Wise Guide: Immigration (D-Visa and TRP)

At MoveMyTalent, we feel that every relocation experience is special and deserves our full attention. We understand that relocation is a personal and life-changing event, therefore, we are committed to advising you every step of the way, where needed. 

If coming from a country that has a visa-freedom agreement with Estonia or if having a valid Schengen visa/TRP to enter Estonia, you may enter and reside in Estonia for a specific period of time (e.g up to 90 days with the visa freedom). While you have visa freedom/Schengen visa to enter and reside in Estonia, in order to start working without a residence permit, your employer is required to register your short-term employment. To reside and work in Estonia on a long-term basis, you should apply for an Estonian D-visa and later for a residence permit. 

You need to make sure that you have a valid legal ground to stay in Estonia at all times.

This booklet will guide you through the process step-by-step so your experience would be as smooth as possible. FIRSTLY focus on the checklist and then on each step separately once relevant. Otherwise it may seem overwhelming.

TASKLIST

BEFORE ARRIVAL:

AFTER ARRIVAL:

1. Short-term employment registration (STER)

up to 15 business days, allows to begin work and apply for a visa in Estonia

What is expected from you in this step? Share the required data with the relocation agency.

MoveMyTalent: Will complete the registration on behalf of your Estonian employer and share the confirmation with you.

ADDITIONAL INFO AND FAQ:

What is short-term employment registration?

This is an online registration that is usually done before you travel to Estonia and will allow you to start working without a residence permit after arrival in Estonia given that you have a legal ground (e.g. a visa or visa freedom) to reside in Estonia. It is possible to register for short-term employment for up to 365 days. Later, once you have the Estonian residence permit, the short-term employment will be terminated and you will be residing and working in Estonia on the basis of the residence permit.

What do we need from you for the registration?

For us to complete the registration, we need to submit a copy of your passport, your photo, and contact details. We will register your employment with the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board electronically once you have submitted your personal data and documents to Cobalt platform.

Estonian personal identification code is a unique 11-digit code that will remain the same your entire life. It is used for identification purposes in different areas of your life in Estonia (e.g. health care, taxes, employment, etc)

Additional information

If you would like to know more about the registration of short-term employment, you can check the Police and Border Guard Board website here for more information.

2. Make sure you have a legal ground to enter and reside in Estonia until other rights to stay apply

What is expected of you in this step? It is the employee’s responsibility to use the Schengen calculator here to see how many visa-free days you have or make sure your current valid Schengen visa/TRP is covering your entry and legal stay in Estonia until 1) an Estonian visa is issued or 2) the Estonian TRP is issued.

MoveMyTalent: Assists with general info, verifying legal ground and giving suggestions on the next steps.

Arrival in Estonia 

What is expected from you in this step? Make sure to have a valid legal ground (visa, TRP, visa-freedom) to enter and initially reside in Estonia. Read the below carefully!

Practical information regarding arrival in Estonia and leaving the airport

If you arrive by plane, we suggest connecting to the Tallinn Airport free wifi to avoid any unnecessary data charges. Tallinn airport is very small and there are many taxis waiting in front of the Arrivals area. You can take any taxi in front of the airport/Arrivals area or order a Bolt/Forus/Uber through an app to reach your accommodation. To order a taxi through an app, download the app and connect it with your debit/credit card. It is also safe to take a taxi from the front of the airport and you can pay in cash or with a debit card.

Prepaid SIM card

You can purchase a prepaid temporary SIM card with the pay-as-you-go option from the R-Kiosk at the airport, in any R-kiosk around town and in most bigger supermarkets (Rimi, Prisma, Selver). The most popular Data packages are Telia Super (up to 5GB of data), Elisa prepaid SIM (up to 5GB of data), Tele 2 (5GB of data). Once you obtain the residence permit card, you can use the same number for a contract. Before having the residence permit, you cant sign the contract with the providers.

Transportation Card

You can purchase a transportation card in any R kiosk around town. The single card will cost you 3 euros and you can either load money on it online or get a weekly/monthly e-ticket. More info here. 

