Wise Guide: Tier 1 family overview (Non-EU)

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 being there at every step of the way to provide a smooth and stress-free experience.

Immediate family members (e.g. legally married spouse, registered partner or an underage child) of the foreign employee (the sponsor) may relocate to Estonia if they have a proven reason and proof of family ties (e.g. marriage/birth certificate). The family member needs to have a valid legal ground to enter Estonia (visa/visa-freedom).

To stay in Estonia on a long-term basis, the family member should apply for an Estonian residence permit (sponsored by the employee). After the residence permit is received, the post-residency steps can be completed online. 

This guide will take you through the family member relocation process step-by-step so your experience would be as smooth as possible.

HOW TO MOVE FORWARD

TASKLIST

BEFORE ARRIVAL

 AFTER ARRIVAL

1. Determining the family member’s legal ground of entry to Estonia

ADDITIONAL INFO AND FAQ:

VISA-FREE country family member entry to Estonia:

Look back at the family member’s travel for the past 180 days. Have they visited the Schengen area during that time?

How to use the Schengen calculator? 

Insert the planned arrival date in Estonia under ‘Date of entry/Control’, select ‘Planning’ and enter all of your previous trips to the Schengen area from the past year to the table. Then click ‘Calculate’. If the data is inserted correctly, it will display the number of days your family member is allowed to stay in Schengen (including Estonia) on the basis of visa freedom. 

VISA country family member entry to Estonia:

Determine the most suitable visa type for entry and stay in Estonia. If the aim is to relocate to Estonia long-term, the family member should either apply for a long-stay D visa or directly for a temporary residence permit (guide here) . This way the purpose of the application matches the correct immigration proceeding intended for it. 

With either visa, the applying family member must prove a valid ground for their visa application, submit an invitation by the sponsor (the working spouse or parent), and proof of sufficient funds to support the stay in Estonia during the visa validity period. 

Move to Step 2 of this guide to get started with the visa process. 

What is an apostille/legalization? 

Depending on where the birth/marriage certificate was issued, it will need either an apostille or to be legalized before it can be used in official proceedings in Estonia. Through apostillation or legalization, an authority of the issuing country verifies that the document is valid. 

An apostille is needed if the certificate was issued in one of the countries listed here. This means that the relevant authority in your country (notary or ministry, for example), needs to verify the document once, and then it can be used for processes abroad. 

Legalization of the document is required if the certificate was issued in a country that is not listed here. Legalization is a two-step (sometimes three-step) process that is first done by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the country of origin, and then by the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For the purposes of applying for a visa, one-sided document legalization is enough. For the purposes of applying for an Estonian residence permit, the two-sided legalization will have to be completed first. Process in Estonia here.

When does a document need translation so that it can be used in official proceedings in Estonia?

If a document is not in Estonian, English, or Russian languages, it will need to be translated into one of these. The translation of the document has to be done officially and verified by a notary. 

2. Applying for the Schengen visa 

ADDITIONAL INFO AND FAQ:

Required documents (hard copies) for the long-stay D visa application:

• The family member’s 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 expiration date of the visa;
• Two original passport-style photos (size 35×45 mm);
• D-visa application form prepare based on the guide here (NB! Note the differences in the guide that apply to family members’ applications!);
• The health insurance policy valid in the Schengen area that covers the applicant for the entire desired visa duration. Any travel insurance is OK. Check out AXA or, if applying for a visa for longer than 180 days ERGO;
• The original apostilled/legalized and translated marriage/birth certificate;
• Accommodation booking/confirmation in Estonia (refundable if possible);
• Flight booking (refundable if possible) going to Estonia- make sure it will fit the visa process (ca. 10  days);
• Visa state fee payment- €100.00 for applicants aged 12 and older, €40 for children aged 6-11. Check the embassy webpage for payment methods that are accepted. If transfer is an option, find the details here;
• Documents proving sufficient funds (for spouse applications)- during the visa period, the accompanying spouse is required to provide proof of 70€ per day (2100€ per month)* funds. This is in addition to the amount of 1200€ per month required for the employed spouse. At the time of applying, it is required that the sponsor/spouse can show proof of current financial means in that amount for at least 1 month (later, it can be covered by future income if that can be proved). The sponsor’s employment contract/offer letter, screenshots of balances in savings accounts, bank account statements, and transaction history from the past 6 months, etc. can be used as proof of funds. Any currency is OK, the converted value has to match the €€€ requirement;
• Appointment confirmation email
• Employed family member (sponsor’s) cover letter- The employed family member should write a letter stating that they will cover the costs of the family member’s trip to Estonia and will support them financially throughout the visa validity period. The letter should include information about the employed family member’s future role in the company and their monthly salary + explain other sources of income that you will be proving to the embassy. 

