Residence permit card for an adult

The residence permit card may be applied for abroad in exceptional cases.

In exceptional cases, it is possible to apply for the residence permit card from abroad if you are a foreigner who is not a citizen of a European Union member state, you have a valid Estonian residence permit or right of residence and your place of residence abroad is registered in the Estonian Population Register.

Persons with undetermined citizenship may not select a foreign representation of the Republic of Estonia as the place they will claim the residence permit card.

Abroad, a residence permit card can be applied for by mail, email or at a foreign representation of the Republic of Estonia.

To apply for a residence permit card, find a suitable Estonian foreign representation and bring an identity document with you.

See Estonian foreign representations.

Applying for a residence permit card under ordinary procedure

After your application for residence permit card has been accepted, it will take a maximum of 30 days from the point at which your application reaches Estonia and is accepted for processing.

If you have ordered your residence permit card to be received abroad in an exceptional case, factor in a longer time, as transport of documents to a foreign representation of the Republic of Estonia takes more time.

In matters pertaining to the document reaching the foreign representation and claiming the document, contact the foreign representation to which you ordered the document.

Check the current status of your residence permit card application.

Applying for a residence permit card under expedited procedure

When you are abroad, you cannot apply for a residence permit card under expedited procedure.

Providing fingerprints

You will have to give fingerprints when applying for a residence permit card. You do not need to provide fingerprints again if you are over 70 years old and have previously provided fingerprints and are applying for long term residence card.

Authorization for claiming residence permit card

You may authorize someone else to claim your residence permit card 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 document. They must also have the applicant’s old residence permit card with them.

Document photo

You can send your document photograph in digital format by email to ....

See requirements and recommendations for document photos.

Application form

Fill in the application form by hand or on a computer.

Write a signature sample for the application.

Certify the authenticity of the data with a signature at the bottom of the application.

On the form, specify the service office or Estonian foreign representation where you wish to receive the document.

Application form for residence permit card

Instructions for completing application form

State fee

If you pay the state fee before coming to the foreign representation, bring with you a document certifying this fact.

To learn about options for paying the state fee on the spot at the Estonian foreign representation, contact the foreign representation where you will go to apply for the residence permit card under exceptional procedure.

Contact details for foreign representations.

The state fee for a residence permit card is €65.

Under general conditions, the state fee for a residence permit card for those who have reached retirement age in Estonia is €10.

Persons with a moderate, severe or profound disability have the right to a discount and the state fee for the residence permit card is €10. In order to obtain the discount, a copy of a document certifying the disability must be presented with the application. The document must be signed by the person submitting the application.

Ordering a document to a foreign representation will cost €20 in addition to the state fee.

Documents necessary for applying for a residence permit card at a foreign representation

Bring the following with you to the Estonian foreign representation:

• a completed application form
• digital document photo (may also be sent to ...).
• document certifying payment of the state fee

If you would like to send someone one else to claim the residence permit card, fill in an authorization at the foreign representation.

If you were married, divorced, or changed your name abroad, bring with you to the foreign representation a copy of a document certifying this.

To receive a discount on the state fee, bring with you to the foreign representation a copy of a document certifying this.

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.

Applying for a residence permit card for a person in the care of a guardian

The application for a residence permit card for a person in the care of a guardian may be submitted only by their legal guardian.

Bring with you to the foreign representation a document substantiating the guardianship.

The person in the care of the guardian will be asked to give fingerprints when applying for a residence permit card.