Residence and Citizenship

HANDBOOKS

Estonia: State, Society and Language

Private and Public Services

Working and Labour Market

My Rights and Responsibilities

Networking, Volunteering and Leisure Time

Children and Family

Kindergarten and Schools

Higher Education and Research

Residence and Citizenship

Business and Entrepreneurship

Introduction

1. Residence in Estonia

1.1. Moving to Estonia as an EU or EEA citizen

What are your rights in Estonia as an EU-citizen?

Right of residence for EU-citizens: temporary and permanent

1.2. Moving to Estonia as a citizen of non-EU/EEA country

What are your rights in Estonia as third-country national?

Three types of legal grounds to stay: visa and residence permits

Immigration quota

1.3. Registering your place of residence and place of living in Estonia

1.4. Applying for personal identity documents: ID-card and 1.5. Getting migration advice

2. Naturalisation and Estonian Citizenship

2.1. Short introduction into Estonian citizenship

2.2. Applying for the Estonian citizenship

3. Estonian Migration Policy and Migration Trends

3.1. Who are foreigners or migrants arriving to Estonia?

3.2. Legislation regulating the stay of foreigners in Estonia

3.3. Comparing Estonia against the others: MIPEX

INTRODUCTION

Dear reader,

Thank you for participating in the “Settle in Estonia” programme. Our programme has been designed for foreigners who have decided to move to Estonia and our courses have been available to new arrivals since 2015. Whether your reason for choosing Estonia is based on your family connections, work, study or business interests, our programme is here to help you settle in and nd your feet in a new country.

The handbook you currently have in front of you is designed to act as a reference point you can use even after the course has nished. We hope it will be useful to you during your rst years in Estonia and will help you nd the correct and up-to-date information on the subject you are interested in. The handbook is updated on a regular basis to make sure the information contained in it is accurate. You can nd the details of the current issue on the back cover. When new versions become available, you can nd them on the website: issuu.com/settleinestonia

In this handbook, you will explore all the topics that are related to citizenship, residency, documents, application process, migration and naturalisation. Here, we have gathered all the relevant information about these topics and have tried to explain the relevant procedures step by step.

Chapter one will explore the residence in Estonia. Here you will learn more about your opportunities whether you are an EU citizen, non-EU citizen, moving with your family or alone. We also try to explain what di erences between citizenship, residence permit, visa and other documents and provide you with relevant points of contact in case you would need them.

Chapter two will focus on the naturalisation process and Estonian citizenship. The chapter will try to explain the process of obtaining citizenship and everything related to that. Chapter three provides you with a general overview of migration to Estonia, what are the trends, who are the people coming here, and how does the situation with migration compare with other countries. We hope that this handbook will be helpful in making sense of Estonian politics of migration.

Tere tulemast Eestisse! Welcome to Estonia! Head lugemist! Have a good read!

1. RESIDENCE IN ESTONIA

Whether you are planning to make Estonia your home, or have already moved here, we would like to welcome you and help make your transition as smooth as possible! Let’s begin with understanding the rules that cover your right of residence. The basic conditions governing your right of residence in Estonia depend on your current status at the time of your move. Which of the three below applies to you?

An Estonian citizen (for example, returnee or being born into Estonian citizenship and lived abroad)

A citizen of a Member State of the European Union (EU) or of the European Economic Area (EEA – includes the EU Member States plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) or Switzerland

A citizen of a country outside of the European Union (so-called third-country)

1.1. MOVING TO ESTONIA AS AN EU OR EEA CITIZEN

This section applies to EU-citizens

If you are a citizen of the EU or EEA (European Economic Area or EEA, which includes the EU Member States plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, and Switzerland) and you would like to live, work or study in Estonia, there are laws that allow you to move and travel freely within the EU countries. These laws also apply to your family members, even if they hold di erent citizenship than any of the EU countries (see more in chapter 2.2. below). For example, as the citizen of EU/EEA country, you can work in Estonia under the same conditions as Estonian citizens. Unlike your non-EU/EEA family members, you do not need to apply for a separate work permit to work in Estonia.

1.1.1. What are your rights in Estonia as an EU-citizen?

The Treaty on European Union provides EU-citizens with the unique opportunity to enjoy Estonia through the right and freedom of movement (travel), residence, work and studies. EU-citizens have equal rights with Estonian citizens in the labour market, with only a few restricted industries (police, armed forces, civil service etc) where you can work. Should you have an independent business, or an idea to pursue, it is welcomed in Estonia.

There are three broad ways of staying in Estonia for the EU-citizens: the right to stay for up to 3 months without any registration, the right of temporary residence and the right of permanent residence in Estonia. See more on these di erences below. Please bear in mind that the right of residence should not be confused with the residence permits, because no residence permit needs to be applied by the EU-citizens while living or moving between the EU-countries. Residence permit only applies to non-EU citizens.

In addition to economic and social rights, EU citizens have clearly de ned political rights. With a right of residence in Estonia, EU citizens have the right to vote and be a candidate both at European Parliament elections as well as in local elections. However, an EU-citizen from a country other than Estonia cannot participate in Estonian parliamentary (EE: ) elections.