This is the mandatory list of documents that you should submit on paper but the Embassy always has the right to request additional documents if they wish to do so. 

As some Embassies might ask for additional documents, please also prepare:

• Copy of the working family member’s original diploma certificate. If they don’t have one, then CV;
• The working family member’s offer letter/contract from their Estonian employer.

* Additional info: 1200€ monthly funds/savings/income requirement for the sponsoring spouse and 2100€ monthly funds (3300€) in total) applies if the sponsoring spouse’s short-term employment was registered on the regular ground, as a top specialist or in a scale-up company.

How is the duration of a family member’s visa decided? 

The visa for a family member is given out for the same duration as the sponsor’s visa. In case the sponsor already holds an Estonian residence permit, the visa for the family member can be given out for a maximum duration of 365 days, otherwise, it is given out until the sponsor’s visa is valid. 

The visa validity must cover the period until the Estonian residence permit decision is received. Once the family member receives the Estonian residence permit, they will continue staying (and working) in Estonia on the basis of the residence permit.

Do children need to attend the visa appointment in person? 

By law, children under the age of 12 are exempt from the requirement of submitting their fingerprints, so it is possible that the parent can submit the application on behalf of the child and the child doesn’t need to travel to the embassy for the visa process. Some embassies still require children aged 6 and older to be present at the appointment. Contact the embassy you will be applying in before the appointment to find out how they operate with children’s applications!

If the family member already has a valid visa to enter the Schengen area?

In case the visa duration covers their stay until they receive the TRP, all good. If not, they can enter Estonia and apply for the D-visa at the Estonian Police Board- a guide for that here. A booking is required to submit the visa documents. More info here.

How can the family member collect the visa?

Once the visa decision has been issued, the Embassy will contact you or them (if an adult applicant) directly about it and they will be required to collect the original passport from the Estonian Embassy in person (if it has not been agreed differently with the Embassy) showing the receipt. If the visa is issued, the visa stamp will be added to their original passport. 

What happens if during a stay the sponsor’s employment is terminated?

Should the employment contract with your family member’s Estonian employer sponsoring their visa be terminated, the authorities also reserve the right to terminate the family member’s visa. In case the working family member finds a new employer in Estonia, and the employer registers their STER, the family member’s visa could also remain valid. 

What if our financial means are less than what is recommended above?

If you are hesitant about being able to prove a sufficient amount of funds for the family member’s visa application, contact your relocation partner about it, highlighting clearly what means are available to you and your relocating family member and they will be able to advise on the situation. Alternatively, for the TRP process, no additional funds are required to be presented.

3. Arrival in Estonia 

Healthcare

For info about the healthcare system in Estonia, check the Estonian Health Insurance Fund website. 

To summarize, children will receive national health insurance coverage automatically after receiving the Estonian residence permit and registering the residency address. 

Spouses may be eligible for national health insurance coverage after receiving the Estonian residence permit and registering the address if any of the below conditions apply: 

• The spouse raises a child under 8 years old or three children under 16, and is registered as a dependant spouse; 
• The spouse raises a child up to 3 years old, and applies for the national health insurance together with the social allowances; 
• The spouse registers as unemployed or takes up employment in Estonia. 

