Business visitors for establishment purposes (BVEPs)
You can apply for a visa or residence permit at the foreign mission of Estonia or, in case you are legally staying in Estonia (e.g. with a visa), at the Police and Border Guard Service offices.
You may arrive in Estonia by visa-free movement, visa or residence permit issued by a Schengen State.
With the visa or residence permit issued by another Schengen State, you are allowed to stay in Estonia for up to 90 days within a 180-day period.
It is allowed to work in Estonia without registration at the Police and Border Guard if your employment is of temporary nature and the term of employment does not exceed five days within the period of 30 days.
It is permitted to work in Estonia for the purposes of performing directing or supervisory functions of a legal entity or a branch of a foreign company registered in Estonia for the duration of your temporary stay.
Short-term business visitors (STBV)
You need to have legal ground (visa-free movement, visa or residence permit issued by a Schengen State, etc.) to arrive in Estonia or apply for a short-term Schengen visa at the foreign mission of Estonia in your country of origin.
It is possible to stay with a visa or residence permit issued by a Schengen State in Estonia up to 90 days within a 180-day period.
It is allowed to work in Estonia without registration at the Police and Border Guard if your employment is of temporary nature and the term of employment does not exceed five days within the period of 30 days.
If you need to stay and work up to one year, your employer needs to register your short-term employment in Estonia at the Police and Border Guard.
Contractual service suppliers
You need to apply for a visa or residence permit at the Estonian embassy or consulate in your country of origin.
You may work in Estonia if your employer has registered your short-term employment in Estonia at the Police and Border Guard or you need to apply for a residence permit at the Police and Border Guard. Short-term employment is permitted for up to 365 days within 455 consecutive days.
It is allowed to work in Estonia without registration at the Police and Border Guard if your employment is of temporary nature and the term of employment does not exceed five days within the period of 30 days.
Independent professionals (IPs)
You need to apply for a visa or a residence permit at the Estonian embassy or consulate in your country of origin.
It is allowed to work in Estonia without registration at the Police and Border Guard if your employment is of temporary nature and the term of employment does not exceed five days within the period of 30 days.
You may work in Estonia under a short-term employment or you need to apply for a residence permit at the Police and Border Guard. Short-term employment is permitted for up to 365 days within 455 consecutive days.
If you need to stay more than 365 days within 455 consecutive days, you need to apply for a residence permit based on the nature of your work.
Business and investors
Residence permit for business
You need to apply for a visa or residence permit at the Estonian embassy or consulate in your country of origin. For submitting an application, you should address a foreign representation of the Republic of Estonia in person. In case you have a legal basis for staying in Estonia, you may submit the application at the Police and Border Guard Service Office.
The residence permit for business can be applied under general conditions if you i) have a holding in a company or you operate as a sole proprietor and you have invested in business activity in Estonia; ii) for conducting a business at a start-up company; and iii) as a major investor if you have made a direct investment of at least 1,000,000 euros in a company entered into the commercial register of Estonia or an investment in an investment fund.
- You can apply for a residence permit for business under general conditions if you have a holding in a company or you operate as a sole proprietor and you have invested in business activity in Estonia at least 65,000 euros of capital (in the case of a self-employed person, 16,000 euros).
For submitting an application, please address in person a foreign representation of the Republic of Estonia. If you have a legal basis for staying in Estonia, you may submit the application at the Service Office. For submitting the application in the Service Office, you need to make a reservation.
Required documents:
- an application for a temporary residence permit,
- data of close relative and family members,
- documents or data that prove the investment,
- 1 digital colour photo,
- description of a business plan in Estonian or English. The description of the business plan must express the following data: name and registry code of the company or the sole proprietor; business idea - planned activities, potential clients and suppliers, plans of development, fixed assets available for the company, circulating capital, labour force being used; financial forecasts for the next two financial years - projected income statement, balance sheet, cash flow forecast; Curriculum Vitaes of the persons who perform managerial and supervisory functions; motivation, why the settling of the applicant in Estonia is important for enterprise,
- a document certifying the payment of the state fee.
By signing the application, you confirm that:
- the copy appended to the application complies with the original document, it does not contain false data and it has not been forged,
- you have adequate legal income,
- you have a health insurance contract.
- You can apply for a residence permit for conducting business at a start-up - the start-up company must have been previously evaluated by the expert committee, unless a specification applies. Start-ups are evaluated by the expert committee at the Ministry of the Interior. Before submitting the application to the Police and Border Guard Board, an application for the evaluation of the start-up must be provided to the expert committee. The expert committee gives their opinion whether it is a start-up within 10 working days following the receipt of all the required information and evidence from the applicant. Conditions and procedures for the evaluation of compliance with the definition of start-ups, the list of data and evidence to be submitted and requirements for the submission are established by a regulation of the Minister of the Interior. More information can be found here.
