Moving to Estonia

Estonia's national long-stay visa for single or multiple temporary stays. The visa is not a residence permit and is not renewed automatically; to live in the country long term you need a residence permit.

A temporary residence permit issued by the Police and Border Guard Board for working in Estonia. It is required for citizens of countries outside the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. For residence permits for employment issued after 15.07.2018, knowledge of Estonian at level A2 is required after 5 years of residence.

A temporary residence permit for doing business in Estonia. It is required for citizens of countries outside the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

A residence permit for business in a start-up — an early-stage company with an innovative business model and the potential for international growth.

A temporary residence permit for full-time study at a recognised educational institution in Estonia. Time spent in Estonia on a residence permit for study does NOT count towards the period of residence when applying for other residence permits.

A residence permit for joining a spouse or another family member living in Estonia. If the inviting party is not an Estonian citizen, the term of your residence permit depends on the term of theirs.

EU long-term resident status, giving a permanent right of residence in Estonia.

Acquisition of Estonian citizenship by an adult through naturalisation.

A digital identity document for electronic identification and digital signing. It allows you to set up and run a company in Estonia remotely, without being physically present. IMPORTANT: e-Residency does NOT give the right to live in Estonia. This is the most common misconception. According to the PPA's official explanations, an e-resident's digital identity document is not a residence permit, does not give the right to live in Estonia, does not give Estonian citizenship, does not give the right to enter Estonia or the EU and is not a travel document — it is intended solely for electronic use. To move to the country you need a separate residence permit or long-stay visa.

An official visa for remote employees and freelancers with income from €4,500 a month (gross) — Estonia introduced the DNV as one of the first countries in the world, back in August 2020. There is a short-stay Type C format (up to 90 days) and a long-stay Type D (up to 365 days), but it is a visa, not a residence permit: there is no renewal, and family members apply separately.