The decision as to whether or not to issue a temporary residence permit shall be decided within a period of 2 months from the date of starting the processing of the application or rectifying the deficiencies found in the application.

The decision as to whether to extend or refuse to extend a residence permit is made at least ten days before the date of expiry of the temporary residence permit.

In case there are deficiencies in the application, a decision as to whether to extend or refuse to extend a residence permit shall be made within two months from the date of rectifying such deficiencies.

If there are any deficiencies in the application (for example some requested doocuments are not enclosed or the application is not in conformance with the requirements), the applicant or his/her representative  shall be notified about such and term for rectifying the deficiencies shall be determined.

The Citizenship and Migration Bureau shall not review the application if the applicant has not rectified, on time, any deficiencies found in the application or documents, or has not submitted all the necessary documents.

An applicant shall be informed in writing, on the basis of contacts given in the application, about the issue or extension of a residence permit, the place of issue, the deficiencies in the application, the extension of the period of processing of his/her application, the refusal to process his/her application or the refusal to issue or extend a residence permit by sending him/her a notice at the address given in the application.

Upon the issue or extension of the residence permit an alien is issued a residence card at the place of issue given in the application. The document is issued to an alien personally.
A residence card of a minor less than 15 years of age shall be issued to a legal representative at the place of issue given on the application.

Duties of the educational institution
The educational institution where the alien who was granted a residence permit is studying, the institution conducting practical training, the international student’s organisation who intermediated the alien to prqactical training in Estonia, and the youth association within the frames of whose youth project or program for voluntary service the temporary residence permit was granted to the alien, has the duties of a sponsor.

An educational institution must inform the Citizenship and Migration Bureau about the exmatriculation from the institution, failure to begin or the termination or suspension of studies, or conclusion or termination of contract for practical training of an alien who has been granted a residence permit for study.

The educational institution where the alien who was granted a residence permit is studying has the representation right of a minor alien during his/her stay in Estonia and in the procedures related to his/her departure from Estonia if the legal representative of an alien does not stay in Estonia.

Duties of an alien
An alien is required to register his or her residence in Estonia in the population register within one month after entry into Estonia or the commencement of his/her stay in Estonia on the basis of a residence permit.
An alien, who is residing in Estonia at the moment of granting a residence permit, must register his/her place of residing according to the rules provided in the Public Register Act within one month from the notice on the decision for granting the residence permit.

An alien who resides in Estonia on the basis of a residence permit and who wishes to stay outside of Estonia longer than 183 days a year must  register his/her stay outside of Estonia at the Citizenship and Migration Bureau.

An alien is obliged to inform the Citizenship and Migration Bureau about:

• the change of his/her marital status, if it is registered in a foreign country;
• the criminal punishment, if the punishment was imposed for an alien by a legal authority of a foreign country;  
• the expiration or termination of insurance contract;
• leave for compulsory military service of foreign armed forces, entry into active service or contractual service of foreign armed forces, assignment to the reserve or retire.