Estonian Migration Advice, Pärnu mnt 139, Tallinn (2026)

13/08/2026

❓ Lost your job? Do you have to leave immediately?
No.

If you hold a valid temporary residence permit for employment, losing your job does not automatically mean that your residence permit will be revoked.

During the validity of your current employment-based residence permit, you may remain unemployed for a total period of:

• up to 3 months if you have held your residence permit for less than 2 years;
• up to 6 months if you have held your residence permit for more than 2 years.

If you are unemployed for more than 3 months, you must have sufficient legal income to support yourself in Estonia.

The unemployment period starts the day after your employment ends.

If you do not find a new job or another legal basis to stay in Estonia within this period, your residence permit may be revoked.

Follow us for updates and practical tips on living and working in Estonia.

11/08/2026

Know the difference! Temporary residence permit for settling permanently and long-term residence permit are NOT the same thing.

📍 Temporary residence permit for settling permanently:
• is still a temporary residence permit;
• can be applied for after 3 years of residence in Estonia with a temporary residence permit. Residence permit for studies does not count.
• requires at least A2 Estonian language level;
• requires adaptation programme basic module;
• requires sufficient legal income and health insurance;
• usually issued for up to 5 years.

📍 Long-term residence permit:
• is a permanent residence permit;
• requires 5 years of continuous residence in Estonia before applying;
• study years are counted as 50% if the person later changes to another type of residence permit;
• requires at least B1 Estonian language level;
• requires sufficient legal income and Estonian national health insurance (Tervisekassa).

Follow us for updates and practical tips on living and working in Estonia.

06/08/2026

📄 Applying for a residence permit or visa? Don't forget about translations.

If your documents are not in Estonian or English, they usually need to be translated into one of these languages.

Keep in mind:
• Documents translated in Estonia should be translated by a sworn translator.
• Requirements for official translations made abroad may differ depending on the country where the translation was made. Please check the requirements before submitting your application.

📍 Looking for a sworn translator in Estonia?

Official list:
https://www.justdigi.ee/en/legal-services/sworn-translators

Follow us for updates and practical tips on living and working in Estonia.

04/08/2026

🚩Learn how to spot a job scam 🚩

Here are some common red flags to look out for:

• You receive an unexpected job offer via WhatsApp or Telegram.
Confirm the offer through the company's official channels.

• The recruiter's email doesn't match the company.
Be cautious of Gmail addresses and lookalike domains.

• The salary sound great, but the job details are unclear.
The focus is on making money, not on the actual work.

• There is no real job interview.
You're hired quickly without any assessment or meeting your future manager.

• The application starts to feel like a loan application.
You're asked for banking details, excessive personal data or ID verification videos.

• You are asked to pay to get the job.
The payment may be for a medical certificate, background check, training, work
permit, equipment or another supposedly required service.

• You are asked to use your own money or bank account.
This may involve receiving, transferring or depositing funds on behalf of the company.

👉 If something doesn't feel right, verify the employer before sharing personal information or making any payments.

Follow us for updates and practical tips on living and working in Estonia.

30/07/2026

🧑‍🎓 Planning an internship in Estonia? 🧑‍🎓

Before your internship starts, the host organisation must register your short-term employment.

Registration is possible if the internship is:
• part of a vocational training programme at a foreign vocational school; or
• related to the trainee's current or recently completed higher education (within the last two years).

👉 An internship agreement must be signed by the host organisation and the trainee.

💼 Salary requirement. Internships that meet these conditions are exempt from the salary requirement.

⚠️ For other types of short-term employment, the general salary requirement is €2,092 gross per month.

The internship agreement should include:
• the internship programme;
• the start and end dates of the internship;
• the place of the internship and the supervision arrangements;
• the internship schedule or working hours;
• the rights and obligations of the parties.

⏳ The application is processed within 15 working days.

Once approved, you can apply for the D visa, if required:
https://www.politsei.ee/en/instructions/visa-and-extending-period-of-stay/long-term-visa

Follow us for updates and practical tips on living and working in Estonia.

28/07/2026

Considering Estonian citizenship?

Before applying, make sure you meet these key requirements:
• Hold a long-term resident's residence permit.
• Have lived in Estonia for at least 8 years, including 5 years permanently;
• Have passed the Estonian language examination at the level B1(unless exempt).
• Have passed the examination on the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia and the Citizenship Act.
• Have a permanent legal income.
• Have your place of residence registered in the Estonian Population Register.
• Take an oath: ‘Taotledes Eesti kodakondsust, tõotan olla ustav Eesti põhiseaduslikule korrale.’
• Be loyal to the Estonian state.