In Estonia, a right of permanent residence o ers more to EU citizens than a right of temporary residence. For example, an EU-citizen residing in Estonia with the right of permanent residency can apply for a study loan and work in a few more labour market positions than with a temporary residency. Applying for the right of permanent residence is also important for when you wish to apply for the Estonian citizenship (see more on that in chapter 3 below). Other than this, there is no signi cant di erence in these two types of rights of residency.

1.1.2. Right of residence for EU-citizens: temporary and permanent

When you rst arrive in Estonia, you can only register your temporary residence (EE: ) for up to ve years. This right of residence is automatically extended for another ve years if your residence continues to be registered in Estonia and you have lived in Estonia permanently - this means, only if you have been to Estonia permanently for at least 183 days within one full calendar year. However, your temporary residence does not translate or change automatically into a permanent residence.

After your rst 5 years living in Estonia with a temporary residence, you can register your right of permanent residence (EE: ) if you wish. Registration for the permanent residence is easy and there are almost no additional requirements. To apply, you need to submit the application to Police and Border Guard Board (EE: , PPA) - either in person, by post or by e-mail.

Please note that there are a few exceptions to the rule that may allow the permanent residence to be registered before ve years of residence in Estonia, to follow up on these, please visit the website of the Police and Border Guard Board at politsei.ee

1.1.3. What if I have a family member who is not an EU/EEA citizen?

If you, as an EU-citizen, wish to come to Estonia with a member of your family who is a non-EU/EAA citizen, he or she can apply for the right of temporary residence along with you. This means, that a family member who is non-EU/EEA citizen can also come and live in Estonia. However, this can be only done when you as EU-citizen match one of the three following criteria:

Work as an employed or self-employed (FIE) person

Have su icient funds for the subsistence for yourself and for your family members and have medical insurance (private, or state insurance from Health Insurance Fund, EE: )

Study in Estonia and have su icient funds for the subsistence of yourself and for your family members and have medical insurance (private, or state insurance from Health Insurance Fund)

If you or your non-EU/EEA family member is older than 15 years, then this person needs to apply individually; if the family member is younger than 15, then the application needs to be submitted on behalf of child’s legal representative (for example, by the parent or by the guardian); and if the child is younger than 1 year old, he or she is automatically entitled to the right of residence through the registration of the residence by the child’s EU-citizen parent.

Similar rules apply to non-EU/EEA family members and the EU-citizen while registering for the permanent residence. Again, there are a few exceptions when you can register the right of permanent residence prior to the ful lment of 5 years of residence in Estonia. To follow up on these, please visit the website of the Police and Border Guard Board at politsei.ee

PAY ATTENTION!

Your family members may use their residence card to travel to another EU country but if they want to move to another EU country, they have to apply for another residence card in the new host country. And as long as they are dependent on you, you have to move with them.

1.1.4. Where to start?

Upon entering Estonia, you have to register your residence at the residents’ registration o ice at the local municipality (EE: ), just as every Estonian citizen does (see more about the registration process in chapter 2.3. below). You, as an EU-citizen, can stay in Estonia for up to 3 months without registering for a right of residence. However, until then you will not be able to receive an Estonian ID-card or have access to local public services (for example, insurance from the Estonian Health Insurance Fund (EE: ), registering with a GP (a family doctor, EE: ), or being able to apply for social support for a family).

Please bear in mind that even though you can stay in Estonia for up to three months without any registration, you still need to have a valid travel document or identity document with you. Also, it is good to know that if you have a family member with you who is a non-EU/EEA citizen, he or she must also have a valid travel document and visa if they plan on staying longer than three months.

Nevertheless, within 1 month from the registration of the place of residence in Estonia, you must apply to the Police and Border Guard Board for an Estonian ID-card which certi es and proves your right of residence in Estonia (for the application of the ID-card, please see chapter 2.4. below). For children below the age of 15, the application for an ID-card can be done by the child’s legal representative (e.g. a parent).

In short: after the registration of your place of living and residence in Estonia (which has to take place no later than three months after arrival to Estonia), you must also apply for the Estonian ID-card (which has to take place no later than one month after the registration of your place of living and residence).

Jaan Kross Writer

There are so few of us Estonians that the goal of every Estonian must be immortality.

For the registration of the temporary residence of the family member who is not an EU/EEA-citizen, the application needs to be submitted at one of the Estonian foreign representation’s (embassy or consulate if you are not yet in Estonia) or at the Police and Border Guard Board service o ice (if you have already arrived to Estonia). After 3 months in Estonia, your non-EU family members must also register their residence. However, in their case, they need to register it at the service o ice of the Police and Border Guard Board. Also, instead of the ID-card that you will get, they will get the residence permit card which proves and certi es their right of residence in Estonia (see more on that in chapter 2.4.).

