Foreigners staying in Estonia do not have to leave Estonia if their return to their home country is restricted

Foreigners who have legal basis for staying in Estonia as of 12 March and whose return to their home country is restricted, have legal basis for continuing to stay in Estonia temporarily. There is no need to submit an application regarding the extension of stay to the PBGB or to come to the PGBG service office.

In view of the emergency situation in Estonia, the Police and Border Guard Board has undertaken reorganisation concerning foreigners. “In order to ensure that foreigners would not have to submit an application regarding the extension of stay to the PBGB one by one, we give them automatic right to continue to stay in Estonia temporarily,“ Liis Valk, the advisor of the Identity and Status Bureau of the PBGB said.

These foreigners whose return to their country of residence is not restricted, have to leave Estonia before their basis of stay is expired.

Moreover, all migration proceedings are temporarily suspended as of today’s date – 16 March. „The PBGB is implementing resources to contain the spread of the virus and, therefore, applications for visas, extension of stay, residence permits, rights for stay and the registration of short-term employment are temporarily not processed. New applications are accepted but no decisions are taken with respect to them,” Valk said.

The PBGB recommends waiting with the submission of applications until the emergency situation is over. Applications for visas and residence permits can be submitted at the PBGB service offices only as a last resort. In the case of repeated application for residence permit, it may be submitted by postal mail (Pärnu mnt 139, Tallinn, 15060) or email ...). Applications for short-term employment can be submitted by using the police self service portal: http://iseteenindus.politsei.ee.

Ask for additional information at 612 3500 (M-F 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.) or by email ....

You can find information on the emergency situation at: https://www.politsei.ee/en/instructions/emergency-situation.

General order on granting legal basis for the temporary stay in Estonia

General order on temporary suspension of migration proceedings and extension of term for proceeding

Britta Sepp
Press Officer
Estonian Police and Border Guard Board
...
+372 5411 0169