means the process moves faster and nothing stalls at the last minute.
From your current service provider:
- Confirmation of your current subscription end date and renewal terms: you want to time the switch to avoid paying two providers simultaneously for the same service
- Your company’s accounting records if switching accounting: this means your chart of accounts, all source documents from the current financial year, bank statements, and any outstanding declarations
- Written confirmation of your current contact person appointment if switching contact person
From the Estonian Business Register:
- Your company’s current registration data, board members, registered address, and contact person, which you can view at ariregister.rik.ee using your e-resident card
From your bank:
- Bank statements covering the current accounting period, in CSV or XML format where possible, as these are needed for bank reconciliation during the accounting handover
Switching your virtual office to Unicount
Step 1: Subscribe to Unicount’s virtual office service
Go to unicount.eu and subscribe to the virtual office service. The annual subscription is €199 plus VAT. You can subscribe at any point as you do not need to wait for your current provider’s subscription to expire.
Step 2: Update your registered address in the Estonian Business Register
After subscribing, Unicount provides the new address details. You then log into the Estonian Business Register portal at ariregister.rik.ee using your e-resident card or Smart-ID, navigate to your company, and submit a change of registered address application. Processing takes one to two working days.
Step 3: Notify your current provider
Once the address change is confirmed in the Business Register, notify your current provider that you have switched. If you have prepaid for a period beyond the switch date, check their refund policy, as this varies by provider.
Step 4: Forward any outstanding mail
Inform Unicount of any ongoing correspondence you expect to receive, like tax authority notices, Business Register communications, or anything else addressed to your company at the old address. Unicount will handle all new incoming mail from the date the new address is live.
Timeline: The entire virtual office switch typically completes within three to five working days from subscription to confirmed Business Register update.
Switching your accounting to Unicount
Switching accounting providers requires more preparation than switching a virtual office, but the process is manageable when done in stages.
Step 1: Choose the right Unicount accounting plan
Review Unicount’s accounting plans before you start. The Lite plan at €29 per month is for self-managing founders with no VAT registration and no employees who want software access only. The Micro plan at €99 per month includes a named Unicount accountant who handles your bookkeeping, bank reconciliation, and financial reporting. The Standard plan at €149 per month adds TSD and VAT return filing. Choose the plan that matches your company’s current activity level.
Step 2: Request your accounting records from your current provider
Contact your current accounting provider and request a full handover package. This should include your trial balance as of the handover date, the full chart of accounts, all source documents from the current financial year organised by period, your VAT registration details if applicable, any outstanding or upcoming tax declaration information, and confirmation that all EMTA filings are up to date to the handover date.
This step takes the most time and depends on how organised your current provider is. Give yourself at least two weeks for a clean handover, ideally timed to coincide with a natural period end such as month-end or quarter-end.
Step 3: Subscribe to Unicount accounting and connect your software
Once subscribed, Unicount grants you access to the Envoice platform for invoicing and expense management. Your Unicount accountant will contact you to begin the onboarding process and will request the handover documents from Step 2.
Step 4: EMTA notification
If your company is VAT-registered or has any ongoing tax filings, your Unicount accountant will update the tax representative information with EMTA to reflect the change. This is handled by Unicount on your behalf.
Step 5: First month reconciliation
Your Unicount accountant will reconcile the opening balances from the handover documents against your bank statements to establish a clean starting point. This reconciliation is included in the onboarding process.
Timeline: A clean accounting switch typically takes two to four weeks from the point of requesting handover documents to the first Unicount accounting period being fully operational.
Important: Make sure all outstanding declarations with your previous provider are filed before the handover date. Unicount takes responsibility for filings from the agreed start date only. Any declarations covering periods before the handover date remain the responsibility of the previous provider unless specifically agreed otherwise.
Switching your contact person to Unicount
Step 1: Subscribe to Unicount’s contact person service
The contact person service costs €199 per year plus VAT, plus a €29 state fee for the Business Register appointment. Subscribe at unicount.eu.
Step 2: Update the contact person in the Estonian Business Register
Log into ariregister.rik.ee using your e-resident card or Smart-ID and submit a change of contact person application. You will need Unicount’s details as the new contact person, which are provided upon subscription. The state fee for this change is the €29 mentioned above. Processing takes one to two working days.
