Refugee’s travel document
Applying at a service office
The refugee’s travel document can be applied for at service offices. To apply, find a suitable service office and bring an identity document with you.
If desired, reserve a slot at the service office for your application.
Applying for a refugee’s travel document under ordinary procedure
After your application has been accepted, it will take a maximum of 30 days to prepare your refugee’s travel document under ordinary procedure.
Applying for a refugee’s travel document under expedited procedure
After your application has been accepted, it will take a maximum of 2 days to prepare your refugee’s travel document under expedited procedure starting from the working day after the application was submitted.
All service offices accept applications for the refugee’s travel document under expedited procedure, but the card can be claimed only at Tallinn service offices.
Providing fingerprints
Starting from the age of 12, fingerprints must be given when applying for a refugee’s travel document.
Authorization for claiming refugee’s travel document
You may authorize someone else to claim your refugee’s travel document only if the authorization is submitted together with the application at the service office.
The person authorized must present a valid Estonian identity document when claiming the refugee’s travel document. They must also have the applicant’s old refugee’s travel document with them.
Document photo
One digital colour photograph is required for applying for a refugee’s travel document.
The document photograph may not be older than six months.
The photo must be a frontal view with a light background.
The minimum measurements of a digital document photograph are 1300 x 1600 pixels and the correct format is JPEG.
The file size must be a minimum of 1 MB and a maximum of 5 MB.
See requirements and recommendations for document photos.
Taking a document photo at the service office
All client service offices (except for Keila) are equipped with photo booths where you can take a document photograph free of charge.
Sending digital document photo
If desired, the digital document photo may be emailed to ....
The minimum measurements of a digital document photograph are 1300 x 1600 pixels and the correct format is JPEG.
The file size must be a minimum of 1 MB and a maximum of 5 MB.
State fees from the 1st of January 2025
The state fee for a refugee’s travel document is €25.
The state fee for a refugee’s travel document under expedited procedure is €250.
Payment of state fee at the service office
The state fee may be paid at the service office:
- in cash
- by card payment
- over the customer computer terminal
American Express is not accepted for the state fee.
Marriage, divorce or name change abroad
If there is a change in personal data while you are abroad, you will have to present a document substantiating the change when applying for a document.
Document translation
If the document is not in Estonian, Russian or English, it must be translated and the translation must be made by a sworn translator or notarised.
Some foreign documents do not need to be legalised
If the country that issued the document is a party to the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, it does not need to be legalised. In this case, the public document must be certified by an apostille in accordance with the requirements.
Documents issued in these countries do not have to be legalised.
Information on legalisation of documents and apostils
For more information on legalization of documents and apostils, visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.