Where to get more information

All the information, instructions and application forms to register or extend your temporary or permanent residence in Estonia could be found at the website of the Police and Border Guard Board (politsei.ee). To register your place of living and residence in Estonia, please see the chapter 1.3 in this handbook, the website of your local municipality or the website of the Estonian e-population register at rahvastikuregister.ee

1.2. MOVING TO ESTONIA AS A CITIZEN OF NON-EU/EEA COUNTRY

This section applies to non-EU citizens (third-country nationals)

A third-country national (or also named as citizens of third countries or non-EU/EEA citizens) is a citizen of a country that is not a member of the EU, nor a citizen of Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway or Switzerland (so-called EEA countries). When compared to the citizens of other EU-countries, a third-country national needs a residence permit to live in Estonia, whereas EU-citizens do not need a “permit” to do so, as they only need to register their “right” of residence in Estonia – a right, which is one of the founding principles of the European Union.

1.2.1. What are your rights in Estonia as third-country national?

Estonian law provides all foreigners, whether EU-citizens or third-country nationals, regardless of whether they are staying in Estonia temporarily or permanently, with equal rights to labour market services, social assistance, and other kinds of support or services. Di erences mostly concern political rights; for example, third-country nationals staying in Estonia based on a temporary residence permit do not have the right to vote or be a candidate at the local elections, but on a permanent residence, they can vote at the local elections.

In many areas, the European Union legislation guarantees you as a third-country national an equal treatment with the Estonian citizens or other long-term residents. This includes, for example, equal treatment in the following areas:

Access to employment and self-employed activity

Education and vocational training (including study grants)

Recognition of professional diplomas, certi cates and quali cations

Social security, social assistance and social protection

Tax bene ts

Access to goods and services made available to the public

Freedom of association, a iliation and membership in organisations

Free access to the entire territory of the Member State, within the limits

1.2.2. Three types of legal grounds to stay: visa and residence permits

As a third-country national, you will need a legal ground to come and stay in Estonia. In other words, “legal ground” is the basis or o icial reason why you can stay in Estonia. There are three broad categories of stay in Estonia, which di er on how long you can stay in Estonia and the set of rights you have in Estonia (for example, which public services you can access, how long you can work, whether you can change your employment etc).

The rst type of stay is a visa, which allows entry and later temporary stay –a short-stay visit up to 12 months. For longer stays (more than 12 months) you need a residence permit. At rst it is a temporary residence permit, which is valid up to 5 years (for study, employment or employment for research purposes, etc) and afterwards it could be a long-term residence permit (which is permanent, this means it does not have an end deadline). To apply for the long-term residence permit you need to have had a temporary residence permit beforehand.

Visa

You can apply for an Estonian long-stay visa (D-visa) or a short-stay visa to Estonia (C-visa), depending on the planned period of stay. C-visa is intended to allow a stay in Estonia (or the territory of the Schengen States) for a duration of no more than 90 days within the period of 180 days. D-visa can be issued for the period of stay in Estonia for up to 365 days within twelve consecutive months (and it allows to stay in other Schengen Member States for up to to 90 days within the period of 180 days).

In short: C-visa is for a short-term stay in Estonia and is valid for up to 3 months; and D-visa is for a long-stay in Estonia and is valid for up to 12 months.

Please keep in mind that the visa in itself does not grant you the right to work in Estonia. Besides having a visa to enter Estonia, to be able to work in Estonia (for example as a researcher or a teacher at the university), your employer needs to register you for the short-term employment (usually on the basis of your D-visa). This short-term employment can be registered for up to 365 days. Your short-term employment must be registered by the employer before you start working and before you apply for a visa.

Where to get more information

To submit applications for the visa at an Estonian representation abroad, you usually need to make an appointment through the website of the embassy.

More information on the website of the Estonian Ministry of Foreign A airs at: vm.ee/en/consular-visa-and-travel-information/visa-information/application-schengen-visa If you are already in Estonia with the C-visa, you can apply for the D-visa also here in Estonia.

In addition, there are two novel ways to come and work in Estonia: Start-Up Visa and a Digital Nomad Visa.

With the Start-Up Visa, you are given 12 months to settle in Estonia while establishing your start-up. With this visa, you are also allowed a 6-month extension. This visa is meant only for the founders of the start-up. It was initiated by the Estonian state and local start-up community and is meant to help non-EU founders develop their start-up in Estonia and assist Estonian start-ups in hiring skilled professionals from non-EU countries. The program was launched at the beginning of 2017 and within the rst year, 310 applications were reviewed. 140 applications were approved, making the average acceptance rate 45%. Most applicants come from India, Russia, Ukraine, Pakistan and Turkey. You can read more on start-up visas at the website of startupestonia.ee

With the Digital Nomad Visa, you can live in Estonia and legally work for your employer or your own company registered abroad. In essence, you can work remotely for an organisation abroad while living in Estonia. This visa allows you to stay in Estonia for up to 12 months. There are a set of requirements needed when applying for this kind of visa, including proof of su icient legal income. Read more on Digital Nomad Visa on the website of e-resident.gov.ee/nomadvisa

There is also an innovative programme called e-Residency (also called virtual residency), launched by Estonia on 1 December 2014. The program allows non-Estonians access to Estonian services such as company formation, banking, payment processing, and taxation. See more on e-residency in the handbook on business and entrepreneurship.

