Estonia Visa Requirements – How to Apply Online

Generally, it is important to know the Estonia visa requirements before you make a move to apply for an Estonia visa.

Before making any move, it is important you weigh properly to know if you can see it through. Otherwise, you might just be wasting resources.

Estonia is a small European country located on the Baltic region. The country has a population of about 1.3 million, which consists of Estonians, Finns, Ukrainians, Russians, Belarusians, etc.

Before applying for any type of Estonia visa, make sure you know everything about it, including its requirements, fees, duration, application process, and more.

However, it is best to submit your application ahead of your desired date of travel.

Hence, in this article, you will learn about the general requirements as well as the specific requirements for all Estonia visas.

General Estonia visa requirements

The following are the general Estonia visa requirements for citizens of non-Schengen nations looking for an Estonia visa.

Therefore, you must have them irrespective of the type of Estonia visa you are applying for. They include:

1. International Passport
2. Estonia visa application form
3. Passport photograph
4. Visa Fee
5. Schengen travel insurance

Types of Estonia visas

The type of visa you need majorly depends on the purpose of your travelling. More so, it depends on the duration of your stay in Estonia.

However, let us examine the different types of Estonia visas. They include:

#1. Estonia student visa

International students can study in Estonia, especially if they have the right visa to study in the country. This means they have to apply for an Estonia study visa.

Students who are not from the EU, EEA or Switzerland needs to apply for a student visa to study in Estonia.

However, the student Estonia visa are of 3 types namely:

• Temporary residence permit: This type of visa allows you to live and study in Estonia for 5 years.
• Short-term study visa: This visa allows you to live and study in Estonia for 90 days. However, a short-term visa is considered the best for student who wants to go for training, conferences etc.
• Long-term study visa: This visa allows students to live and study in Estonia for a year.

Estonia student visa requirements

In addition to the general Estonia visa requirements, you will need the following documents if you are applying for a student visa in Estonia.

• Letter of acceptance from the university: Students who aspire to study in Estonia must submit a letter of acceptance from the institution they intend to study.

Steps to apply for an Estonia student visa

To apply for an Estonian Student visa, you must follow these steps without omitting any.

1. Contact the nearest embassy, consulate or visa application center in your home country and book an appointment.
2. Submit the application form, fee payment recipe, and all the other requested documents for your visa appointment.
3. Wait for a response from the embassy or consulate with your visa result.

Of course, you will receive an answer for your visa result via text or email from the embassy/consulate or VAC where you have submitted the documents.

#2.  Estonia transit visa

An Estonia transit visa is a type of visa that permits travelers to journey through an airport in Estonia for a short period of time.

Citizens of Iran, Ghana, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iraq, Pakistan, Congo, Somalia, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Ethiopia need to get a transit visa to take a trip through an Estonian airport to their destination country.

To apply for an Estonia transit visa, you have to visit an Estonian embassy or consulate nearest to you.

Estonia transit visa requirements

In addition to the general Estonia visa requirements, you will need the following documents if you are applying for a transit visa in Estonia.

• Document proof of your final destination: This document can be a Flight itinerary that proves you have purchased a ticket for your final destination and that your flight is an ongoing journey.
• A filled out and signed Estonia visa application form.
• Evidence of visa fee payment.

Steps to apply for an Estonia transit visa

The following are four (4) steps you can follow in applying for a transit visa to take a trip through an Estonian airport to another country.

1. Visit an Estonian embassy or consulate in your country of residence
2. Complete visa application form and pay fee
3. Submit all supporting documents
4. Wait for the embassy or consulate’s decision

#3. Estonia tourist visa

If you are planning a trip to Estonia and want to stay longer than the 90-day duration of your standard tourist visa, you may be interested in applying for an Estonia Tourist Visa.

In addition, this visa allows tourists who have a valid passport from a country that participates in the Schengen Agreement to stay in Estonia for up to six months.

Estonia tourist visa requirements

In addition to the general Estonia visa requirements, you will need the following documents if you are applying for a tourist visa in Estonia.