Healthcare

For info about the health care system in Estonia, check the Estonian Health Insurance Fund website. To summarize, each person can have a dedicated public family doctor (covered by state health insurance) but in order to register with one, the residence permit process and address registration must be completed. The state health care will start from the 15th calendar day after the start of employment. Before that, you will have the travel health insurance coverage you purchased.

In case you need any urgent medical assistance prior to having a dedicated family doctor, you can turn to the Emergency Rooms. You will be asked for your Estonian ID code there, so it’s always good to keep that number nearby. In case you need to consult with a doctor, start sick leave or get prescriptions, we suggest using the Salu site for that. They offer an affordable, quick, and high-quality alternative for a dedicated family doctor. If you like it, you can continue using it later as well as finding a good English-speaking family doctor can be challenging. 

For any non-urgent medical questions, you can call the free doctors’ information hotline 1220 from 15:00-16:00 daily in English.

Finding a home in Estonia

Once in Estonia, you should find a home as soon as possible and sign a lease with the landlord. 

The most popular local websites for property search are city24.ee and kv.ee. You can also use Facebook groups, i.e. “Korterite üürimine Tallinn”. There is also a closed group on Facebook “Rental apartments in Tallinn (Wise employees only)”. It is a closed group for Wise employees only. If you are searching for an apartment or looking for a friend with whom you want to share a flat – worth posting there. 

Additional information about rental agreements can be found at the citizen portal here. To see average monthly rent and utility costs in Tallinn, use Numbeo.

Relocation guide

This guide here helps you with practical aspects you may come across while relocating, living and working in Estonia. You can also always turn to International House of Estonia for information and consultations.

Learning Estonian

Check out the Integration Foundation for Estonian language courses. There are regular language cafe’s hosted by International House In Estonia and other language learning communities such as Decode.ee

If you prefer to learn the language at your own pace through apps, then there are options such as Speakly, Keeleklikk, TalkPal.  

Driver’s license

The Estonian Transportation Administration can help you with exchanging your foreign driving license (if required) and registering your car in Estonia.

Getting around

You can use Google maps to find out the nearest supermarkets (Prisma, Selver, Rimi, COOP) and bus stops. Wise Tallinn office address is Veerenni 24 (in case you want to see the distance from the office). If you would like to explore some local attractions or spend a day outside of the city, look up Visit Estonia.

General info

Temperatures during winter in Estonia are normally around -10C, but can get as low as -30C (happens rarely). Take that into consideration when buying suitable clothes and footwear. Refer to our guide on winter clothing to make the best out of your purchases. It also gets dark pretty early from October until April and you have to wear a reflector to make yourself more visible in traffic. They are sold in every supermarket.

Pet relocation

Check the requirements on the Estonian Agriculture and Food Board website.

Communities

A list of International Groups and Expat communities to connect with locals and other internationals.

3. Applying for the Estonian visa 

What is expected from you in this step? It is the employee’s responsibility to book an appointment, prepare documents, and submit documents at the Police Board. Follow a detailed guide here. 

MoveMyTalent: Assists with general info, paying the state fee, sending employers’ confirmation to the Police Board, verifying and storing visa copy once granted.

ADDITIONAL INFO AND FAQ:

What is a long-stay D visa?

A long-stay D visa is an Estonian national visa granted for up to 365 days (or until the end of STER). The long-stay D visa allows travelling to other Schengen countries for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The Schengen Area consists of 26 European countries (including Estonia) that have a common visa policy. Visa will be granted for a specific reason (e.g short-term employment) and proof must be presented (STER confirmation). The long-stay D visa can be issued either for a single or for multiple entries into the Schengen zone, but we suggest applying for a multiple-entry visa for travel purposes. More useful info here. 

Required documents for the D-visa on the ground of short-term employment: 

• Long-stay D-visa application form. Prepare it based on the guide here. After completing the online application form, print it. Sign and date (date of the appointment) in the required places; 
• Your original passport issued within the previous 10 years, that has at least two blank pages for visas and is valid until at least 3 months after the desired expiration date of the visa; 
• Short-term employment registration confirmation (STER)- MoveMyTalent will provide;
• Visa state fee payment €120- MoveMyTalent will provide the payment confirmation. 
• Appointment confirmation booking;  
• Accommodation confirmation booking- this can be either a signed rental agreement, a booking confirmation from AirBnb, Booking.com etc, or a digitally signed confirmation letter from a person that you are staying with. 
• Employer cover letter- MoveMyTalentt will prepare and share with you and the Police Board.