Temporary residence permit

For a long-term stay in Estonia (i.e. staying for more than 12 months), you must apply for a residence permit (EE: ). There are two types of residence permits: temporary (EE: ) and long-term (EE: ) permit. Please bear in mind that if you wish to do so, you may also extend your temporary residence instead of applying for the permanent residence permit.

A temporary residence permit with a validity of up to ve years can be given for the following reasons:

Study

Employment

Business

Settling in Estonia with a spouse or close relative

For settling permanently in Estonia

Participating in criminal proceedings

For short-term employment

Every type of residence permit has its own set of requirements and conditions, please see in more detail at the website of Police and Border Guard Board (EE: , politsei.ee).

In addition, you may wish to apply for an EU Blue Card. An EU Blue Card gives highly-quali ed workers from outside the EU the right to live and work in an EU country, provided they have higher professional quali cations, such as a university degree, and an employment contract or a binding job o er with a high salary compared to the average in the EU country where the job is. More information on the EU Blue Card can be found at the website below ec.europa.eu/immigration

Long-term residence permit

After you have granted the temporary residence permit and after you have resided in Estonia for 5 years on the basis of temporary residence permit, you are eligible to apply for a long-term residence permit. However, if you wish to do so you may also extend your temporary residence instead of applying for the permanent residence permit to stay in Estonia. The choice is yours.

A long-term residence permit can be applied if you:

Have resided permanently in Estonia for at least 5 years (“permanently” means that during the 5 years until the day the application has been submitted, the foreigner has not been away from Estonia for more than 10 months in total AND no single absence has been longer than 6 months)

Hold a valid temporary residence permit

Have residence details (place/address of living) that are in the Estonian population register

Have a stable legal income su icient to cope in Estonia

Hold health insurance

Have performed the integration requirement: this means, possess the B1 pro ciency level in Estonian as provided in the Language Act or equivalent level (this means, that you have taken the Estonian language test at least on a level of B1)

The application for a long-term residence permit should be submitted at a PPA service o ice at least two months prior to expiry of your current temporary residence permit. If less than two years have passed since the previous residence permit was applied for and your ngerprints were given, you can also apply for a residence permit by post or email. For children below the age of 15 or for persons under guardianship, the application should be submitted by the child’s or the person’s legal representative (e.g. parent, guardian or the authorized representative of guardianship authority).

For students: please note that your time spent studying in Estonia will be counted toward your total residence with a 0.5 coe icient. For example, 4 years of studies will count for 2 years of residence in this case.

1.2.3. Can I stay in Estonia after the expiry of my residence permit?

As of January 2016, you are allowed to legally stay in Estonia after the expiration of your residence permit. However, the length of time you are allowed to stay depends on the type of residence permit:

If you hold a residence permit for study or scienti c work, you are allowed to stay in Estonia for 270 days after the expiry of your residence permit.

If you hold a residence permit for any other grounds, you are allowed to stay in Estonia for 90 days after the expiry of your residence permit.

This additional period of stay is intended to give you additional time to look for a job or nd other new grounds to extend or apply for a new residence permit. This additional time is only given to you in case your current residence permit expires. It means that this permission is void and you will not be able to use this additional period in case your residence permit is cancelled by the authorities.

Please bear in mind that the right of extended stay is valid only at the territory of the Republic of Estonia.

The Police and Border Guard Board also applies its discretion upon renewal of residence permits. Consequently, the fact that a residence permit has been previously issued to a person or that a permit has been renewed before does not guarantee repeated renewal. On all residence permit issues please stay up-to-date with the information found on the website of politsei.ee

1.2.4. Immigration quota

In many cases, the residence permit you are going to apply or have applied for falls under the Estonia immigration quota (EE: ), which annually cannot exceed 0.1% of the resident population of Estonia. Over the last few years, the immigration quota has been met within the rst weeks or months of a year. There have been many debates in Estonian society and among the political parties on reforming the quota and increasing this number, including making exemptions from the quota.

However, as of today, there are already several exemptions from the quota in di erent areas of resident permits. For example, historically the citizens of the United States and Japan have been excluded from the quota, and over the years the exemptions have been made if the person applying for the residence permit is applying in following areas or purposes:

Scienti c or research purposes

To work in ICT

To work in a start-up or with start-ups

Be a large investor

Be a top specialist

Be a family member

For studying

This means that if you apply for your residence permit belonging into one of these categories, the immigration quota does not apply to you and even if the quota has been already lled for the calendar year, you can still apply and be granted the residence permit to come to Estonia. The migration quota also does not apply to short-term employment without a residence permit.

1.3. REGISTERING YOUR PLACE OF RESIDENCE AND PLACE OF LIVING IN ESTONIA

This section applies both to EU-citizens as well as non-EU citizens (third-country nationals)

Why is it necessary to register your residence at the municipality you are living in? The registration is important for the Estonian state as well as the local governments. It enables them to o er and plan public service and provide goods to people living on their territory. It also helps to facilitate cooperation and exchange of information between all people living in the same municipality.