Under the national healthcare system, each person can have a dedicated family doctor who is the first point of contact for non-urgent medical care. Again, in order to register with one, as a general rule, the Estonian residence permit process and address registration must be completed. To register with a family doctor, an application should be submitted to a family medicine clinic in their residency area. Sometimes it is also possible to register with a family doctor if the spouse is covered by private health insurance. 

In case it is difficult to find a doctor to register with, or in case of non-urgent medical care is required before the residency address registration process is completed, we recommend using a private provider called Salu. All consultations with Salu begin online, and based on their statistics around 80% of all medical needs are solved there as well. Salu doctors can help to open sick leave from work on the same day and prescribe or renew prescription medicine online. The average response time on the platform is 15 minutes. If needed, their doctors are also ready to meet you in person (their clinic is located in Tallinn city center).

If the family member has acquired ERGO health insurance, we highly recommend using one of ERGO’s partner facilities listed on their site here in case of any health concerns. Tallinn clinics and hospitals can be found under “Harjumaa” and primary care providers listed there are SinuArst and Qvalitas, for example. 

In case urgent medical assistance is required you can call an ambulance (112) or if not critical enough to call an ambulance, any hospital Emergency Room will accept patients (find the closest ER here). An identity document (i.e. a passport) should always be brought along when visiting a medical facility.

Dental procedures are in most cases covered by national health insurance for children up to the age of 19. Dentist visits and procedures are not covered by national health insurance for adults. 

For any non-urgent medical questions, call the free doctors’ information hotline 1220 from 15:00-17:00 daily in English.

Social benefits

The family should check if they are eligible for any social benefits (such as child support) from the Social Insurance Board. Family benefits overview here. It is possible to submit an inquiry via eesti.ee.

NB! Social benefits can be applied for only after the residence permits are received and the residency address is registered. 

Estonian personal identification code

The Estonian personal identification code is a unique 11-digit code that will remain the same throughout your life and is used in healthcare, taxes, education, social services, banking etc. 

The employed family member will receive their Estonian ID code already with their short-term employment registration confirmation. The family member accompanying the employee will receive their ID code with the temporary residence permit card (noted on the back of the card). 

As a rule, non-EU nationals can’t apply for a personal ID code separately. In some cases, it may be justified to apply for the ID code before receiving the TRP card (for example, for healthcare purposes). Applications can be submitted at the International House of Estonia (recommended option) and at the Vital Statistics Department. 

Relocation guide and career counseling

This guide here helps with practical aspects your family member may come across while relocating, living and working in Estonia. It’s possible to also turn to International House of Estonia for information and consultations.

Career counseling for international spouses is available for free. You can read more about it here. Periodically, the International House of Estonia organizes dedicated courses for spouses who have moved to Estonia to accompany a spouse who has started employment here. The program includes training sessions, networking meetings, and individual consultations, aiming to help spouses “re-invent” their own professional paths in Estonia.  For information about when and how to sign up for the program, we recommend following the International House of Estonia Facebook page or bookmarking their webpage.

Unemployment registration

It is possible for the unemployed spouse to officially register as unemployed after receiving the Estonian residence permit and registering a residency address. Everything related to submitting the unemployment registration application can be found on the Unemployment Insurance Fund website here. 

The application can be submitted via the e-service portal (on the top right-hand side choose ‘E-töötukassasse’ and use the ID card to log in. If the site comes up in Estonian, change the language settings at the top of the page. Once logged in, click on ‘Registration’ and the site for submitting the registration will open up. The application can also be submitted at one of their offices in person. All of the Tallinn branches are listed here. If attending one of the offices, the passport and Estonian residence permit card should be brought with.

Unemployed persons registered with the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund are entitled to national health insurance coverage. After the unemployment registration has been completed and confirmed, health insurance coverage for a registered unemployed person will begin from the 31st day after the registration.  

