How much is the cost of being an Estonian e-citizen? When i was there i understood there was some cost, roughly < 100 euros. Is every step of the procedure online? or some paperwork has to be done in Estonia (this is was my understanding of last time)
I feel they could have been a little more transparent and clear about what stage my application was at, but overall it was fairly easy.
You don't actually have to go to Estonia to collect the card or do any of the processing in person there anymore. It can be done all online and everything delivered and finalized at your local Estonian embassy or consulate. When the program first started, to apply you had to make a physical appearance in Estonia. You still do to open up a bank account -- for now.
The software does work on Ubuntu. There's poor or no support for other distros IIRC.
I've yet to incorporate or actually use it for any practical purpose, but I expect to in the coming month or so. Estonia is doing some really cool things and it seems to be a decent jurisdiction to run a location-independent business from. I've still got a lot of experience to gain though.
The online application (€50) was very easy to fill out, and I received status updates via email. My e-Residency was granted 51 days after submission, and the card was ready to be picked up 8 days later.
I picked up my card at the Estonian consulate in NYC over the summer. You just have to bring ID, and they will fingerprint you while you're there.
I think it was the most pleasant interaction I've ever had with a government.