Skip to main content
Apply now

Live and work in Estonia

Updated

Thinking about relocating to support your business growth? A temporary stay in Estonia can be a practical step when establishing a local presence, opening a new office, or expanding your operations. This article provides an overview of the key migration requirements for business owners, founders, and employees who plan to relocate for work-related purposes.

Although e-residents have access to many of the e-services available to citizens and residents of Estonia, your digital ID card does not serve as a residency permit and e-Residency does not grant you the right of entry to or residency in Estonia.

EU citizens

A citizen of the EU, EEA or Swiss Confederation has a right to stay in Estonia on the basis of a valid travel document or an identity card for a period of up to three months.

If you or your employees wish to stay and/or work in Estonia for a longer period of time, a place of residence must be registered in the population register of Estonia. Please find more information on the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board website. 

Non-EU citizens

Citizens from outside of EU, EEA or Swiss Confederation, can stay in Estonia

An Estonian temporary residence permit grants its holder the right to live, and in most cases, work in Estonia. The temporary residence permit is often granted for up to five years. The exact duration is decided each time on a case-by-case basis.

For yourself as an entrepreneur you can look up these options:

If you are interested in relocating employees who are non-EU citizens, below is the information for two options: residence permit for employment and Startup visa.

Short-term employment

For work assignments lasting up to 365 days during a 455-day period, a foreigner must be registered with the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board before the employment commences.

  • This process is simpler than applying for a residence permit.
  • Short-term employment is registered or refused to register within 15 working days.

Residence permit for employment

If the employment relationship will last for a longer time than provided by the visa or visa freedom terms, then the employee should apply for a residence permit for employment to work in Estonia.

  • There is no separate work permit available, an individual is permitted to work on the basis of a residence permit.
  • A residence permit may be temporary or long-term.

The basis and conditions for applying for a residence permit depend on the employee’s special conditions and the area of business. In most cases, it is necessary to

  • fulfil the salary criterion and
  • get approval from the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund
  • stay within the immigration quota for aliens the residence permit is subjected to. 

Usually, the salary must be at least the current average yearly wage in Estonia published by Statistics Estonia. Unless an exemption applies.

The approval from the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund is given in cases when the vacant position cannot be filled by an Estonian or EU citizen or alien already residing in Estonia and your potential employee has the qualifications, education, health, previous experience etc. to do the job.

More detailed information from the Police and Border Guard Board.

Start-up visa

Let’s assume, that you have an Estonian start-up, which is a company with a high global growth potential, innovation and scalable and shall significantly contribute to the development of the Estonian business environment. 

In this case, it is possible to apply for both, a visa and residency permit for a start-up business. This is a simplified opportunity to hire/come to work in Estonia for a start-up!

NB

The eligibility for being a start-up and using the simplified process is determined by a committee of experts. The experts will make the decision, upon submitting an application, whether your company can be considered a start-up or not.

The simplified process has the following benefits:

  • No obligation to pay the employee at least Estonian average salary/double of average salary;
  • Do not have to take into account the immigration quota;
  • No need to meet the requirement for permission from the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund;
  • Additional requirements for paid-in capital for holding in a company does not apply.

Please bear in mind that this is a simplified process designed to attract start-up businesses to Estonia!

Read more about Start-up visa. 

Steps after obtaining the legal right to stay in Estonia

Support for foreign talent and family

Estonia is known as the “land of unicorns”, home to globally successful companies like Skype, Wise, Pipedrive and Bolt. These high-growth businesses - like many others in Estonia - thrive by attracting top international talent.

As an entrepreneur, you can grow your company in Estonia by hiring locally or relocating the right people and their families from abroad. You don’t need to move to Estonia yourself to access this dynamic environment - with e-Residency, you can manage everything digitally while building your team on the ground.

In fact, the number of expats coming to work in Estonia has more than doubled in the past five years. International professionals are drawn by exciting career opportunities, a low-hierarchy work culture, advanced digital infrastructure, clean nature, and a high quality of life.

Build your dream team with support from Estonia’s public and private sectors

Related to

Related articles