Moving to Estonia from the US: which visa or residence route fits

Estonia handles almost every immigration step through one agency, the Police and Border Guard Board, known by its Estonian initials PBGB (PPA). For a US citizen, the choice usually comes down to two tools: a long-term D visa, which covers up to a year and includes Estonia's teleworking (digital nomad) option, and a temporary residence permit, which is the route for people who will work for an Estonian employer, run a business, or invest in the country. This guide sets out who each route is for, using the PBGB's own instructions.

Visa or residence permit: the basic split

The PBGB's guidance on applying for a residence permit describes who needs one: a person who is not a citizen of an EU member state, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, whose purpose of stay in Estonia lasts for more than one year, and who does not already hold an Estonian residence permit on another basis. The initial residence permit may be issued for up to five years, and a temporary residence permit may be extended for up to 10 years at a time.

A long-term D visa is for stays of up to a year. The PBGB states that it can be valid for up to 12 months and allow up to 365 days of stay within 12 consecutive months, for a single or multiple temporary stays.

Applying for a D visa from inside Estonia

The PBGB states that a foreigner can apply for a long-term D visa at a PBGB service office if already staying in Estonia on a legal basis. One of the listed bases is the right to stay arising from the Estonian government's decision to waive the visa requirement, which is the basis Americans use for short visits. The PBGB's list of D visa grounds also includes a Schengen visa or a residence permit issued by another Schengen state.

The application has to reach the PBGB at least 30 days before your current permitted stay ends. The process, as the PBGB describes it:

1. Fill in the long-term (D visa) form in the visa pre-application environment.
2. Print and sign the completed form, or note the pre-application number if you cannot print.
3. Bring the signed form and supporting documents to a PBGB service office, in person or through a representative.

You must give fingerprints if you have not done so before or if more than 59 months have passed since they were last taken. Documents must be in Estonian or English. A document issued abroad in another language needs a translation by a sworn translator, and foreign documents must be legalised or carry an apostille.

The general D visa documents include health insurance covering treatment costs from illness or injury for the visa's validity, documents showing the purpose of the stay, and bank statements or other proof of legal income for the three months before you apply. The PBGB says it reviews an application within 30 days of accepting it.

The telework D visa (Estonia's digital nomad visa)

Estonia's digital nomad option is a D visa issued for the purpose of teleworking. On top of the general documents, the PBGB asks for:

• proof that your work does not depend on location and that you can do it remotely using telecommunications technology
• proof that you keep working for an employer registered abroad with whom you have a contract, or run a company registered abroad in which you hold shares, or provide services mainly to clients based abroad under contract
• proof of your legal income over the six months before the application, showing its size, regularity and sources

The PBGB's listed evidence includes a written explanation of how you will use the visa for teleworking, a written confirmation from your employer that you can work remotely, your employment contract or other contract, and a certificate from your country's authorities showing payment of taxes or social security contributions there. Company owners also submit a certificate from the company's country of registration with its name, registered office, area of activity, your holdings and its legal representatives, plus proof that the company has paid its taxes and has no tax arrears. For a US-based applicant, these certificates come from US authorities.

The PBGB page does not state a fixed income figure in the text we reviewed, so confirm the current threshold with the PBGB or an Estonian representation before applying.

Residence permit for employment

To work for an Estonian employer for the longer term, a non-EU citizen needs a temporary residence permit for employment. The PBGB lists the general requirements:

• you have the education, work experience, health, professional skills and knowledge needed for the job
• the employer pays at least the average gross salary in Estonia, as a general rule with exceptions
• the employer obtains a permit from the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund to recruit a foreign national for the position
• after the permit is granted, you settle in Estonia and register your place of residence in the Population Register

Holders of a permit for employment issued since July 16, 2018 must meet an Estonian language requirement at level A2 when applying for an extension or a new employment permit after five years in Estonia. The PBGB states that it responds within 90 days and issues the residence permit card within 30 days after that. For short assignments, an employer can instead apply to register short-term employment.

Residence permit for business

The PBGB issues residence permits for business in several forms, each with its own conditions:

• Start-up entrepreneurs: the company needs a positive evaluation from an expert committee of the Ministry of the Interior, unless it has already been evaluated or appears on the minister's exempt list. The committee answers within 10 working days of a complete application. You must have income of four times the subsistence level, which the State Budget Act sets each year, and health insurance meeting § 120 of the Aliens Act.
• Sole proprietors: you must have invested at least 16,000 euros in your business activity in Estonia, the sole proprietorship must be registered in the Estonian Business Register, and you need income of six times the subsistence level plus health insurance. A business plan in Estonian or English is part of the application.
• Large investors: a permanent direct investment of at least 1,000,000 euros in an Estonian company that invests in the Estonian economy, or in an investment fund that invests mainly in Estonian companies, plus income of six times the subsistence level and health insurance. The investment must not fall during the permit's validity except through market price changes.

The PBGB also has a separate track for shareholders of a company. As with employment permits, it gives a response time of 90 days, followed by up to 30 days to issue the card.

State fees

The PBGB's fee table lists, for a first application, two prices: the lower fee for applying at a PBGB office and a higher one for applying at an Estonian foreign representation.

• temporary residence permit for employment: 250 euros at the PBGB, 280 euros at a foreign representation
• temporary residence permit for business: 350 euros at the PBGB, 380 euros at a foreign representation
• extension of a permit for employment: 250 euros; for business: 350 euros

Having the document sent to a foreign representation costs an extra 20 euros on top of the state fee.

Which route fits

• You keep a US employer, your own foreign company, or foreign clients, for up to a year: the telework D visa, which the PBGB lets you apply for at a service office while you are legally in Estonia.
• You have an Estonian job offer: a temporary residence permit for employment, with the employer obtaining the Unemployment Insurance Fund permit.
• You are founding an innovative company: the start-up entrepreneur permit, after a positive expert committee evaluation.
• You will trade as a sole proprietor: the sole proprietor permit with a 16,000 euro investment.
• You are investing at least one million euros: the large investor permit.

Common questions

Can I apply for an Estonian visa after arriving visa-free? Yes, for the long-term D visa. The PBGB states that a foreigner staying in Estonia legally, including on the visa waiver, can apply at a PBGB service office, at least 30 days before the permitted stay ends.

Does Estonia have a digital nomad visa? Yes. It is a long-term D visa for teleworking, valid for up to 12 months. You must show location-independent work for a foreign employer, your own foreign company, or mainly foreign clients, plus legal income over the previous six months.

How much does an Estonian residence permit cost? The PBGB fee table lists 250 euros for a first temporary residence permit for employment and 350 euros for business when applying at the PBGB, or 280 and 380 euros when applying at a foreign representation.

How long does an Estonian residence permit take? For employment and business permits, the PBGB states that you receive a response within 90 days and the residence permit card is issued within 30 days after that. D visa applications are reviewed within 30 days of acceptance.