The Estonian Population Register gathers information regarding residents’ addresses in Estonia. Having your data in the Estonian Population Register gives you access to Estonian health insurance, social support and the right to use many other public services. Thus, when moving to Estonia or when moving within Estonia (for example, moving from Tallinn to Tartu or from Tartu to Pärnu), always update your address in the population register as well. Besides that, having your correct residence information in the population register is compulsory for all Estonian residents, including Estonian citizens.

Where and how to register your place of living and residence? Registration of your place of residence is managed and organized by the local municipality where you live. To register your place of residence, you need to go to your local municipality registration o ice in person and bring either a rental agreement or written approval by the owner of your accommodation. Alternatively, the owner of the place of residence can personally accompany you to the local municipality’s o ice and sign the necessary paperwork together with you there.

REMINDER

If you are an EU-citizen, you must register your place of residence (the address where you are actually living in Estonia) at the local municipality within the rst 3 months of arrival. If you are non-EU/EEA citizen, you have to register your place of residence within 30 days after receiving a temporary residence permit.

If you have more than one place of residence (for example, you spend your time between di erent cities in Estonia), you need to decide and select one of your addresses of residence (usually the main one) to be submitted for the entry in the population register. If other family members are living with you at the same address (children and/or partner, for example) you can register with one application.

Things to bring when registering your place of residence:

A notice of place of residence ( lled before or on the spot)

Your personal ID or a photocopy of the ID if the documents are sent by mail

A copy of a document proving your residence and the right to use these premises (your tenancy agreement for instance). If the property you register to live at belongs to many owners, you must have everyone’s consent

If you already own an Estonian ID-card, you can register your place of residence online at the e-population register (EE: , rahvastikuregister.ee). You can also access it via the citizen portal eesti.ee

If you have any doubts whether your residence was registered to the right place and address, you can always check your valid residence at the e-population register (EE: , rahvastikuregister.ee). From the population register you can also check your children’s registrations, if you have any. If you previously had a residence in Estonia at a di erent address, no need to worry – your address should automatically update with each move and no additional action needs to be taken. But it is always worth to check and be ready to change the address yourself.

Where to get more information

All the information related to the registration of the place of residence is explained in more detail, together with the examples of electronic and print application forms, at the website of the Ministry of the Interior: siseministeerium.ee/en/activities/population-procedures/ residence-procedures

1.4. APPLYING FOR PERSONAL IDENTITY DOCUMENTS: ID-CARD AND RESIDENCE PERMIT CARD

There are two types of personal identity documents for foreigners arriving in Estonia: ID-card and residence permit card.

The ID-card (identity card), valid in Estonia, is a compulsory internal identity document of a citizen of the European Union (and also for the Estonian citizens). In addition to regular identi cation purposes, the ID-card can also be used for identi cation in an electronic environment and for providing digital signatures. Estonian citizens can also use the ID-card as a travel document within the European Union. EU-citizens need to apply for the ID-card at latest one month after the registration of residence in Estonia.

The residence permit card is a mandatory identity document of foreigners permanently residing in Estonia on the basis of a valid residence permit or right of residence. In addition to regular identi cation purposes, a residence card can also be used for identi cation in an electronic environment, for providing digital signatures and for online banking and other electronic services. The residence permit card is not a valid travel document and must be carried along with the passport of the country of citizenship in order to return to Estonia. When applying for a residence card, the applicant must give ngerprints (starting from 6 years of age) which are saved electronically in the chip of the residence card.

If you are an EU-citizen, to apply for the ID-card, you need to go to a service bureau of the Police and Border Guard Board, no later than 1 month after registering your place of residence in Estonia. If you are a non-EU/EEA citizen, a residence permit card is issued to you after a residence permit is granted or renewed.

1.5. GETTING MIGRATION ADVICE

Determining the legal status of an individual foreigner is a complex task. The processing of a foreigner’s legal status in Estonia is done through The Police and Border Guard (EE: , PPA). Should you wish to apply or carry out any proceedings, you must contact the PPA, it is also recommended to contact the PPA for an initial consultation.

Thus, should you need any assistance regarding the conditions and procedures of a foreign national living and working in Estonia, contact the migration advisers (EE: ) of the Police and Border Guard Board. The migration advisors at the Police and Border Guard Board is a special team of experts and consultants who support foreigners in settling in Estonia and are a partner to employers, entrepreneurs, educational institutions and to others who invite foreigners to Estonia. Advisors work in Estonian, English and Russian. The service is free of charge. Foreigners are welcome to meet with consultants to discuss the living, working, doing business or research, and studying in Estonia.

Advisors are able to provide counselling over the phone, by email, Skype, and face-to-face. However, one has to book an appointment with a consultant or a Skype video call slot ahead of time. By advance arrangement, consultants can be met in Tallinn, Tartu, Jõhvi and Pärnu.