Step 3: Notify your previous contact person provider
Once the change is confirmed in the Business Register, notify your previous provider. The appointment is legally transferred at the point the Business Register records the change, and not at the point you notify the old provider.
Timeline: The contact person switch typically completes within two to three working days.
Switching everything at once
If you are moving your virtual office, accounting, and contact person to Unicount simultaneously, the most efficient sequence is:
- Subscribe to all Unicount services you need
- Request your accounting handover documents from your previous provider immediately (this takes the longest)
- Submit the registered address and contact person changes in the Business Register in parallel
- Begin the accounting onboarding once the handover documents arrive
- Notify all previous providers once the Business Register changes are confirmed
Doing steps 3 and 4 in parallel means you are not waiting for one before starting the other.
Service continuity during the switch
A common concern is whether there will be a gap in coverage during the switch: a period when neither the old provider nor Unicount is covering your company’s correspondence or compliance obligations.
- For virtual office: There is no gap. You maintain your old address until the Business Register update is confirmed. From the moment the new Unicount address is live in the register, Unicount handles all incoming correspondence. The overlap period, when you are subscribed to both, is brief and is worth the cost to ensure continuity.
- For accounting: Your previous provider covers all declarations up to the agreed handover date. Unicount covers everything from that date forward. The handover date should be agreed explicitly with both parties before the switch begins.
- For contact person: There is no gap. Your previous contact person remains appointed until the Business Register records the change to Unicount. The change is instantaneous from a legal perspective.
What Unicount needs from you to start
When you contact Unicount to begin the switching process, having the following ready speeds everything up significantly:
- Your company registration code (registrikood) from the Estonian Business Register
- Your current provider’s name and your subscription end date with them
- For accounting switches: confirmation of whether your company is VAT-registered, whether it has employees, and the last completed accounting period
- Your preferred start date for Unicount services
How long does a complete switch take?
The timeline depends on which services you are switching:
| Service | Typical timeline |
|---|---|
| Virtual office only | 3 to 5 working days |
| Contact person only | 2 to 3 working days |
| Accounting only | 2 to 4 weeks |
| All three together | 2 to 4 weeks, services overlap during the process |
The accounting handover is always the longest element because it depends on receiving clean documentation from your previous provider. Starting that process first, while submitting Business Register changes in parallel, keeps the overall timeline as short as possible.
Frequently asked questions about switching
Do I lose any data when switching accounting providers? No. Your accounting history belongs to you, not to your provider. You are entitled to receive all your historical records — source documents, trial balances, filed declarations — from your previous provider. Request these in writing at the start of the process.
Can I switch mid-year rather than waiting until January? Yes. Unicount can onboard your accounting at any point in the financial year. A mid-year switch requires a clean handover of the year-to-date accounting records, which Unicount will reconcile as part of onboarding. Many founders switch mid-year without any issues.
Do I need to notify EMTA when I switch accounting providers? If your company is VAT-registered or has ongoing tax filings, the accounting representative information with EMTA should be updated. Unicount handles this as part of the onboarding process for accounting clients.
What happens to outstanding invoices and receivables during the switch? Outstanding invoices and receivables are part of your accounting records and transfer with the handover documents. Your Unicount accountant will include these in the opening balance reconciliation.
Can I switch my virtual office without switching my accounting? Yes. Each Unicount service is independent. You can switch your registered address to Unicount while keeping your existing accountant, or switch your accounting while keeping your current virtual office address. There is no requirement to use all Unicount services simultaneously.
What if my current provider is unresponsive about the handover? If your previous provider is slow to respond to handover requests, send the request in writing by email and keep the record. As a client, you are legally entitled to your own accounting data. If the issue persists, Unicount can advise on next steps based on your specific situation.
Is there a minimum contract period with Unicount? The virtual office and contact person services are annual subscriptions. The accounting service is monthly with no minimum commitment beyond the first month.
Ready to switch?
If you are ready to move your Estonian company to Unicount, chat with us on unicount.eu and tell us which services you want to switch and your preferred timeline. We will walk you through the specific steps for your situation and make sure nothing falls through the gap during the transition.
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This article is for informational purposes only. All information reflects procedures and pricing as of September 2026. Business Register fees are subject to change, verify current fees at ariregister.rik.ee.
Last verified: September 2026 by Unicount team
