Estonia adopts notary fee changes and a register of notarised powers of attorney

What happened?

The Estonian Parliament adopted the Act amending the Notary Fees Act and other Acts on 21 October 2026, following proceedings under Bill 941 SE. The Act updates notary fees and creates the legal framework for a register of notarised powers of attorney.

The President promulgated the Act on 6 November and it was published in Riigi Teataja, Estonia’s official legal publication, on 12 November 2026. Section 5 sets entry into force for 1 January 2027. Publication does not mean the changes are already in force.

What does this mean for your business?

Businesses planning transactions before an Estonian notary should review their expected costs against the new rules. Obtain an estimate for the actual transaction rather than carrying over an example fee from a different type of transaction.

The register is intended to record notarised powers of attorney and notarised declarations revoking them. The full instrument will not automatically be publicly available online: access by other persons depends on the principal’s decision to make it public, and the principal may prohibit access.

Under the transition rule, powers of attorney notarised before 1 January 2027 will not be entered. Absence from the register will therefore not, by itself, prove that an older power of attorney does not exist or is invalid. Practical operation also requires the relevant implementing information.

Who is affected?

Businesses and foreign owners planning company formation, share transfers, restructuring or real-estate transactions in Estonia, and businesses checking a counterparty representative’s authority under an Estonian notarised power of attorney.

What should you do?

Magilex recommends requesting an up-to-date estimate from the notary, including VAT and other relevant costs. Check which rules apply to the date and type of your transaction.

Continue checking the representative’s identity, the scope and duration of authority, and any revocation. When using the new register, remember its exclusion of older powers of attorney. Check official implementation guidance before relying on the register in a 2027 transaction.

Key dates

21 October 2026 — adoption by the Estonian Parliament.

6 November 2026 — promulgation by Presidential Decision No 8.

12 November 2026 — publication in Riigi Teataja (RT I, 12 November 2026, 1).

1 January 2027 — entry into force under section 5 and the cut-off date for the transition rule concerning older powers of attorney.