Estonia is an attractive place for expats. Every year over 7000 foreigners come here to live, work and study. This beautiful European country has all conditions for a quiet and comfortable life, and prices are much lower than in Western European countries.
E-government services are particularly convenient in this country: most issues can be solved online. Earlier Estonia launched an e-residency program, which gives international entrepreneurs access to digital services of the Estonian government and allows them to start business in the EU without physical presence. With the new visa, employees can move and stay in the country.
The new Estonian Digital Nomad Visa (DNV) allows remote workers from all over the world to legally stay in the country for up to 1 year, including 90 days of travel in Europe.
You can apply for it starting from August 1, 2020 in English, Estonian or Russian.
To get a visa, you need to meet several requirements. First, you must work remotely. If you are not a freelancer or do not run your own business, you must submit a valid employment contract with a company registered outside Estonia when applying.
You will also need to confirm that your income for the last half of the year was at least 3504 euros per month.
You must also provide a confirmation that your bank account contains a minimum of 116.80 euros per day (or 3,504 euros for the first month).
Estonian Digital Nomad Visa: application process
You can apply for a visa at the nearest Estonian embassy or visa service.
Depending on how long you plan to stay, there are two types of visa – short (C-visa) and long (D-visa). The price of D visa – 100 euros, and C – 80 euros.
You can fill out an application online at the Estonian Embassy website.
Required documents:
- Application form, filled in online at the official site of the Estonian Embassy in English/Latin letters, printed and signed
- Passport with two blank pages, valid for more than 3 months after; end of the requested visa
- A photocopy of the passport
- Estonian visa or ID 4×5 cm photo
- Medical insurance
- Bank account statement
Additional documents:
- Documents certifying that you can work independently as a freelancer (contracts, portfolio etc.)
- Documents certifying your income during the six months preceding the application (bank statements, receipts etc.)
- CV (a description of your study and professional life)
If you are going to bring your family, your spouse and children may apply for a visa under the same conditions as the DNV-holder.