Communities

Check out a list of International Groups and Expat communities to connect with locals and other internationals. To socialize with the locals, volunteering is one of the good ways to get involved! 

Pre-school education 

Children in Estonia usually begin preschool education after the age of 1.5-2, but it’s not compulsory to be enrolled in a kindergarten/school until the age of 7. We suggest watching an introduction video to the Estonian early education system here, as it provides useful insights into how the system is set up, what kind of activities children partake in, and recommendations on how to enlist your child in one. 

For public kindergartens, your child needs a personal Estonian identification code and their address needs to be registered. They will receive the personal ID code either with the temporary residence permit or you can also apply for the ID code separately after your arrival. The address registration can be done after the TRP is received, but some public kindergartens can also make exceptions and enroll kids without address registration. For private kindergartens, neither the ID code nor address registration is required. 

In Estonia, there is a slight difference in kindergartens (lasteaed – public and private) and daycares (lastehoid – private). When looking up options online, it’s recommended to search for both to get a good overview. If your child will attend a daycare (lastehoid) there may be additional benefits available from the city/district that you are registered in. This means that you will need to submit an application to the district that you and the child have been registered in – i.e. can only happen once the child’s residency address has been registered. There is a site with a thorough explanation and benefits breakdown on the Tallinn city website here, but unfortunately, this is only available in Estonian at the moment – you can use the Google translator to get a general overview. 

Once a rental agreement has been signed and you know the district you are living in, it’s worth reaching out to the district’s social services department to find out what kind of financial support may be available once the Estonian residence permits have been received and the residency address registered.

The International House of Estonia also offers free in-person or online consultations for expat families in Estonia. You can read more about that and book an appointment here. 

Education

To get a good principal overview of the Estonian education system, we suggest watching this introductory video which covers aspects such as schoolyear structure, admissions, grading, and more. 

The age of children starting school is generally 7 years in Estonia. To register children in a public school, the child’s address needs to be registered in Estonia (this happens after the residence permit is granted). This is when they are officially considered Estonian residents and can enroll in public schools. 

If or once the child is of that age, you can take a look online at schools in your residency area (city district). Usually, when children come from a different country, the school would first conduct assessment tests for the child to determine which schoolyear they should attend in the Estonian system. If the child begins kindergarten here and is within the Estonian education system from a young age, likely, you can just enroll them in an Estonian school right away. 

If looking for an English-speaking school, there are a small number of private schools. Take a look at the lists of schools that teach primarily in a foreign language or only in English here. 

Free online consultations regarding education specifically are available with the International House of Estonia here.

4. Applying for the temporary residence permit (TRP)

ADDITIONAL INFO AND FAQ:

Required documents for the TRP to reside with a SPOUSE 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. No need to complete the education/employment section.
• 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 was received when making the appointment booking.
• The spouse’s up-to-date English language CV, listing all of their 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 64€. Find out about payment options here. 
• The spouse’s valid passport. The official makes a copy and they do not have to leave it to the Police Board.
• The original apostilled or legalized marriage certificate. The official makes a copy and they do not need to leave it at the Police Board. 
• Spouse invitation form. Signed by the sponsor, i.e. the employed family member. The date needs to be the date of the appointment.  Download form here. 
• Sponsor cover letter- The employed family member should write a letter stating that they will support the family member financially during the family’s stay in Estonia. The letter should include information about the employed family member’s role in the Estonian company and their monthly salary. It should also be stated that the sponsor confirms to cover the cost of private health insurance for the spouse at all times when the national insurance does not apply by law. 
• Confirmation of private health insurance*.

*Private health insurance for spouses- The required duration of private health insurance coverage depends on the circumstances that apply to your spouse. Private health insurance coverage should be acquired for at least 1 year in most cases. 

