+372 5366 6674

Estonian residence permit

The original article “Residence permit for work” is published on the website of the Estonian Police Department. Follow the link to source

You can apply for a residence permit for work from an employer registered in Estonia and for scientific and research work if the institution is registered in the register of scientific and development institutions:

  • with the consent of the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund and having fulfilled the salary criterion;
  • without the consent of the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund and without meeting the salary criteria;
  • without the consent of the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund, but having fulfilled the salary criterion, if the applicant starts working as an expert, adviser or consultant (special training is required);
  • An applicant who starts working in Estonia for the purpose of performing the management or supervision functions of a private legal entity registered in Estonia without the permission of the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund, but fulfilling the salary criteria, under the following conditions: :
    • The company must have been registered in Estonia for at least five months, it must have had actual business activity in Estonia within the last five months, and the granting of a residence permit must significantly contribute to achieving the goal of granting a fixed-term residence permit for work;
    • For the purpose of performing the management or supervisory functions of a private legal entity registered in Estonia, a residence permit may be granted to the co-owner of a general partnership and a limited liability company, the head of a limited liability company, a joint-stock company, a trust fund and a commercial association, or a member of the board, a member of the management board of a non-profit association, a prosecutor, a liquidator, a manager of the bankrupt’s property, an auditor an auditor, a member of the audit commission, and the head of a branch of a foreign commercial partnership.
  • without the permission of the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund, but with the fulfillment of the salary criteria, if the applicant starts working in the area specified in the order of the Government of the Republic, in which it is necessary to reduce the labor shortage in Estonia;
  • based on the blue map of the European Union (EU);
  • for conducting scientific and research work;
  • about working as a highly qualified specialist;
  • as an employee.



To submit your application, please contact us in person to a foreign representative office Of the Republic of Estonia. As an exception you can submit a petition at the service point. To submit an application to the service desk, you must: book a time.

Documents required for the application
Questionnaires-applications that are filled out on a computer and printed out. Instructions filling out the application form:


Employer’s invitation the employer can submit a DPP by e-mail (ppa@politsei.ee) or by mail (Pärnu mnt. 139, 15060 Tallinn).

Additional documents

If you apply for a residence permit without the consent of the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund, without a public competition and without meeting the salary criterion:

  • a journalist who is accredited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – present a document confirming accreditation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
  • to work in a entertainment institution as an employee of the creative profession – present documents or data confirming the professional training or experience of the advocate;
  • who is a second-time employee – present an employment contract of a foreign country and documents confirming the business trip and insurance contract;
  • to work as a teacher or teacher in an educational institution that meets the requirements set out in Estonian legal acts – present an invitation from the educational institution (confirmation of the employer) and documents confirming the professional training of the applicant;
  • for scientific and research activities in Estonia-present documents and data confirming the professional training of the applicant and a copy of the contract concluded between the foreigner and the scientific institution for accepting the invited person;
  • if you have a long-term resident’s residence permit in a member State of the European Union, please present a document confirming that you have a residence permit.

If you apply for a residence permit without the consent of the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund to work as an expert, adviser or consultant:

  • submit documents confirming the activity of the legal entity.

If you apply for a residence permit for the purpose of performing management or supervision functions of a private legal entity:

  • present documents confirming the business activity of the company (for example, the company’s bank account statement, data from the turnover tax declaration, documents confirming transactions, and contracts).

If you apply for a residence permit to work on the basis of the EU blue card:

  • the employer submits to the Police and Border Protection Department an employment contract or job offer with a validity period of at least one year, which expresses the desire to be legally bound to the concluded contract and undertakes to accept a foreigner for the required highly qualified job specified in the concluded contract or job offer for a period of at least one year;
  • Submit an assessment of the competent institution or a decision to recognize the high professional qualification of the applicant, or documents confirming at least five years of professional work experience (this assessment can be submitted by the employer who wants to hire the applicant). If a foreigner has lived in Estonia on the basis of an EU blue card for at least two consecutive years and has a valid EU blue card, then an employer wishing to employ the above-mentioned foreigner does not need to present the consent of the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund to the Police and Border Protection Department.


If you are applying for a residence permit to work as a highly qualified professional:

  • If the employer has been registered in Estonia for at least 12 months, submit documents confirming that the business association has received an investment or loan from the state or a private fund manager with a license issued by the Financial Inspectorate for the operation of the fund or a grant from state grant funds, or;
  • documents confirming that the head office of the commercial association has been in existence for at least 12 months and the turnover of the head office is at least ten million euros per year.


If you are applying for a residence permit to work as an employee, you must::

  • submit documents confirming the availability of funds in the amount of at least ten percent of the salary fund on the employer’s deposit.


Decision on granting or refusing a residence permit
The issue of a temporary residence permit or its refusal will be decided within 2 months from the date of acceptance of the application in the proceedings.
 
When issuing a residence permit to the applicant, the residence permit card is issued in person during the following period: 30 days as indicated on the application form foreign representation of the Republic of Estonia or at the service point. It may take longer for a residence permit card to arrive at a foreign representative office.

A residence permit for working in Estonia under the conditions specified in the residence permit is issued for up to two years and can be extended for up to 5 years at a time.

The EU blue card is issued with a validity period longer than three months, if the employer has provided working hours, calculating that the validity period should not exceed 2 years and 3 months and it can be extended to 4 years and 3 months at a time.
If you end up working under the conditions specified in the residence permit and wish to work for another employer, you should apply in advance for a new residence permit for work.

Extension of a fixed-term residence permit
Apply for an extension of your temporary residence permit in person at service desk at least two months before the expiration of the residence permit.

If less than two years have passed since the last application for a residence permit and fingerprinting, then you can apply for an extension of the residence permit by mail.

The decision to extend the temporary residence permit or refuse it will be made no later than 10 days before the expiration of the term of validity of the temporary residence permit. A residence permit card is issued at the service point indicated on the application form.

You can read about the employer’s responsibilities (salary criteria and the obligation to inform). here.

Legal grounds for staying in Estonia after the expiry of the residence permit
If the alien’s residence permit expires, then the alien’s stay in Estonia is legal for the next 90 days, starting from the date of expiry of the residence permit. If a residence permit has been issued to a foreigner for research or teaching purposes, then the foreigner’s stay in Estonia is legal for the next 183 days, starting from the date when the residence permit expires. Read more about the legal grounds for staying in Estonia here.

+372 5366 6674