Process to Apply for Temporary Residence Permit of Estonia

6 min read

The Estonian government, unlike other countries, does not offer student visas. So, there’s no such thing as an “Estonia student visa.” Rather you have to manage a temporary residence permit of Estonia to stay there. The information varies from student to student.

For example, EU students may require minimal administrative work to manage TRP, while non-EU residents may undergo a few more steps to get the TRP of Estonia.

Temporary Residence Permit of Estonia for EU/ Non-Eu residents

Resident of EU/EEA/Switzerland

If you are a resident of EU/EEA/Switzerland planning to apply for a TRP of Estonia, you need to follow these steps.

• Register your residence place in the local government authority within three months from the day of entry to Estonia.

• A student needs to apply for an Estonian ID-card within one month of obtaining a temporary residence permit (TRP) in Estonia.

• Your temporary residence permit is valid for five years.

• You can extend your temporary residence permit for another five years if you live in Estonia.

Non-resident of EU/EEA/Switzerland

If you are a non-resident of EU/EEA/Switzerland planning to apply for a Temporary Residence Permit of Estonia, you need to follow these steps.

Before you start applying for TRP, check if you need a visa to enter Estonia. Check if you are a citizen of any of the following countries. If you are, you don't need a visa to enter a Schengen area for a stay of no more than 90 days in any 180 days.

If you are not a citizen of any of the following countries, you need to apply for an Estonian temporary residence permit for study.

Do you need a visa or not? - learn more

You need to apply for a TYPE - C visa (aka. short-term stay) if your study period is less than 90 days. If your study period is between 3 months to 12 months, you need to apply for type D or a long-stay visa.

Note: You need to apply for TRP if your study’s duration exceeds more than 12 months. In this case, you need to apply for both type D and TRP.

Here are the steps to follow for the TRP application:

• Apply for a TRP application to Estonian Embassy or Consul in your home country. Contact to nearest Estonian Consul or Embassy if there’s no Estonian embassy or consul in your home country.

• After you arrive in Estonia, you need to register your residence with the Local Government authority within one month of arrival.

• Two months before TRP expiry, you should apply for an extension.

Note: TRP- Temporary Residence Permit is granted three years for Bachelor program and two years master’s program. Temporary residences permit are given for courses that require more than six months. It generally takes 7-10 days for approval of D-visa.

But, TRP requires at least 2-3 months. So, it is better to apply early. But, If you are in a rush, you can apply for TRP after you reach Estonia. Please consult with the Estonian immigration/ embassy or consul before you do it. Sometimes Estonian Embassy or Consul doesn’t accept TRP applications. In that case, you can apply for TRP after reaching Estonia.

So now, as you are planning to apply for your TRP (aka. a student visa), you need to prepare the following documents. To apply for TRP, you need a bank statement with at least 1-year tuition fees and 1-year living cost in Estonia. It is important to note that the bank statement must be from a reputed bank in your country.

Temporary Residence Permit of Estonia Checklist

Here is your Estonia TRP application checklist.

• A valid travel document with at least two blank pages for visas is valid for at least three months after the visa expiration date.

• Pre-filled online application form printed and signed.

• Photo (35*45) mm

• University acceptance letter

• Proof of accommodation

• Insurance Contract

• Curriculum Vitae (CV).

• Tuition Fees Transfer Swift Copy

• Visa fee

• Air ticket confirmation

• Any confirmation of scholarship or stipend (if any)

• All academic certificates and transcripts (Photocopy must be notarized)

• Documents indicating your purpose of Journey

• Legal Income [See point 16]

• Relation certificate with your sponsor

• Sponsors documents needed:

• For Job holder/Retired sponsorship

  • Payslip/ Salary Certificate (From the accounts with proper seal and signature)

  • Employment Certificate (attach visiting card with a paper clip if possible)

  • Pension Statement

  • Tax Return

  • Asset valuations **

  • Bank statement (for the last 3-6 months) and Bank Solvency (sealed and signed with bank address and contact information)

• For businessperson sponsorship: You can also get the Estonian residence permit by investment procedure

  • Trade license along with its notarized translation **

  • Asset valuations **

  • The balance sheet of the company’s income and share and its notarized translation **

  • Trade license along with its notarized translation **

  • Tax return Papers

  • Bank statement (for the last 3-6 months) and Bank Solvency (sealed and signed with bank address and contact information)

These are some must documents that you need to apply for an Estonian visa. Other documents may also be required. Please visit Estonian Embassy or Consul Website for documents required and procedure.

Note: You have to attest your documents from your education board (or Ministry of Education) and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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