• A cover letter: Your cover letter must include detailed information regarding your trip to Estonia such as the purpose of your visit, flying date and time, return date, etc.
• Flight itinerary:This document shows proof that you have a return ticket to your home country after your trip ends.
• Proof of accommodation: you must proof that you have a place to stay in Estonia.

Examples include rental agreement document, hotel reservation, invitation letter from a family member, friend, etc.

• Civil status documents: such as proof of your civil status, marriage certificate, death certificate of spouse etc.

Steps to apply for an Estonia tourist visa

Here are the steps you need to follow to apply for an Estonian tourist visa.

Firstly, you need to find the nearest consulate or embassy of Estonia in your home or contact an agency where you can apply for an Estonian visa.

Secondly, book an appointment the embassy, consulate or visa application center. The appointment is essential to have a faster and easier experience when applying for a visa.

Thirdly, fill out the application form. You must fill out the application form online and select the short-stay C visa, print a hard copy, and sign it at the end.

Finally, gather all the required documents and submit them to the consulate or embassy.

You may be asked to be interviewed when submitting the requested documents for your visa appointment.

Step 5: You will receive a response text or email from the embassy or consulate of your hometown that you have applied to with the result of your visa application within 15 to 30 days.

#4. Estonia work visa

An Estonia work visa is a type of visa that authorizes a foreigner to travel to Estonia for work purpose.

You can apply for this type of visa via the internet from the official website of the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Further more, if you wish to stay and work in Estonia and you are a non-EU/EEA/Switzerland citizen, you must apply for an Estonia work visa.

However, Estonia work visa will allow you to work and stay in Estonia for 365 days.

Estonia work visa requirements

In addition to the general Estonia visa requirements, you will need the following documents if you are applying for a work visa in Estonia.

• Cover letter to explain your reason to work in Estonia.
• Proof of criminal record issued by the police in your country of origin.
• Personal qualification documents to show that you can perfectly carry out your job roles. Examples of these documents include your educational certificates, Curriculum Vitae etc.
• Proof of accommodation in Estonia, like a home rental agreement among others.

Steps to apply for an Estonia work visa

Here are the steps you need to follow to apply for an Estonian work visa.

1. Be sure that your employment has been registered by your employer
2. Visit an Estonian embassy or consulate to apply for a work visa
3. Submit supporting documents, and wait for processing

Step 1: Be sure that your employment has been registered by your employer

Firstly, if you want to apply for an Estonia work visa, the first step is to make sure your employer has completed registration for your employment in the country.

If you’ve been able to confirm this, you can proceed to the next step.

Step 2: Visit an Estonian embassy or consulate to apply for a work visa

The second step to apply for an Estonia work visa is to obtain and fill out the visa application form.

You can get the form from the embassy or consulate of Estonia in your home country, or access it online via the Republic of Estonia Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website.

Step 3: Submit supporting documents, and wait for processing

The next step is to submit additional documents; you must ensure that all required fields on the application form are properly filled out.

Another thing to take note is submitting all documents required by the embassy or consulate for your visa application processing.

Upon arrival to Estonia when your visa has been approved, you need to apply for a residence permit before anything else.

#5. Estonia investment visa

Generally speaking, Estonia has always been a country that values innovation and entrepreneurship. This culture is evident in the country’s policy towards immigration.

In addition, Estonia has a strict investment visa program that is designed to attract talented individuals and businesses from around the world.

However, the program is simple and easy to use, and applicants only need to provide evidence of their financial stability and business acumen.

Estonia investment visa requirements

In addition to the general investment visa requirements, you will still need the following documents for an investment visa in Estonia. They include:

• Bank statement for your business.
• A cover letter from your employer explaining the purpose of your travel
• Letter of invitation from an Estonian company. It must have full details of the dates of your visit and the company’s detailed address.
• Affidavit from the Estonian company.

