Relocating global talent to Estonia

Relocating global talent can be an unnerving task. especially when you do it by yourself and/or in-house. There are several questions like when do you apply for an Estonian ID card? What’s the best way to get your Non-EU talent to get here?

The forms, the laws and the minute details can make it feel like a never-ending trial-and-error process. Getting a relocation partner on board can help you save time, money and resources while creating a smooth experience for your future employees.

While choosing a relocation partner it is imperative that the values of your organisation align and the well-being of the employees is at its core. Read why and how MoveMyTalent can be that missing piece of the puzzle for your organisation’s relocation woes.

And today, let us talk about the major steps you need to take to relocate your employees from Non-EU and other EU countries.

Relocating talent to Estonia

Relocation to Estonia is a fairly straightforward process, like us Estonians. Depending on where you’re relocating your future employee from, the process can take different shapes but it all comes down to a few concrete steps in the checklist that need to be done right in order to get them here at the earliest.

Read on to understand the steps that need to be taken if you’re relocating your talent.

From Non-EU countries that require Visas

When relocating Non-EU citizens, the process requires a long-term visa (D-visa) and the journey to Estonia is slightly longer in comparison to relocating talents from an EU country or from a visa-free country. The essential steps for relocating a Non-EU citizen are as follows:

Short-term employment registration (STER) and Estonian ID code

The first step is to register your employee’s short-term employment at the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA). It is a crucial registration since their Estonian D-visa (long-term/work visa) is dependent on it. This also allows them to begin working in Estonia as soon as they arrive here. During the registration process, the employee is also issued an Estonian ID code. You can expect to get the registration confirmation and ID within a day or 3 weeks after application. The startup employees and top specialists are privileged by the fast-track registration and get the confirmation and ID in 1 day.

Applying for a  D-Visa

With a D-visa, your employee can stay and work in Estonia for 1-1,5 years. The visa application is submitted by the talent at an Estonian Embassy. The process can feel a little stressful for talents, which is why we’re with them every step of the way, from booking an appointment to helping them get all the documents in place. In case there are no Estonian Embassies in their home country, we arrange for an appointment in another country of convenience. The visa application should be submitted at least 15 days before planned arrival to Estonia and it can take 1-2 weeks in general for the visa to be granted.

Arrival

Soon as the visa is granted, your talent can arrive in Estonia. All you need to do is welcome them with a smile while we take care of the rest! In some of our packages, we also schedule airport pick-ups for your talents so that they do not feel lost in a country they’ve just arrived in after long-haul flights. For all of our talents, we provide a welcome goodie bag that includes a prepaid SIM card, a transport card, a guide, and Estonian chocolates amongst other useful things.

Application for Temporary Residence Permit (TRP) of Estonia

A TRP grants your employee the right to live and work here until the end of its validity. The TRP application documents need to be submitted in person along with biometric data. We accompany your employees at the Police service point and get it done efficiently. It may take up to 2 months to receive a decision of the TRP  and another month for the card to be printed and be ready for pick up at the Police. *We take it upon ourselves to pick up and deliver the TRP card when it is available*. Upon receiving the TRP, the visa becomes invalid, since the TRP gives the right to live and work here.

Please note that in most cases the initial validity of the TRP card is 5 years but in case your organization is young/budding or a start-up, your employees can get a TRP with a shorter duration.

Registrations

A few crucial registrations that include address registration, tax registration, family doctor registration and, transport card personalization (to access free public transport in Tallinn). Some of these registrations are time bound which is why we help your employees with an ID session where we cover each of these key registrations and familiarize them with the wide range of possibilities that Estonian digital identity provides. With the TRP card in hand, we meet up with the talent and go through all the digital possibilities of the ID card and do the needed registrations.

Relocating talent from Non-EU Visa-Freedom Countries

When relocating talents from a Non-EU country with visa freedom (Find the list of countries here!) the process is more convenient and quick. In such cases, all we need to do is:

1. Register the STER (provides ID code)
2. Arrange for your talent’s arrival in Estonia, and welcome them with our carefully curated Welcome bag
3. Open a bank account*
4. Apply for the TRP
5. Conduct an ID session to complete all the registrations

Relocating talent from another European Union country

When relocating talents from the EU the process is very easy and quick. Talents can start working right away after arrival. We help them to apply Estonian ID code as a first step. In fact, EU citizens are allowed to work 5 days without the ID code! The employer can register their employees at the Employees registry (TÖR) with their date of birth. However, it is important to note that in cases where employment is registered with a date of birth, social guarantees aren’t extended to the employee.

 And in such cases, all we need to do is

1. Arrange for your talent’s arrival in Estonia, and welcome them with our awesome welcome bag
2. Apply Estonian ID code upon arrival
3. Open a bank account*
4. Finding a permanent residence and registering the address
5. Apply for the ID card
6. Conduct an ID session to complete all the registrations

Irrespective of where you’re relocating your talent from, with MoveMyTalent, you can rest easy. We pride ourselves in treating people like people and not as processes/ or projects.

When applicable

So don’t wait any longer! Get in touch with us and let’s work together to craft an impeccable relocation experience for your talents.