Private health insurance coverage can be acquired for 6 months if: 

• the spouse is raising a child under the age of 3; 
• the spouse is raising a child under the age of 8 and will register as a dependent spouse after receipt of TRP and registering the residency address;
• the spouse is raising three children under the age of 16 and will register as a dependent spouse after receipt of TRP and registering the residency address. 

If any of the above apply, the spouse is eligible for national health insurance coverage. The applicable circumstances should be noted in the cover letter written by the sponsor.

Required documents for the TRP to reside with a PARENT application:

NB! The parent (legal representative of the child) should sign all of the child’s application documents! 

• 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. No need to complete the education/employment section.
• 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.
• Proof of TRP application state fee payment 64€ or 24€ (children under 1 year). Find out about payment options here. 
• The child’s valid passport. The official makes a copy and you do not have to leave it to the Police Board.
• Parent invitation form. Signed by the sponsor, i.e. the working parent. The date needs to be the date of the appointment. Download the form here. 
• Sponsor cover letter-The employed parent should write a letter stating that they will support the child financially during the family’s stay in Estonia. The letter should include information about the employed family member’s role in the Estonian company and their monthly salary. 

What happens after the submission of documents?

The family member will receive a confirmation on paper from the Police Board stating that the application has been submitted. Among other info, it will state the applicant’s personal details, application number, and the latest date by law when the Estonian residence permit card will be received (up to 3 months from submission of documents). 

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 the applicant has 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. The 1st email will confirm that the card has been sent for printing and 2nd email will confirm 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 spouses have been married for less than 1 year, the spouse’s permit will be issued for up to 2 years at first. 

The residence permit to reside with a spouse/parent is linked to the employed family member’s (the sponsor’s) residence permit. As long as the working family member has a valid residence permit, the family member’s permit will also remain valid. The Police Board reserves the right to terminate the family member’s residence permit if the working family member’s employment is terminated. 

What should we do if the residence permits are starting to expire?

A renewal of the permit should be applied for ca. 2 months before the permit is starting to expire. Information about renewing a permit, including how to apply and what documents are required can be found here. 

Children don’t need to apply for a renewal of the permit – once the parent receives a positive decision on the renewal of their permit, the child’s permit is automatically renewed as well and it is not required to apply for a renewal of the child’s permit separately. It will be, however, required to apply for a new card for the child. 

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. Rread 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 to reside with a spouse process. 
• Find out more info here about the temporary residence permit to reside with a parent process. 
• In case applying for a new TRP or applying for a renewal, the ground of the family member’s stay in Estonia is legal until a decision about the new permit/extension is made. 
• 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 but permits to reside with a spouse/parent are exempt from the quota. 

5. Residency address registration

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:

• A copy of a document that shows your right to use the property (i.e. signed 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 the Estonian residence permit card. 
• If registering a child’s address and the other parent is not (being) registered to that property, the other parent will need to give their (verified) consent for the process – either via digital signature or notarized consent. 

What happens after the address registration?

After the address is registered, public services available in that area will apply to the person. These include registering with a family doctor, social benefits (if applicable), free public transport in Tallinn (after personalizing the public transportation card – more info here), enrolling children in public school/kindergarten etc. The transportation card can be perzonalised for adults and children over the age of 7. 

Children will get national health insurance coverage automatically as the Population Registry will transfer data to the Estonian Health Insurance Fund. Read more about public services that become available after the address has been registered (including education)  in Step 3. 

Additional information

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

6. Tax residency registration (for adults only)

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. 

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 at the end of April-early May each year. More info on when and how to submit the income tax return here.

There are some example calculations on sharing the tax incentives which you can take a look at on the Tax Board’s website here. Take a look at how the basic exemption can be calculated from their site here. 

When the tax return window opens, the Tax Board publishes more detailed instructions on how to submit the declaration forms, etc. Everything happens online and it’s quite an easy and straightforward process! 

Additional information

• To learn more about the tax topics, find tax residency info here and tax system info here. 
• If at some point leaving Estonia permanently, the Tax Board should be notified of the change of residency by submitting a Form R again.