New Requirements for Long-Term Visas and Temporary Residence Permits in Estonia
Estonia continues to strengthen its migration policy, as new requirements entered into force on 1 January this year.
What has changed?
Criminal records certificate (clearance check)
Previously, a criminal records certificate could be requested during the review of a long-term visa or residence permit application on a case-by-case basis. In practice, this was relatively rare and applied mainly to applicants from higher-risk countries or in situations where justified concerns about an applicant’s background arose.
Now, however, submission of a criminal records certificate has become mandatory for both long-term visa and residence permit applications.
Criminal records certificate is an official document issued by a competent state authority confirming either the existence or absence of criminal convictions registered in that country.
If such a certificate cannot be obtained, the applicant must submit an official confirmation stating that the document cannot be issued or obtained in the respective country.
As a general rule, the certificate is required from first-time applicants and does not need to be resubmitted when applying for an extension of a visa or temporary residence permit, provided that the circumstances reflected in the document have not changed.
Nevertheless, authorities may still request a new certificate if sufficient grounds arise.
Exceptions: children under the age of 14.
The certificate is valid for six months from the date of issue.
For temporary residence permit applications, an additional requirement applies: a certificate must be submitted from every foreign country where the applicant has resided for at least three consecutive months during the past three years.
Legalisation requirements: The certificate must be apostilled and accompanied by a sworn translation into English or Estonian. If the issuing country is not a member of the Apostille Convention, full legalization is required.
Income confirmation
Another new requirement concerns proof of income.
Applicants must now submit a document demonstrating their income for a specified period prior to submitting the application. Although no fixed minimum amount is defined, the document must clearly show:
- the amount of income,
- its regularity, and
- the source(s) of funds.
Required period:
- Long-term visa: income covering the 3 months preceding submission.
- Temporary residence permit: income covering the 6 months preceding submission.
This requirement applies to all types of long-term visas and temporary residence permits.
Social media information
An entirely new requirement is the obligation to disclose social media accounts in the application.
While new in Estonia, similar practices have already been adopted in several other countries as part of background verification procedures.
Need assistance?
The new requirements may appear complex, and the paperwork overwhelming. Legalabi is here to help.
We assist clients at every stage of the process – from understanding the requirements to successfully securing a visa or residence permit.