How can you collect the visa?

At the end of your visa appointment, you will receive a confirmation on paper that your passport is with the authorities for visa processing. On the same paper, the date for passport and visa decision collection will be noted. On the mentioned date, you will need to visit the same Police Board office, at the entrance say that you’re there to pick up your visa decision, and you’ll be guided to a desk to wait. If the visa is issued, the visa stamp will be added to your passport. 

What will be the visa validity?

The long-stay D visa may be issued for up to 365 days. Visas are usually given out for the same duration as your purpose of stay (short-term employment registration) so the maximum validity of your visa should be in line with that or cover at least the period when you will receive the residence permit. When you receive the Estonian residence permit, you will continue staying and working in Estonia on the basis of the residence permit.

What happens if during a stay in Estonia employment is terminated? 

Should the employment contract with your Estonian employer sponsoring the visa be terminated, the authorities also reserve the right to terminate your visa. In case you find a new employer in Estonia and they register a new STER for you, your visa could remain valid. 

4. Applying for the temporary residence permit for employment (TRP)

What is expected from you in this step? It is the employee’s responsibility to book an appointment (if not submitted online), prepare documents, and submit documents at the Police Board. Follow a detailed guide here. 

MoveMyTalent: Assists with general info, paying the state fee, sending employers’ invitation to the Police Board, verifying and storing residence permit copy once granted.

ADDITIONAL INFO AND FAQ:

Required documents for the temporary residence permit for employment application:

• Temporary residence permit application form. Download the form here, fill it out on your computer, print the PDF and sign it in the required places. The date field has to be filled with the date of the appointment. 
• Close family members’ data form. Download the form here, fill it out in PDF, print it and sign at the bottom of the page. The date field has to be filled with the date of the appointment. On the family members form, please include information about your parents, siblings, spouse, children – even if they are not moving to Estonia with you. If any of your close relatives are no longer alive, you don’t need to include their information on the form. If the data about your close relatives doesn’t fit on one page, fill out multiple pages.
• Biographical Data form. Download the form here. Add all previous education and work experience from preschool with duration and location.
• Printed booking confirmation which you received when making the appointment booking.
• Your up-to-date English language CV, listing all of your previous work and education history (from elementary education) with start and end dates and names of the relevant institutions.
• Proof of TRP application state fee payment. MoveMyTalent will make the payment and send you the bank statement.
• Your valid passport. The official makes a copy and you do not have to leave it to the Police Board.
• Employer invitation. Sent via email by MoveMyTalent, you will be in CC.

What happens after the submission of documents?

You will receive a confirmation on paper from the Police Board stating that the application has been submitted. Among other info, it will state your personal details, application number and the latest date by law when you will receive your Estonian residence permit card (up to 3 months from submission of documents). If applying digitally over email, you will receive an automatic email response from the Police Board that confirms receipt of email. 

How long is the process?

The processing time for the residence permit can be, by law, up to 2 months. Sometimes there are delays, so it is important to make sure you have enough visa/visa-free days to cover the process. After receiving the decision, the residence permit card can take up to 1 month to be issued- usually 10 days. You will receive 1st email to confirm when the card has been sent for printing and a 2nd email that confirms that the card is ready for collection. 

What will be the validity of the temporary residence permit? 

The duration of the temporary residence permit will be decided by the Police Board and it can be granted for up to 5 years at first. If the residence permit conditions remain the same (employment at a specific company), it is possible to extend the permit for up to 10 years at a time. Please note if residing in Estonia on the basis of the temporary residence permit for employment at least for 5 years, once extending/changing the permit for employment, the Estonian language requirement (A2 level) applies.  

The residence permit for employment is linked to your employer in Estonia. Thus, if your employment contract with your employer (sponsor) is terminated, you should either apply for a new residence permit for employment (with a new sponsor) or other ground (if eligible) or in case the ground of your residence permit is lost, the Police Board has the right to terminate your permit and you will have to leave Estonia.

