Temporary residence permit for employment in Estonia

What conditions must be met?

A residence permit for employment is granted so that foreigners with the necessary knowledge and skills can be hired in Estonia (VMS § 176 lg 1) [1]. The conditions concern both the employer and the employee:

• The employer is entered in the Estonian commercial register. This does not apply if the employer is a legal person in public law or the foreigner is a worker posted to Estonia (VMS § 176 lg 2 and 3) [1].
• The employer has real business activity. Immediately before the application, the employer must have had real business activity in Estonia for at least six consecutive months; this does not apply, for example, when the foreigner starts work as a teacher, academic staff member or researcher (VMS § 176 lg 4 and 5) [1].
• Unemployment Insurance Fund permit. It is granted if the job cannot be filled by an Estonian citizen, an EU citizen or a foreigner living in Estonia on a residence permit who meets the requirements, and filling the job with a foreigner is justified by the labour market situation (VMS § 177 lg 1) [2]. The permit is not tied to the foreigner as a person and is granted for one or more jobs (VMS § 177 lg 1¹) [2].
• The employee's suitability. The foreigner must have the qualifications, education, health, work experience, professional skills and knowledge required for the job (VMS § 179 lg 1) [6].
• The employer's reliability. The permit is refused if the employer has been punished for an offence under §§ 133–133³, 175 or 260¹ of the Penal Code (karistusseadustik) and the record has not been deleted, or if the company was set up or operates mainly to facilitate the arrival of foreigners in Estonia (VMS § 180 lg 1 and 1¹) [7]. It may be refused, among other things, if the employer has tax arrears or has not complied with a statutory duty to notify (VMS § 180 lg 2) [7].

How much must the pay be?

The general rule is the average annual gross wage in Estonia most recently published by Statistics Estonia, regardless of the agreed working time (VMS § 178 lg 1) [3]. The amount must match the data most recently published when the application is accepted for processing, and it is adjusted when the permit is extended or a new first temporary residence permit is applied for (VMS § 178 lg 2) [3]. Special cases:

• a top specialist must be paid at least the average annual gross monthly wage (brutokuupalk) multiplied by a coefficient of 1.5 (VMS § 178 lg 1¹) [3];
• in a growth company (kasvuettevõte) the pay is 80 per cent of the average annual gross monthly wage (VMS § 178 lg 1⁴) [3];
• the general and the top-specialist pay thresholds do not apply to a foreigner who obtained level four or five vocational education or higher education in Estonia (VMS § 178 lg 1²) [3];
• for work in a field named in an order of the Government of the Republic (VMS § 181 lg 2 p 4) [4], the pay must be at least the average annual gross monthly wage in Estonia most recently published by Statistics Estonia in the field named by the Government's order (VMS § 178 lg 1³) [3]; from 01.01.2027, for a permit granted for work in an area of activity with a labour shortage (tööjõupuudusega tegevusala), the pay must be at least 80 per cent of the average annual gross monthly wage in Estonia most recently published by Statistics Estonia (VMS § 178 lg 1³) [8].

In any case, the pay must allow the foreigner to support themselves in Estonia (VMS § 178 lg 4) [3].

What is the immigration quota and who is outside it?

The annual immigration quota may not exceed 0.1 per cent of Estonia's permanent population per year (VMS § 113 lg 2) [5]. Among others, the following are not counted when calculating whether the quota is filled (VMS § 115) [9]:

• citizens of the United States, Japan and the United Kingdom (VMS § 115 p 8, 9 and 9¹) [9];
• researchers and academic staff (VMS § 115 p 5) [9];
• people working in an information and communication technology position, in a start-up (iduettevõte) or in a growth company (VMS § 115 p 14, 15 and 20) [9];
• top specialists (VMS § 115 p 18) [9];
• people granted a permit for short-term employment (VMS § 115 p 19) [9]; from 01.01.2027 this point names instead people granted a permit for work in an area of activity with a labour shortage (VMS § 115 p 19) [10].

If a foreigner is counted in the quota and the quota is full, a change of job is not registered either (VMS § 184¹ lg 4 p 2) [11]. From 01.01.2029 the Unemployment Insurance Fund refuses the permit to fill a job with a foreigner if the following conditions are met: the foreigner is counted when calculating whether the immigration quota is filled, on the day of the decision this year's immigration quota is filled, and more than six months remain until next year's immigration quota is set (VMS § 177 lg 5) [12].

When is the Unemployment Insurance Fund permit not needed?

Without the Fund's permit and without the pay requirement, a permit may be granted, for example, to an accredited journalist, a creative employee of a performing arts institution, a teacher, a researcher (if a research and development institution has concluded a hosting agreement, võõrustamisleping, with them) or academic staff member, an athlete or coach invited by a sports federation, a posted worker, a person who obtained level four or five vocational education or higher education in Estonia, and for work in a start-up (VMS § 181 lg 1) [4].

