Permanent residence permit

What are the conditions for applying for a residence permit for long term residents?

You can apply for a residence permit, if:

• you have been living continuously in Estonia for 5 years on the basis of a temporary residence permit immediately prior to applying for the long-term residence permit
• you have a valid temporary residence permit
• the information of your place of residence has been entered into the Population Register
• you have permanent legal income for subsistence in Estonia
• you have health insurance from the Estonian Health Insurance Fund
• you have met the integration requirement and speak Estonian at least at the category B1 or equivalent level.

Special conditions apply if you are under 15 years old, if you hold EU Blue Card, if you have settled to Estonia before 1st of July 1990 or you have had Estonian citizenship. Ask a migration adviser.

How to meet the integration requirement?

The knowledge of Estonian language is evaluated in the exam. Read more information about taking the exam.

If you have acquired basic, secondary, or higher education in Estonian language then you are not required to take the exam. Under 15 or over 65 year-olds and people with restricted legal capacity are exempted from the language requirement.