➢ The number of temporary residence permits cannot exceed 0.1% of the country’s population

➢ Make sure you check the foreign employee quotas and the time slots for submitting residence permit applications. You can do this by contacting the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board

➢ You can exceed these quotas only if:

◦ You’re hiring foreign workers for a startup 

◦ You’re hiring ICT specialists, engineers, or researchers 

◦ You’re hiring highly skilled professionals for a gross monthly salary of at least € 2,528 

◦ You’re hiring foreigners for short-term work (up to 1 year)

◦ You’re hiring in a growth company that:

▸ Has been operating for at least 10 years

▸ Paid at least one million EUR  in labor taxes in the past year 

▸ Has at least 50 employees in the country

▸ Recorded a 20% increase in cumulative labor tax payments over the last three years

➢ To get permission to employ non-EU workers, you must fill out a form and submit it to the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund. More info can be found here

➢ Post a job ad on VideoWorkers and select from the candidates who applied or search the database directly

➢ After finding a good match, conduct the interview, make a job offer, then sign an employment contract

➢ If required, you may need to submit an employer invitation and the permission you obtained from the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund to the Police and Border Guard Board. You can submit these documents by email (ppa@politsei.ee) or by regular post (Pärnu mnt. 139, 15060 Tallinn)

➢ Your future employee must apply for a temporary residence permit at the competent Estonian Diplomatic Mission in their home country

➢ Required documents:

◦ Duly completed and signed application form

◦ Valid passport

◦ One photograph

◦ Medical insurance

◦ For top specialists: If the candidate will be employed in a company that’s been in Estonia for less than a year and began with state or private investment, they need to submit documents showing the investment source. If the parent company has been around for at least a year and makes at least ten million euros in annual turnover, they should provide proof of this

◦ For foreigners who will be employed in a startup: If the company is not on a list of approved startups by the Minister of the Interior, the candidate must submit an opinion from an expert committee

➢ Application fee: € 145

➢ Processing time: 2 months (but do note that if approved, the residence card might take some time to arrive at the Diplomatic Mission)