Steps to apply for an Estonia investment visa

Step 1: Apply for a national visa for investment at the Estonian embassy

You can do this by contacting the nearest Estonian embassy in your home country.

Afterwards, book an appointment, gather all the requested documents, and submit them to the Estonian embassy.

Step 2: Await a response

Afterwards, you will receive a response text or email from the embassy or consulate of your hometown that you have applied to with the result of your visa application within 15 to 30 days

#6. Estonia family reunion visa

Foreign citizen whose close family members are in Estonia and want to reunite with them, applying for an Estonia family visa is the best option.

Hence, this type of visa will allow you to study, work and live in Estonia for the same duration as your family member.

Reunification visa requirements

In addition to the general Reunification visa requirements, you will still need the following documents for reunification visa in Estonia. They include:

 The spouse or partner of someone living in Estonia:

• Civil status documents
• Evidence that you live together e.g a joint bank account, rental agreement, etc.

A minor or adult child of someone living in Estonia:

• Birth certificate

• Identity card. Valid ID (if applicable).
• Your Parent’s identity documents. A copy of your parent’s passport.

If you are parent or grandparent of someone living in Estonia:

• Documents proving the kinship. It can be a birth certificate or other civil status documents.
• Medical report. Document issued from the medical center of your home country. This document must prove that you are in good health condition.

How to apply for an Estonia reunification visa

Here are the steps you need to follow to apply for an Estonian reunification visa.

Step 1: Submit the application at the Estonian consulate in your country of origin

Firstly, you have to contact the nearest embassy or consulate of Estonia, book an appointment, submit all the requested documents in person and pay the visa fee.

Step 2: The embassy forwards the application to the Police Border Guard Border in Estonia 

After you submit the documents to the embassy of Estonia in your country of origin, the embassy will forward your application to the Police Border Guard Border in Estonia, to make a decision on your application.

Step 3: Wait for a response

You will receive an answer with the result of your visa application from the consulate/embassy of Estonia in your home within 30 days.

#7.  Estonia digital nomad visa

If you work as a freelancer and wish to explore other countries, you might as well visit the beautiful country of Estonia.

However, to work there as a freelancer, you must apply for an Estonia Digital Nomad Visa.

The Estonia digital nomad visa is specifically designed for people who want to work remotely while residing in Estonia.

Estonian digital nomad visa requirements

In addition to the general Estonian digital nomad requirements, you will still need the following documents for digital nomad visa in Estonia. They include:

• Work contract: you must have a valid work contract with companies or clients outside of Estonia.
• Proof of financial means.
• Academic certificates.

Steps to apply for an Estonia digital nomad visa

Here are the steps you need to follow to apply for an Estonian reunification visa:

Step 1: Apply for a national visa for investment at the Estonian embassy

Basically, you can do this by contacting the nearest Estonian embassy in your home country.

Afterwards, book an appointment, gather all the requested documents, and submit them to the Estonian embassy.

Step 2: Await a response

Of course, you will receive a response text or email from the embassy or consulate of your hometown that you have applied to with the result of your visa application within 15 to 30 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it easy to get an Estonia transit visa?

Yes, it is relatively easy to obtain a transit visa to journey via an Estonian airport to reach another country.

Most importantly, you surely have to meet a number of requirements to qualify for this visa.

When should I apply for an Estonia transit visa?

Generally speaking, the most appropriate time to apply for a transit visa to journey through an Estonian airport is two (2) weeks before you intended date of travel.

Besides, you should know some other things before applying for this visa. These include possessing a valid passport, travel insurance, among others.

Who needs an Estonia work visa?

If you’re a citizen of a country that is not an EU member, you have to obtain a work visa for authorization to carry out your job duties in Estonia.

How long does it take to get an Estonia work visa?

The amount of time it takes to get this type of work visa may vary depending on the individual case and the embassy. However, the process should take not more than four weeks.

Conclusion

Finally, getting an Estonia visa is not easy. However, with an expert guide, it can become a lot easier. Moreover, knowing the requirements will help you as you plan to get an Estonia visa.