Specifications in case the evaluation of the expert committee is not required:
- the start-up company is pointed out in the directive of the Minister of the Interior as a start-up company that meets the conditions of the Aliens Act.
- the expert committee has already given an assessment to the start-up over the last five years. However, if needed, the Police and Border Guard Board may demand in the course of the procedure that the start-up request a new evaluation from the expert committee.
For submitting an application, please address in person a foreign representation of the Republic of Estonia. If you have a legal basis for staying in Estonia, you may submit the application at the Service Office. For submitting the application in the Service Office, you need to make a reservation.
Required documents:
- an application for temporary residence permit,
- data of close relative and family members,
- documents or data that prove the investment,
- start-up business – provide an opinion of the expert committee or a number of the application of the expert committee, unless the company is one of the start-up companies listed in the Directive of the Minister of the Interior,
- 1 digital colour photo,
- a document certifying the payment of the state fee.
By signing the application, you confirm that:
- the copy appended to the application complies with the original document, it does not contain false data and it has not been forged,
- you have adequate legal income,
- you have a health insurance contract.
- You can apply for a residence permit for business as a major investor if you have made a direct investment of at least 1,000,000 euros in a company entered into the commercial register of Estonia that invests mostly into the Estonian economy, or an investment in an investment fund, according to the investment policy of which the instruments of the fund are invested mainly in the companies entered into the commercial register of Estonia.
The investment must be permanent during the period of validity of the residence permit. Investment is permanent in case the investment does not decrease during the period of validity of the residence permit, except for the causes attributable to the fluctuation of the market price of the investment. A company or an investment fund in which the initial investment was made as a condition of issue of the residence permit, may be changed during the period of validity of the residence permit provided that the company would invest mostly into the Estonian economy or into an investment fund according to the investment policy of which the instruments of the fund are invested mainly in the companies entered into the commercial register of Estonia. Major investor is not required to have an actual place of residence is Estonia and he or she has no obligation to register his or her place of residence in the Population Register.
For submitting an application, please address in person a foreign representation of the Republic of Estonia. If you have a legal basis for staying in Estonia, you may submit the application at the Service Office. For submitting the application in the Service Office, you need to make a reservation.
Required documents:
- an application for temporary residence permit,
- data of close relative and family members,
- major investor – submit documents or data on making the required investment,
- 1 digital colour photo,
- a document certifying the payment of the state fee.
By signing the application, you confirm that:
- the copy appended to the application complies with the original document, it does not contain false data and it has not been forged,
- you have adequate legal income,
- you have a health insurance contract.
Application process
- Granting or refusal of a temporary residence permit is decided within 2 months from the acceptance of the application. In case of granting a residence permit, a residence card will be issued to the guardian within 30 days at the foreign representation of the Republic of Estonia or at the Service Office stated on the application form. Arrival of the residence card in a foreign representation may take more time.
- State fee amount for applying for a residence permit for business:
- 160 euros when applying in Estonia.
- 190 euros at a foreign representation of Estonia.
Duration of the residence permit
- A temporary residence permit for business is granted for up to 5 years with the possibility for extension. The residence permit will establish the spheres of activities of the undertaking and, if necessary, the area of operation.
Extension of the temporary residence permit
- An application for extension of a temporary residence permit should be submitted in person at a Service Office at least two months prior the expiry of the current residence permit. In case less than 5 years have passed from capturing of fingerprints, you can also apply for a residence permit or extension of residence permit by post or by e-mail.
Refusal and appeals
- In general, a temporary residence permit can be refused if:
- at least one of the conditions which is required for issuing a temporary residence permit for business is not complied with,
- for specifications regarding a temporary residence permit under general conditions, for conducting a business as a start-up company and as a major investor, please see the Aliens Act.
- Within ten days as of the date of notification of the decision, an appeal may be filed with an administrative court or a challenge may be filed against a decision on the issue of and refusal to issue, the extension of and refusal to extend and the revocation of a temporary residence permit or the refusal to review an application for a temporary residence permit. A decision on the challenge may be contested in an administrative court within the same term.
Further information
Please see under ‘Conditions’ for all information on International Service Providers.
Please see under ‘Conditions’ for all information on International Service Providers.
Please see under ‘Conditions’ for all information on International Service Providers.
Please see under ‘Conditions’ for all information on International Service Providers.