What are the possibilities of the residence permit card? 

The residence permit card comes with PIN-codes. These are extremely important and confidential as with the PIN-codes you are able to log into the Estonian state portal eesti.ee, online bank, etc, and sign documents digitally using an ID-card reader/mobileID/SmartID. You can read more about the possibilities of the residence permit card here and info about digital signing is available here.

Additional information

• Find out more info here about the temporary residence permit for the employment process.
• If the residence permit expires upon the lapse of the validity period, the stay in Estonia shall be legal for 90 days following the expiry date of the residence permit validity.
• In case applying for a new temporary residence permit while your current permit is valid, the ground of your stay in Estonia is legal until the decision about the new permit is made.
• Annual immigration quota is set in Estonia and the relocation agency will share more info about that if relevant.

5. Residency address registration

What is expected from you in this step? It is the employee’s responsibility to provide proof of residency and complete the registration online, via email or in person. Follow a detailed guide here.

MoveMyTalent: assists with general info.

ADDITIONAL INFO AND FAQ:

What is address registration? 

Address registration in the Population Registry is mandatory for anyone living in Estonia. Having your data in the registry grants you the right to use public services in Estonia such as having a family doctor, using free public transportation (in Tallinn), social benefits (if applicable), etc. 

Required documents for the residency registration via email (to pppsa@tallinnlv.ee):

• A copy of a document that shows your right to use the property (i.e. your rental agreement, owner’s written and signed consent). If the property has multiple owners, you will need consent from all of them. If someone else signs the rental agreement (e.g. a broker), it is required to add the Power of Attorney from the owner to the signee;
• An application form that is signed digitally using your Estonian residence permit card.

What happens after the address registration?

After your address is registered, you can start taking advantage of public services such as registering with a family doctor, social benefits (if applicable) and you can also personalize your public transportation card and enjoy free public transport in Tallinn! Read more here. The confirmation about your address will also be available on the eesti.ee site. 

Additional information

If you would like to understand more about address registration, check here

6. Tax residency registration

What is expected from you in this step? It is the employee’s responsibility to complete the tax registration and let MoveMyTalent know about it. Follow a detailed guide here.

MoveMyTalent: assists with general info.

ADDITIONAL INFO AND FAQ:

What is tax residency? 

Generally, individuals are taxed based on two principles – based on their residency and based on the source of income. The residency principle gives a country unlimited taxation right on the worldwide income of that individual. 

Most countries in the world consider an individual as their tax resident if the person has a permanent home (registered address) in said country or if the person spends a sufficient amount of time in that country. Same in Estonia.

A resident is a person of unlimited tax liability: both Estonian and foreign income is taxed in Estonia but double taxation is avoided. Please note that as your salary is Estonian source income, 22% income tax will be withheld from your salary even before you become a tax resident in Estonia. Salary calculator here.

What happens after the registration?

After the registration is confirmed, your tax residency will change retroactively from the day you arrived in Estonia and the change will be reflected in your annual tax declaration. After the registration, you will be able to use the same deductions as other residents and 2% of your salary will be added to the 2nd pension pillar (+ state adds 4%). Read more about the pension scheme here. From 2021 you can choose whether you would like to stay in the 2nd pillar pension fund (2% of your gross salary each month) or step out. 

Even if you decide to step out, please note that after the tax residency is registered, you will be automatically added to the 2nd pillar scheme and need to do extra steps to terminate it. Read more about the pension reform and how to step out from it here.

Submitting the Personal Income Tax Return in Estonia

A tax resident is required to submit the income tax return if they have any tax deductions to claim or some additional income (any foreign employment income, rental income, profit from selling stocks, etc) to declare. The deadline for submitting the tax return is April 30th each year. 

More info on when and how to submit the income tax return here. 

Additional information

If you would like to learn more about the tax topics, you can find tax residency info here and tax system info here. 

If at some point you decide to leave Estonia permanently, please notify the Tax Board of your change of residency by submitting a Form R again.

And it seems that we have reached the end of the relocation process!
Thank you so much for the cooperation during the journey, 

We wish you all the best for your life in Estonia!