How to Relocate International Talent To Estonia

Depending on your international employee’s country of origin, their relocation process to Estonia can take you down three different paths:

• Relocating talent to Estonia from a non-EU country (visa required);
• Relocating talent to Estonia from a non-EU country (no visa required);
• Relocating talent to Estonia from another European Union country.

Below, we’ll outline the basic steps in each immigration scenario. For more detailed information on how Jobbatical can manage these processes for your company, as your mobility partner, explore our Estonian immigration and relocation services.

Relocating talent to Estonia from a non-EU country (visa required)

When relocating talent from a non-EU country, the first key question is whether a visa is necessary for entry into Estonia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a list of countries whose citizens do not need a visa.

If a visa is required, the process involves several steps:

1. Short-term employment registration and Estonian ID code

You need to register your employee’s short-term employment, enabling them to start working in Estonia as soon as their visa is granted. This registration is crucial as it serves as proof of employment in Estonia. During this process, the Police Board will issue your talent with their Estonian ID code.‍

The registration will be confirmed within a maximum of 15 business days from submitting the application. 

2. Long-stay D-visa for Estonia

The long-stay D-visa allows your employee to enter Estonia and commence work. The application must be submitted in person at an Estonian Embassy abroad, as VFS centers do not accept long-stay D-visa applications. The decision is typically made within 14 days.

Once the short-term employment registration is complete and the necessary visa documents are prepared, the employee should submit their visa application no later than 14 business days before their intended arrival in Estonia. It’s very important to factor in additional time if the nearest Estonian embassy is not in the same city as the employee. Among the required documents, a letter of support from you, the employer, confirming the employee’s planned residence permit application in Estonia and their employment contract, is essential. This step is crucial as it aligns with global mobility management best practices, ensuring the smooth entry of your employee into Estonia.

3. Arrival in Estonia

Once your employee has their D-visa, they can start working immediately after arriving in Estonia.

4. Temporary Estonian residence permit

A residence permit will allow your relocating employee to stay in Estonia for up to 5 years. Once they have their residence permit, they can live and work in Estonia without a long-term visa. The application must be submitted in person at the Police and Border Guard Board within the employee's first month in Estonia.

The Police and Border Guard Board has up to 2 months to process and make a decision about the residence permit application. By law, the residence permit card can take up to a month to be printed, but on average it takes approximately 10 working days for the card to be ready, from the moment the residence permit is granted. 

5. Address registration at the Estonian Population Registry 

Address registration is mandatory for anyone living in Estonia. Once your employee has their residence permit card and permanent accommodation, they have to register their address. This should happen within about 30 days of receiving their Estonian residence permit card. Once the application has been submitted, the registration can take up to 7 calendar days but is usually confirmed within 1-2 business days. 

Having their address registered will enable your employee to start taking advantage of services designed for residents, including free unlimited public transport in Tallinn, and full access to public health care. 

6. Estonian tax residency registration

After your employee’s residence address is registered at the Population Registry, they will need to register their tax residency in Estonia by submitting Form R.

Relocating talent to Estonia from a non-EU country (no visa required)

If your employee is from a non-EU country whose citizens do not need a visa to enter Estonia (check the country list here), the process is simplified as it bypasses the visa application step.The rest of the steps largely overlap with the first scenario.

Here’s what the relocation and immigration process to Estonia looks like for skilled workersfrom outside the EU if they don’t need a visa:

1. Short-term employment registration and ID code;
2. Arrival in Estonia (once the short-term employment registration is complete, they can start working immediately after arriving in Estonia);
3. Temporary residence permit;
4. Address registration;
5. Tax residency registration.
   

Relocating talent to Estonia from another European Union country

For EU nationals, the relocation process is straightforward. Employees can start living and working in Estonia upon arrival.

But keep in mind that if your EU employee is coming to Estonia for more than three months, there are a few more steps in the relocation process, which Jobbatical can manage for you:

1. Estonian ID code. To register your EU hire at the Estonian Tax and Customs Board, they need an Estonian personal identification code, which is issued by the Police and Border Guard Board and should be applied for during the employee's first week working in Estonia.
2. Address registration. Your EU hires need to register their address within 90 days of their arrival in Estonia.
3. Estonian ID card. EU nationals living in Estonia will need an ID card, which can be issued for up to 5 years and will be automatically extended if they continue to live in Estonia.
4. Tax registration.‍

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Regardless of where your relocating talent is from, don’t forget to prepare them for what lies ahead! Here’s our guide to life in Estonia, based on advice from other expats in Tallinn. 

To offer the best possible relocation experience—from the most crucial immigration steps to key settle-in services like bank accounts and home searches—for your international talent and their families coming to Estonia, check out Jobbatical’s relocation services.