NB! This information is meant for third country nationals. You can find information about the right of residence for EU citizens and for their family members here.
Required documents
How to apply
- Temporary residence permit may be granted to an alien, if the conditions for granting the residence permit are fulfilled and there are no obstacles which would bring about refusal to grant a residence permit;
- The requirements for granting the temporary residence permit must be fulfilled throughout the validity period of the residence permit.
The general terms for granting temporary residence permit to an alien are the following:
- justification of the purpose for settling in Estonia;
- actual residing place in Estonia;
- sufficient legal income which would enable subsistence of the alien and his/her family in Estonia;
- insurance cover for costs of cure caused by illness or injuries of an alien.
A temporary residence permit may be issued to an alien to settle with his or her spouse who resides in Estonia permanently and
1) who is an Estonian citizen;
2) who is an alien who has resided in Estonia for at least two years* on the basis of a permanent residence permit.
* The requirement of having resided in Estonia for at least two years is not applicable, if the spouse holds
- a residence permit for business
- a residence permit for Doctor’s degree studies
- a residence permit for employment on the basis of the European Union blue card
- a long term residence permit as an alien formerly residing in Estonia on the basis of the European Union blue card
- a residence permit for employment on the following grounds
o in a performing arts institution as a person engaged in creative activities
o as a teacher or a member of the academic staff
o for scientific research
o for professional activities as a sportsman, coach, referee or sports official
o as a member of the management body of a legal entity
o as an expert, advisor or counsel
o as a layer of devices or craftsman
Permanent residence in Estonia is considered to be stay in Estonia for at least a total of 183 days a year. The requirement for permanent residence in Estonia will not be applied to the spouse holding the Estonian citizenship in the case of the family settling in Estonia together.
The application for a residence permit is justified if the spouses share close economic ties and a compatible relationship, the family is stable and the marriage is not fictitious.
In order to settle with a spouse in Estonia the spouses must have regular legal income during the six months preceding the submission of an application, which ensures that the family is maintained in Estonia, or the joint continuous legal income of the spouses must ensure maintenance of the family in Estonia.
Lawfully earned remuneration for work, parental benefit, unemployment insurance benefit, income received from lawful business activities or property, pensions, scholarships, support, benefits paid by a foreign state and the maintenance ensured by family members earning legal income are deemed to be legal income.
An alien has to have an insurance contract guaranteeing that any costs related to his or her medical treatment as a result of illness or injury during the period of validity of the residence permit applied for will be mett o the extent equal with persons covered with health insurance. An alien who has been granted a residence permit for study is not covered by Estonian health insurance.
If an alien has no opportunity to conclude a conforming insurance contract before the residence permit is granted to him/her, then he/she must submit:
- a written assurance that he/she will conclude the required insurance contract no later than within two months after the settlement in Estonia,
- an insurance contract which shall cover the medical treatment expenses until the conclusion of a conforming insurance contract (e.g. travel insurance contract).
An alien, who is a person insured by compulsory health insurance according to the Health Insurance Act or an international contract, has no obligation to submit an insurance contract.
The spouse who resides in Estonia must have a registered place of residence and an actual dwelling in Estonia.
Documents enclosed with the application must be translated either into Estonian, Russian or English. The accuracy of the translation must be certified by a notary.
Documents issued abroad must be confirmed by a certificate (apostille) or legalised, unless issued by a state with whom Estonia has concluded a contract for legal assistance: Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, the Ukraine, Russia.
More information on the legalisation of documents and their confirmation with the relevant certificates can be obtained from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
If the marriage has lasted less than 3 years by the time of first submission of an application for residence permit, an alien may be granted a residence permit with the period of validity for up to one year, which may be extended in each of the following three years for not longer than one year at a time.
If the marriage has lasted longer than 3 years by the time of first submission of an application for residence permit, an alien may be granted a residence permit with the period of validity for up to three years which may be extended for not longer than three years at a time.
An alien who has been granted a temporary residence permit to settle with a spouse does not need a working permit for employment in Estonia.
NB! Information about processing the application