Without the Fund's permit, a permit may be granted, among others, to an expert, adviser or consultant, for management or supervisory functions in a legal person in private law, to a top specialist, to an intra-corporate transferee and for work in a growth company (VMS § 181 lg 2) [4]. At present these cases also include work in a field named in an order of the Government of the Republic in which the labour shortage in Estonia needs to be reduced (VMS § 181 lg 2 p 4 and lg 8) [4]. From 01.01.2027 this ground is work in an area of activity with a labour shortage (töötamiseks tööjõupuudusega tegevusalal) (VMS § 181 lg 2 p 4) [13]: a permit may be granted if the employer's main area of activity entered in the Estonian commercial register is on the list of areas of activity with a labour shortage established by the Government of the Republic, and the Government of the Republic sets the maximum number of such permits for each calendar year (VMS § 181 lg 8 and 14) [13]. For a top specialist, the company must as a rule have been in the commercial register for at least 12 months and meet one of the statutory conditions, for example sales revenue of at least 200,000 euros a year (VMS § 181 lg 5) [4]. No Fund permit is required when the residence permit is extended (VMS § 177 lg 3) [2].

How do you apply?

The application is submitted in person (VMS § 213 lg 1) [14]. You do not have to appear in person at a foreign mission or the Police and Border Guard Board if your fingerprints were taken in an earlier residence permit, right of residence or identity document procedure and meet the requirements (VMS § 213 lg 1¹) [14]. From 01.01.2028: if you have submitted the data and evidence required for the temporary residence permit application through an electronic channel, you confirm that they are correct by signing the application, and the application may be signed with an IT tool of the authority competent to accept it (VMS § 213 lg 1²) [15]. The details are set out in the regulation Tähtajalise elamisloa ja selle pikendamise ning pikaajalise elaniku elamisloa ja selle taastamise taotlemise kord ning legaalse sissetuleku määrad (procedure for applying for a temporary residence permit; "the procedure"). The application is submitted to an Estonian foreign mission, which forwards it to the Police and Border Guard Board (Politsei- ja Piirivalveamet, PPA) (procedure § 8 lg 1) [16]; a foreigner with a legal basis for staying in Estonia may apply to the PPA (VMS § 216 lg 1 p 1) [17].

• The employee submits the application, a photo, a document on legal income for the six months immediately before the application and a document proving the activity (procedure § 14 lg 1) [18].
• The employer submits to the PPA a written invitation to hire the foreigner and the Unemployment Insurance Fund permit; the Fund's permit need not be submitted if the residence permit is applied for under VMS § 181 lg 1 or 2 (procedure § 14 lg 2 and 11) [18].
• The Fund's permit is requested by the employer in writing; the Fund grants or refuses it within seven working days, and the permit is valid for six months for filing the residence permit application (procedure § 15 lg 1–3) [19].
• The state fee is 250 euros, or 280 euros at a foreign mission (RLS § 273 lg 2) [20].

A decision is made within 90 days of the application or of the day the deficiencies were remedied (procedure § 26 lg 1) [21]. For an employment application, this time limit may be extended only in exceptional and justified circumstances, by up to 30 days (procedure § 26 lg 6 and 7) [21].

What may you do on the permit?

The permit sets out at least the employer, the place of work and the job (VMS § 185 lg 1) [22], and you may work only on those conditions (VMS § 185 lg 3) [22]. You may work for several employers at the same time, following the conditions in the permit (VMS § 181² lg 1) [23].

You may change employer while the permit is valid if the new employer has applied to the PPA to register the change of job before you start work and the PPA has checked that working for the new employer meets the conditions for granting the permit and registered the change (VMS § 184¹ lg 1) [11]. This is not available to a foreigner holding a permit for intra-corporate transfer or to a posted worker (VMS § 184¹ lg 2) [11]. If you have worked on the permit for at least 12 months in a row, no Fund permit is needed when you change employer (VMS § 177 lg 4¹) [2].

If a condition of work set out in the permit changes and the change is not one of the exceptions in the Act (for example, working for several employers, a registered change of job or a permitted period without work), the permit is revoked (VMS § 189 lg 1 p 2 and lg 2) [24].

