You can obtain a residence permit in Estonia through a business if you have a shareholding in a company or you are acting as an individual entrepreneur and are:
- at least 65,000 euros have been invested in the activities of a company in Estonia;
- an individual entrepreneur and entrepreneurial activity in Estonia has invested at least 16,000 euros.
An investment can be considered a company’s equity capital, a subordinated loan, and the recorded amount of fixed assets.
To apply, contact the foreign mission of the Republic of Estonia in person. An alien staying in Estonia legally can apply at a service point. To apply to the service bureau, you must book a time.
You can apply for a residence permit in Estonia if:
- The company has been registered in Estonia for at least four months before the submission of the application for a residence permit;
- The company has been operating in Estonia for at least the last four months;
- A person is legally in the country without a visa or based on a visa in connection with the activities of the enterprise;
- A foreigner applying for a temporary residence permit for commercial activity, and the period of registration in Estonia for a business association does not exceed 12 months, and the business starts with the support of the state or private investment, having received investment or a loan from the state or a private fund manager operating based on a permit for the activities of the Financial Supervision Authority, or a subsidy from the state support fund;
- A foreigner holding a long-term residence permit of an EU Member State applying for a temporary residence permit for commercial activities;
- A foreigner who has received applied higher education in Estonia, higher education at the bachelor’s level of study, higher education in the integrated curriculum of the bachelor’s and master’s degrees of study, master’s or doctoral studies.
The description of the business plan must be submitted in Estonian or English.
Business plan
In the description of the business plan, the following data should be indicated:
- the name of the company or the name of the individual entrepreneur and the registry code;
- Business idea – planned activity, potential customers and suppliers, development plans, fixed assets at the disposal of the enterprise, current assets, labor force used;
- Financial forecasts for the next two business years, profit forecast, balance sheet, cash flow forecast;
- Biographies of persons performing the functions of management or supervision;
- Justification of the commercial feasibility of resettlement to Estonia of a person applying for a residence permit.
After one year or upon submission of an application for the extension of a residence permit, the investment requirement established for the application for a residence permit can be replaced with sales income (at least EUR 200,000 per year) or social tax paid in Estonia (in the case of payment of monthly earnings equal to five times the average annual gross earnings in Estonia, the amount of social tax must correspond to the monthly social tax in Estonia).
Documents required for the application
Application forms are filled out on a computer and printed out. Instructions for filling out the application form:
- an application for a temporary residence permit, if an application for a temporary residence permit is submitted;
- an application for the extension of a temporary residence permit, if an application for an extension of a temporary residence permit is submitted;
- information about a close relative and family members, if an application is submitted for obtaining a temporary residence permit and an extension of the residence permit in the event of a change in the information;
- identity document;
- a document confirming the capital invested in Estonia and the amount of capital under the control of the applicant;
- description of the commercial plan;
- one color digital photograph
- a document confirming the availability of sufficient legal income;
- insurance contract;
- a document confirming the payment of the state fee;
Extension of a temporary residence permit
Submit your application for the extension of your temporary residence permit in person at a service bureau at least two months before the expiry of your residence permit.
If less than two years have passed since the last application for the residence permit and the provision of fingerprints, then the extension of the residence permit can be applied for by mail.
The decision on the extension of the temporary residence permit or its refusal will be made no later than 10 days before the expiry of the term of the temporary residence permit. The residence card is issued at the service point indicated on the application form.
Legal grounds for staying in Estonia after the expiry of the residence permit
If the validity of the residence permit of an alien ends with the expiry of the validity of the residence permit, the alien’s stay in Estonia is legal for the next 90 days starting from the date of the expiry of the validity of the residence permit.
Outcome
Apply for a residence permit in Estonia with our professional assistance. Baltic Legal‘s lawyers have many years of experience and focused on Immigration Services & Corporate Law.