Where to get more information

For more information and to book an appointment see the webpage of the Police and Border Guard Board politsei.ee/en/migration-consultants

2. NATURALISATION AND ESTONIAN CITIZENSHIP

Aeg annab head nõu

Time gives good advice

Are you planning to apply for Estonian citizenship? If so, read on!

What does it mean to be an Estonian citizen? What does it give me, and what does it require of me?

As a citizen, your rst and foremost right is the opportunity to share your voice and make decisions about life in Estonia – the country you call home.

Citizenship is not an obligation, but a chance to create lasting ties with Estonia and to make your own contribution to the country’s future. Moreover, as a citizen of Estonia, you become a citizen of the European Union, with its population of 490 million. This makes it possible for you to travel visa-free anywhere in the Schengen zone as well as to the United States and many other countries. You gain the right to live, work and do business in all 27 Member States of the European Union and to nd a ordable and appropriate learning opportunities. You also have the right to vote in elections for the European Parliament. When in a non-EU country where there is no Estonian embassy, Estonian citizens have the right to get consular protection from the embassy of any other EU country present in that country.

If we can't be a great nation in population, we can be a great nation in spirit

Jakob Hurt Folklorist

2.1. SHORT INTRODUCTION INTO ESTONIAN CITIZENSHIP

Most people obtain Estonian citizenship by birth (ius sanguinis), which is to say that at the time they are born, one or both of their parents is an Estonian citizen. This is the basic right as written down in Estonian basic law (Estonian constitution, EE: ). However, you can also apply for Estonian citizenship if you are a citizen of another country by birth or if you have undened/undetermined citizenship. Obtaining citizenship by any means other than birth is known as naturalisation.

An Estonian by birth cannot lose their Estonian citizenship. However, being a naturalised Estonian, established legal practice sees your citizenship as a privilege and not as a basic right. This means that a naturalised Estonian can lose this privilege again under certain circumstances.

Dual citizenship in Estonia is generally not permitted by law, so if you wish to become Estonian citizen, you need to renounce any other citizenship you have. However, if a child is born into a family where one parent is Estonian citizen and the other parent has a citizenship of another country, the child retains both of these citizenships and none of these citizenships cannot be taken away from this person.

The issue of unde ned or undetermined citizenship (EE: , also so-called grey-passport holders). This is a term used in Estonia to denote a post-Soviet form of statelessness. It is applied to those migrants from former Soviet republics and their children, who were unable or unwilling to pursue any country's citizenship after the collapse of the Soviet Union. As of August 2023, there are approximately 63´000 people living in Estonia on the basis of undetermined citizenship, and this number is decreasing year by year (almost twofold over the last 15 years).

In essence, under international law, these people are stateless, which means they do not hold the citizenship of any country. However, in Estonian case, they have a permanent long-term residency in Estonia; and as we learned from previous sections, those with permanent residency gain the same access to all public services, goods, and rights as Estonian citizens. There are only some di erences compared to Estonian citizens: they cannot vote at the parliamentary elections (but can vote on the local municipality elections), they cannot be members of the political party, and they do not have to serve in the Estonian compulsory conscript service in the Defence Forces.

2.2. APPLYING FOR THE ESTONIAN CITIZENSHIP

Applying for and getting Estonian citizenship is called naturalisation. You can apply for Estonian citizenship if:

You have a long-term residence permit or the right of permanent residence or residence permit

You have lived in Estonia, prior to submitting an application, for at least eight years on the ground of a residence permit (non-EU citizens) or by right of residence (EU-citizens), of which at least the last ve years on a permanent basis

You have passed the Estonian language pro ciency at B1 level (this exam is not required, if you have acquired the basic, secondary or higher education in the Estonian language)

You have passed the examination of knowledge of the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia and the Citizenship Act, a so-called citizenship exam – this exam checks the knowledge of the Constitution of Estonia, fundamental rights, freedoms and obligations of the citizen. The citizenship exam is electronic.

You have a permanent legal income – this means, you have to demonstrate or prove you have su icient means of support and income in Estonia.

Your place of residence has been registered in the population register of Estonia

You are loyal to the Estonian state – this means, you have to take an oath of loyalty

There are six steps to becoming an Estonian citizen:

Step 1 – Take up residence in Estonia and apply for a residence permit

Step 2 – Take the Estonian language exam

Step 3 – Take the citizenship exam

Step 4 – Renounce any other citizenship you have

Step 5 – Submit your application for the citizenship

Step 6 – Apply for Estonian citizen’s ID

Detailed guidelines and advice can be found in the “6 Steps to Becoming an Estonian Citizen” brochure at integratsioon.ee/en/applying-citizenship

Where to get more information

The naturalisation and citizenship-related topics are covered in more detail on the websites of Police and Border Guard Board (politsei.ee), Integration Foundation (integratsioon.ee) and Estonian government website (eesti.ee). The information there is available in Estonian, English and Russian.

