Freezing an account is a check, not a seizure. In most cases the money is still there and it will be released. You lose access and time for a while, not money. So stay calm and act in the right order.
Most often this is not a freeze ordered by the state. Usually it is your own bank or payment service provider carrying out its own check under anti-money-laundering rules. They have a legal duty to do so. Often they are not even allowed to tell you straight away why the check started.
First step: do not make things worse
Do not send angry letters. Do not open several lines of dispute at once, and do not threaten court. Use one calm channel and see it through properly. Panic only slows the check down.
Redirect incoming payments to your other account today. A frozen account is not a business at a standstill if you have a second account. That is exactly why every company should keep two banking relationships.
Answer once, with a complete package
Do not send documents piece by piece. Put the whole package together at once: who you are, what the company does, which payment drew attention, and the documents that prove it. For example a contract, an invoice and, in the case of a large incoming payment, an explanation of where the money came from. Incomplete answers are the most common reason why a check drags on.
Tell your accountant as well. That way the freeze does not grow into a second problem, for example a missed deadline for taxes or for a report.
Why was the account blocked at all? Usually one of two things draws attention. Either an unusual payment: larger than normal, a new country or a new business partner. Or an incomplete check of customer data: an expired identity document, a changed owner, or a place of residence that no longer matches the records.
If it drags on
The state's own involvement is narrow and limited in time. The Financial Intelligence Unit may suspend a transaction by precept. It may also restrict the disposal of assets in an account "for up to 30 calendar days as of the delivery of the precept". (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Prevention Act, § 57 subsection 1 — Riigi Teataja.) Your own bank's check is separate from this and usually shorter.
If the delay continues, first file a written complaint with the service provider itself. Refer to your case number and date. In the case of a bank or a payment institution, you may also turn to the Estonian Financial Supervision Authority. Please note: the Estonian Financial Supervision Authority gives independent advice and explanations and supervises the service provider. It is not a court and it will not settle the dispute for you. It answers a complaint within up to 15 calendar days.
This article was prepared with the help of artificial intelligence.