Estonia and You: The Process of Immigration to Estonia

Estonia, being a country within the European Union, allows for EU citizens can immigrate to reside and work in Estonia for up to three months without a residency permit. After this point, a EU citizen seeking to immigrate to Estonia will need to apply for a temporary residency permit which is granted for a period of five years. After five continuous years of residence in Estonia, EU citizens can apply for permanent residency. EU citizens also have the right to bring their families with them to Estonia, however these family members will also have to go through the process to obtain residency permits.

The process to obtain a residency permit for Estonia must be submitted with the Police and Border Guard Board. In the application packet, the applicant must include:

• Application Form
• Identity Document (Passport or other Government-Issued Identification)
• Colour photo size 40mmx50mm
• A document certifying the payment of state fee

The process takes about one month from the date of submission to complete, at which time an Estonian ID card will be issued.

Non-EU Citizens

For a non-EU citizen to receive a residence permit to immigrate to Estonia, they need to fit into one of the following categories:

• Married to a person with permanent residence in Estonia
• Settling down with a close relative permanently residing in Estonia
• For working
• For studies at an Estonian educational institution
• For business
• In the case of substantial public interest

This process must be started at an Estonian embassy or consulate which is located outside of Estonia. In order to work in Estonia, one must be granted a Residence Permit for Employment. The non-EU citizen must be a skilled worker having qualifications, education, and skill set for the job in which they are applying, as well as any certifications of these skills. The job must have had open competition in the Estonian job market as well as consent from the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund (which is valid for two months from the time of issue). However, the open competition and consent from the Unemployment Insurance Fund is not needed if applying to work as an expert, consultant, advisor (in which professional qualification is required) or for the purpose of performing in a managerial or supervisorial role.

The required immigration documents for the Residence Permit for Employment is generally the same as the list written above (application form, ID document, Colour Photo, certification of payment of state fee) but along with these documents, one must also the data of close relative and family members and any with professional certificates if applying for an expert, consultant, advisory, management, or supervisorial positions.

Information about the immigration process

For more information about the immigration process for entering and working in Estonia, or if you would like us to help you with your application process, employment needs, or payroll services in Estonia contact us by using our contact form.

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