3. ESTONIAN MIGRATION POLICY AND

MIGRATION

TRENDS

Migration has been a major in uencing factor on the population numbers and ethnic structure of Estonia during the last century and a half. The major wave of immigration to Estonia took place during the Soviet era, which saw an in ux of mainly Russian-speaking settlers into Estonia. As a result of this, the share of ethnic Estonians in the population of Estonia dropped to 61.5% in 1989, compared to 88% in 1934.

However, after gaining the re-independence in 1991, Estonia saw a major wave of people leaving Estonia. This wave of emigration took place mostly among the Russian-speaking population who arrived in Estonia during the Soviet era, but also ethnic Estonians started emigrating from Estonia.

Until 2015, the emigration from Estonia has been always higher than the rate of immigration to Estonia, since 2015, Estonia is experiencing a migration turnaround - the net migration rate has been positive. This has also brought along changes in the Estonian migration policy.

Estonian immigration policy has been stable, but relatively restrictive since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, although the past few years have witnessed some liberalisation. In 1990, labour immigration to Estonia was capped by an immigration quota that was equal to 0,1 percent of the permanent population. Furthermore, third-country nationals who want to immigrate to Estonia for employment reasons, have to be paid the salary by the employer that equals to the national average salary. This is to help regulate migration and bring bene ts to Estonia’s economy through highly-skilled workers.

The o icial policy of Estonian migration policy is declared to encourage the temporary stay and settlement of these foreigners, whose arrival and stay in Estonia are in accordance with the public interest and to prevent the entry and stay in Estonia of these foreigners, who may pose a threat to public order or public security. According to Estonian long-term strategy “Estonia 2035”, the focus will be on the migration of highly-skilled workers and students, in addition to facilitating and supporting the return migration of ethnic Estonians to Estonia.

On Estonian ethnic relations and integration policy, see the handbook on Estonian state, society and culture.

3.1. WHO ARE FOREIGNERS OR MIGRANTS ARRIVING IN ESTONIA?

According to a broader de nition, a foreigner is any person that is not a citizen of their country of residence. This includes stateless persons as well as persons with unde ned/undetermined citizenship. Although EU-citizens are also foreigners, they di er from the so-called group of third-country nationals in several aspects. “Migrants” in the context of the European Union are understood to be non-EU, or third-country, nationals who reside legally in the European Union. Their situations often di er markedly from those of EU citizens moving between or living in EU member states other than their own. Although many enjoy equal rights with host-country nationals, there are greater restrictions on third-country national’s mobility within the European Union. Their reasons for migrating are also likely to be di erent from those that prompt EU nationals to move, and often include asylum or family reuni cation. On these di erences, see the gure below, which lays down your scope of rights in time.

EU citizens with right of temporary residence

EU citizens with right of permanent residence

Third-country nationals with temporary residence permit

Third-country nati onals with long-term residence permit

The majority of immigrants arriving to Estonia are from the third countries: Ukraine and Russia. They are followed, already to a smaller degree, by the EU-countries such as Latvia, Finland, German and French, being more or less on a bar with another set of third countries such as India, Belarus and Nigeria. See in more detail in Figure below.

Top 5 countries in 2022

First-time temporary residence permits

The right of temporary residence of family members of EU citizens Citizens of the European Union who have registered their place of residence

Most foreigners come to Estonia to work, study and on the basis of family migration. Over the last ve years, each of those categories constitutes around one-third of the third-country nationals’ migration to Estonia. There are also a number of bene ciaries of international protection getting refuge in Estonia, but these numbers have been relatively low for the last three decades - since 1997 - 2019, approximately 1’200 foreigners have requested international protection from Estonia and international protection has been granted to 531 foreigners. As a result of the military aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine that commenced on February 24, 2022, the European Council made a decision on March 4, 2022 to implement the Temporary Protection Directive to protect people eeing due to the war in Ukraine.

In 2022 41,871 Ukrainian war refugees applied for temporary protection from Estonia, of whom 27,465 were women, 14,406 were men, and 14,396 were children.

Temporary protection was granted to 41,639 Ukrainian citizens.

Where to get more information

The migration-related statistics is best illustrated in a booklet “Overview of Estonian Migration Statistics 2015-2019”, available at siseministeerium.ee You can also nd publications on Estonian migration policy and migration-related trends, changes and analysis at the website of European Migration Network

Estonian Contact Point emn.ee

3.2. LEGISLATION REGULATING THE STAY OF FOREIGNERS IN ESTONIA

There are several legislative documents regulating the stay of foreigners in Estonia.

The Aliens Act (EE: ) regulates arrival to Estonia of third-country nationals, their temporary stay, residence, and employment in Estonia. This law is essentially the same as the law on foreigners (foreigner’s law) you can nd in other countries. Because of this, you may see and read from time to time in the Estonian o icial documents the word “alien”, which basically means a foreigner in the context of Estonian foreigner’s law (o icially titled Aliens Act).

Legal bases for temporary stay and residence in Estonia of citizens of a European Union member state, member state of the European Economic Area, and the Swiss Confederation (hereinafter EU citizens) and their family members are provided in the Citizen of the European Union Act.