What the law says

• „Tähtajalise elamisloaga töötamiseks antakse välismaalasele õigus viibida Eestis ja töötada Eesti äriregistrisse kantud tööandja juures elamisloas määratud tingimustel.“ [1] (translation: a temporary residence permit for employment gives a foreigner the right to stay in Estonia and work for an employer entered in the Estonian commercial register on the conditions set out in the permit; VMS § 176 lg 2) – the permit is tied to a specific employer and job.
• „Tööandja on kohustatud maksma välismaalasele tasu, mille suurus on vähemalt võrdne Statistikaameti viimati avaldatud Eesti aasta keskmise brutopalgaga olenemata kokkulepitud tööajast.“ [3] (translation: the employer must pay the foreigner at least the average annual gross wage in Estonia most recently published by Statistics Estonia, regardless of the agreed working time; VMS § 178 lg 1) – the same minimum applies to part-time work.
• „Eestisse elama asuvate välismaalaste arv on piiratud sisserände piirarvuga.“ [5] (translation: the number of foreigners settling in Estonia is limited by the immigration quota; VMS § 113 lg 1) – the persons listed in the Act are not counted towards the quota (VMS § 115) [9].
• „Välismaalasel, kellele on antud tähtajaline elamisluba töötamiseks, on lubatud Eestis töötada üksnes elamisloas kindlaks määratud tingimustel, kui käesolev seadus ei sätesta teisiti.“ [22] (translation: a foreigner with a temporary residence permit for employment may work in Estonia only on the conditions set out in the permit, unless the Act provides otherwise; VMS § 185 lg 3) – changing employer requires the change of job to be registered (VMS § 184¹ lg 1) [11].
• „Töötamiseks antud tähtajalise elamisloa pikendamisel peab taotleja olema omandanud eesti keele oskuse vähemalt A2-tasemel.“ [25] (translation: to extend a temporary residence permit for employment, the applicant must have Estonian language skills at least at level A2; VMS § 187 lg 2) – the exceptions are listed in the Act (VMS § 187 lg 3) [25].

What to do

1. Check whether the job falls under an exception (VMS § 181 lg 1 and 2) [4]; if not, the employer applies for the Unemployment Insurance Fund permit (procedure § 15 lg 1) [19].
2. Make sure the agreed pay meets the statutory requirement (VMS § 178 lg 1) [3].
3. The employer submits a written invitation to the PPA (procedure § 14 lg 2) [18].
4. Apply in person at a foreign mission or, if you have a legal basis for staying in Estonia, at the PPA (VMS § 213 lg 1; VMS § 216 lg 1 p 1) [14] [17], and pay the state fee (RLS § 273 lg 2) [20].
5. Once you have the permit, work only on the conditions it sets out; if you change employer, the new employer must apply for registration before you start work (VMS § 184¹ lg 1) [11].
6. Apply to the PPA for an extension at least two months before the permit expires (procedure § 28 lg 1 and 4) [26].

Frequently asked questions

For how long is the permit granted?

A temporary residence permit is granted for up to five years (VMS § 119 lg 1) [27] and may be extended for up to ten years at a time (VMS § 132 lg 1) [28]. It may be extended if your activities so far have complied with the conditions on which the permit was granted (VMS § 187 lg 1) [25]. If you applied for an extension while the permit was valid, your stay in Estonia is lawful while the application is being processed (VMS § 130) [29].

What happens if I lose my job?

While the permit is valid, you may be without work for a total of up to three months if you have had the permit for less than two years, and up to six months if you have had it for at least two years (VMS § 189³ lg 1) [30]. If you are without work for longer than three months, you must have sufficient legal income to support yourself in Estonia (VMS § 189³ lg 2) [30]. In addition to that period, you may be without work, among other things, while an application to register a change of job or for an Unemployment Insurance Fund permit is being processed, if it was filed during the permitted period without work (VMS § 189³ lg 3) [30]. The period without work starts on the day after the employment relationship ends (VMS § 189³ lg 5) [30].

Do I need to speak Estonian?

Estonian at least at level A2 is required for an extension (VMS § 187 lg 2) [25]; the same applies to a new permit if you have already lived in Estonia on a residence permit for employment for at least five years (VMS § 179 lg 3) [6]. The requirement does not apply, for example, to researchers, to applying for or extending an EU Blue Card or to academic staff (VMS § 179 lg 4; VMS § 187 lg 3) [6] [25].

Can I get a permit after short-term employment?

Under the current rules, a temporary residence permit for short-term employment may be granted for up to two years if, immediately before applying, you worked in Estonia on the basis of registered short-term employment for at least nine months, you continue with the same employer, the employer is reliable and has paid you wages meeting the statutory requirements (VMS § 176² lg 1) [31]. This permit is not extended (VMS § 186 lg 5) [32]. Under an amendment to the Aliens Act, VMS § 176² is in force until 31 December 2026 (VMS § 176²; VMS § 309¹⁹) [31] [33]: from 01.01.2027 short-term employment is no longer among the cases in which a permit may be granted without the Unemployment Insurance Fund permit (VMS § 181 lg 2) [13]. Permits granted under VMS § 176² remain valid until they expire or are declared invalid, and the wording of VMS § 186 lg 5 in force until 31 December 2026 continues to apply to them (VMS § 309¹⁹ lg 1 and 2) [33]. An application for this permit submitted before 1 January 2027 is processed under the rules in force until 31 December 2026 (VMS § 309¹⁹ lg 4) [33].