📚 Citizenship examinations
Exams are organised by Harno (the Estonian Education and Youth Board): https://harno.ee/en

Some applicants may be exempt from the examinations, including those who have completed their education in Estonian, have restricted legal capacity, or have a health condition that prevents them from taking the exams.

⚠️ Estonia generally does not allow dual citizenship for people who acquire citizenship through naturalisation.

You do not need to give up your current citizenship before applying. If your application is approved, you will receive a certificate confirming that you will acquire Estonian citizenship once you are released from your current citizenship. This certificate allows you to begin the renunciation process in your current country.

Need help with your application? Our team is here to help!

Follow us for updates and practical tips on living and working in Estonia.

23/07/2026

📢 Coming to Estonia for research or studies? Here's what you should know.

Not every academic activity in Estonia is treated as studying under our immigration law.

Here are two important things to keep in mind:

🔬 Coming to Estonia for research?

If you are coming to Estonia to carry out research or work as an academic employee, this is considered employment under the Aliens Act.
Before starting your activities, your short-term employment must be registered with the Police and Border Guard Board.

🎓 Applying for a visa for studies?

A visa for studies can only be issued if you have been admitted to:
• a recognised school;
• a vocational education institution; or
• a higher education institution offering an accredited study programme.

If you are coming to Estonia for activities such as:

• a microdegree programme;
• individual courses;
• language studies; or
• other studies that do not qualify as studies under the Aliens Act,

⚠️you cannot apply for a visa for studies.

However, you may still be eligible for a long-stay (D) visa on another legal basis. In this case, the general conditions for a long-stay visa apply, including the requirement to have sufficient financial means for your stay in Estonia.

If your stay is related to research activities rather than studies, remember that your short-term employment must be registered before applying for a visa.

Follow us for updates and practical tips on living and working in Estonia.

21/07/2026

❌ Can you apply for a residence permit through the self-service portal?

Unfortunately, no.

The self-service portal is only for document applications, such as:
• a residence permit card
• an Estonian ID card/passport

📧 Can you submit a residence permit application digitally?

Yes, in some cases. You can submit your application by e-mail if:

• all required documents are digitally signed and
• the applicant's fingerprints have been collected for residence permit application within the last six years (for example, during a previous residence permit application).

You can check the validity of your biometrics here:
https://www.politsei.ee/en/inquiries/biometrics-validity-check

📧 Send your application to: [email protected]

If you do not meet these conditions, you must submit your application in person at a Police and Border Guard Board service office. An appointment must be booked in advance.

Before submitting your application, make sure you are using the correct channel. This can help you avoid unnecessary delays.

Follow us for practical migration tips and updates about living and working in Estonia.

16/07/2026

📄 Legalisation or Apostille: What's the Difference?

Foreign public documents submitted with a long-stay (D) visa or temporary residence permit application must be legalised or apostilled, unless an exemption applies.

📌 The required procedure depends on the country where the document was issued and the country where it will be used.

✅ Apostille
Used when countries apply the Hague Apostille Convention: https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/authorities1/?cid=41.
The Apostille is issued by the competent authority in the country where the document was issued.

✅Legalisation
Used when an Apostille cannot be used.
The document usually needs to be certified by several authorities before it can be accepted abroad.

Common examples include:
• birth certificates
• marriage certificates
• other documents issued by the foreign state

Before submitting your application, make sure your documents have been certified correctly. This can help avoid delays in processing.

📌 More information:
https://vm.ee/en/consular-visa-and-travel-information/consular-information-and-services/legalisation-public-document

Follow us for practical migration tips and updates about living and working in Estonia.

14/07/2026

💻Starting a business in Estonia?

Estonia's e-Residency programme allows eligible foreign nationals to establish and manage an Estonian company online.

✅What can you do with e-Residency?
• Register an Estonian company online.
• Manage your company remotely.
• Access Estonia's secure digital business services
• Sign documents digitally.

⚠️ What e-Residency does NOT provide

• It is not a residence permit or visa.
• It does not give you the right to live or work in Estonia.
• It cannot be used as a travel document.

Having an e-Residency digital ID does not automatically create a company. Company registration is a separate procedure.

❗Not everyone is eligible to apply for e-Residency. Before applying, please check whether any citizenship-based restrictions apply:
https://www.politsei.ee/en/instructions/e-resident-s-digital-id/citizenship-based-application-restrictions

📌 To learn more about Estonia's e-Residency programme or to apply, visit:
https://e-resident.gov.ee/

Follow us for practical migration tips and updates about living and working in Estonia.

Estonian Migration Advice

13/08/2026

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06/08/2026

04/08/2026

30/07/2026

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