Act on Granting International Protection to Foreigners provides the basis for granting international protection to a foreigner, the legal status of a foreigner who is applying for international protection and legal status of a foreigner who has been granted international protection and the legal bases for his or her temporary stay, residence and employment in Estonia.

The legal basis for temporary stay, residence and employment in Estonia of employees of foreign diplomatic representations and family members of such employees are provided by international agreements and other international legislation.

All the major laws and legislation in Estonia, including the translations into English and Russian, can be found on the website of riigiteataja.ee

3.3. COMPARING ESTONIA AGAINST THE OTHERS: MIPEX

One way of measuring and comparing the migration policies in di erent countries is MIPEX: the Migrant Integration Policy Index. This kind of ranking of countries based on di erent scores on di erent areas of life helps pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses of di erent countries, including Estonia. MIPEX gives a score to countries based on a set of indicators covering eight policy areas designed to benchmark current laws and policies: labour market mobility; family reuni cation; education; political participation; permanent residence; access to nationality; anti-discrimination; health.

In the MIPEX score table, Estonia has continuously improved since 2007. From 2014 to 2019 Estonia’s integration policies have improved by +5 points, more than in most MIPEX countries (+2 points on average). Immigrants in Estonia enjoy slightly more equal opportunities and security across di erent areas of life, from the labour market to health family reuni cation and permanent residence. Most signi cantly, Estonia has reduced the obstacles for separated families to reunite and settle long-term, thanks to changes in the residence requirement, permit duration and autonomous permits. Estonia's ranking is brought out in gure below.

Estonia MIPEX score for 2019, compared to EU13 countries.

LAB OU R MAR KET MOB ILITY

Where to get more information

See more data and comparison with the other countries on the website of MIPEX at mipex.eu

Besides MIPEX, you can also see the position of Estonia in other similar international rankings such as the Global Talent Competitiveness Index (gtcistudy.com) or IMD World Talent Ranking (imd.org). These rankings include indicators both on the labour market and business, but also attraction of the country, including the country’s openness, sustainability or lifestyle.

LIST OF REFERENCES

O icial guides and gateways:

Destination Estonia – Relocation Guide: Compilation of practical info for new arrivals in Estonia

workinestonia.com/coming-to-estonia/relocation-guide/ e-Estonia Portal: eesti.ee – gateway to all government information and public e-services.

Settle in Estonia: settleinestonia.ee – Your guide to settling in Estonia

Roadmap for coming to Estonia: euraxess.ee/estonia/information-assistance/entryconditions-and-residence-permits-estonia/roadmap-visas-entry

Visit Estonia: visitestonia.com - gateway to travel and sights in Estonia

Study in Estonia: studyinestonia.ee gateway to higher education in Estonia

Research in Estonia: researchinestonia.eu — information and news about research activities in Estonia.

Found in Estonia: foundinestonia.ee — bi-weekly podcast sharing stories of people who have moved to Estonia.

Ministries and other institutions:

Ministry of Education and Research: hm.ee/en – education, research and Estonian language.

Ministry of Social A airs: sm.ee/en – health care, labour, social services.

Ministry of Culture: kul.ee/en — information about the state’s culture, sports, arts and heritage conservation activities.

Ministry of Justice: just.ee/en – legal and criminal policy of the state.

Ministry of the Interior: siseministeerium.ee/en – citizenship, migration, identi cation documents and internal security.

Ministry of Foreign A airs: vm.ee/en – security, business diplomacy and human rights.

Estonian Ministry of Economic A airs and Communications: mkm.ee — economy, entrepreneurship, business-academic cooperation.

The Integration Foundation: integratsioon.ee/en – information about adaptation in Estonia, adaptation programme Settle in Estonia, Estonian language courses, citizenship and Estonian Language houses etc.

Estonian Institute: estinst.ee/en/ – information about Estonian society and culture.

EURES: eures.ee/en – pan-European network for job-seekers.

Unemployment Fund: tootukassa.ee/eng – o icial website of Eesti Töötukassa, which administers the social insurance provisions related to unemployment, and organises labour market services.

Pension Centre: pensionikeskus.ee- information about the Estonian pension system.

Police and Border Guard Board: politsei.ee/en – legal basis for staying in Estonia, identity documents, citizenship.

Police and Border Guard Board Migration Advisors: politsei.ee/en/migration-consultants – free legal advice by PBGB personal advisors about di erent legal grounds to live in Estonia and the necessary documentation

Emergency contacts: 112 - 24/7 emergency telephone number for ambulance, police and rescue workers.

1247 – State helpline for trustworthy governmental information, state measures on coronavirus, psychological rst aid to all in need.

116 006 – Victim support helpline assistance to people who have fallen victim to an o ence, negligence, or mistreatment or experienced physical, psychological, economic, or sexual violence.

1220 – The Medical Counselling Advice Line o ers medical advice (calling from abroad, dial +372 630 4107). 24/7 in Estonian and Russian, between 15.00-17.00 in English

Residence and Citizenship - Settle in Estonia programme