An Estonian passport, which allows you to live and work freely in this Baltic republic and throughout the European Union, attracts thousands of residents of the CIS countries. However, Estonia is in no hurry to grant citizenship even to those born here. More than 10% of the population has the status of non-citizens.
Estonia on the map
Estonian citizenship. basic information
The population of Estonia is less than 1.5 million people. That is why legislators have created fairly strict rules for obtaining citizenship. Preference is given to ethnic Estonians and those who assimilate well with the local population.
The aging of the nation due to the labor migration of young citizens to more prosperous EU countries forced Estonian parliamentarians to relax the immigration law. Estonia needs a working population and families with children who can more easily accept local customs and learn the language.
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Hi all! Today in the video I will tell you about how I received a Schengen visa to Estonia. I’ll tell you what documents are needed for this and what the approximate cost of obtaining the visa itself is! Thank you for support! Subscribe to the channel, write comments, give a thumbs up!
A foreign passport, which must be valid for at least 3 months after the visa expires; The passport must have at least 2 blank pages; Photo 4x5 cm, color, on a light background; A health insurance policy valid in the Schengen area with an insurance liability of at least 30,000 euros; Certificate from the place of employment (on the organization's letterhead with a signature and seal) indicating the position, length of service, salary and contact information (address, telephone); Confirmation of financial resources for the trip: bank account statement / credit card and card account statement / travel checks in the amount of min. 64 euros/day + hotel cost + ticket cost; Photocopy of the general passport (all pages containing information), Air tickets, Correctly filled out application form, Documents from Estonia for obtaining a tourist visa:
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Grounds for obtaining Estonian citizenship
Estonian citizenship is granted if there are grounds listed in the Citizenship Act. It was adopted in 1995 and has been adjusted periodically (most recently in March 2021).
Naturalization
Having lived in Estonia for 8 years on the basis of a residence permit or permanent residence right, you can submit an application for citizenship. At the same time, it is important to live in the Baltics permanently for the last 5 years. According to the residence qualification, Estonian citizenship can also be obtained by those who came to the republic before 1991, but did not become residents.
An application for a minor is submitted by his parents or guardians.
Family reunion and marriage
In Estonia, they are wary of marriages between their residents and foreigners and carefully check them for fictitiousness. You will have to go through many tests and surveys at the stage of obtaining permanent residence. It will be possible to apply for citizenship only after several years of cohabitation.
Estonian migration legislation allows obtaining permanent residence and citizenship for family reunification. At the same time, the inviting party must provide financial support for new migrants.
Citizenship by birth
A child receives the right to become a citizen of Estonia if at least one of his parents was a resident of this Baltic republic at the time of birth. An infant can receive multiple citizenships by birth if his parents are citizens of different states.
Citizenship by blood
Historically, many Estonians fled the Soviet regime or were repressed (resettled). Estonia has made it significantly easier for this category of migrants to obtain citizenship.
Repatriates are entitled to receive resettlement benefits. You must apply for them within 6 months of being registered in the population register.
Read more about the repatriation procedure on the Integration Fund page.
other methods
Estonian citizenship can be obtained for special merits or by becoming a refugee. Both methods are complex and rarely used.
Estonian citizenship by blood assistance in obtaining a private loan
more details on this page. Birth in Germany Usually we are talking about Estonian citizenship by blood, assistance in obtaining a private loan about the children of Soviet soldiers (who stood on the territory of the GDR after the division of Germany)) - if the parents are Russian - then there is no need for immigration (unlike America) Below is a sample filling out a form for a minor Sample of filling out an application for a foreign passport.
The mother's birth certificate was provided as proof of residence in the country. She has been living in the country for 3 Romanian citizenship for Russians without prepayment wow months and has applied for a residence permit. The Estonian government actively promotes the process of acquiring citizenship through naturalization, Estonian citizenship by blood, assistance in obtaining a private loan and, thus, e. Undecided on choice of citizenship (hereinafter referred to as persons with undetermined citizenship)). Reducing the number of persons with undetermined citizenship.
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Process for obtaining Estonian citizenship in 2021
If a potential new resident is confident that he meets the requirements of the Citizenship Law and has lived in the republic for the required time, he can submit an application to the Police and Border Guard Board. This can be done at special service points (pre-booking required), by mail (Police and Border Guard Department, Pärnu Highway 139, 15060 Tallinn) or by email ( [email protected] with the subject “Application for Estonian citizenship”).
Estonian passport
Requirements for an applicant for citizenship
Estonia grants citizenship to those who take steps to assimilate and can support themselves financially. Also an important condition is a loyal attitude to the political system, language, culture and the absence of an outstanding criminal record.
Obtaining residence permit and permanent residence
In Estonia, a residence permit is called a temporary residence permit. It is issued for 5 years to spouses of Estonian citizens, for family reunification, for study or work, for entrepreneurial activity. Fingerprints are entered onto the chip of the residence permit card. The annual quota for granting a temporary residence permit is 0.1% of the Estonian population.
After 5 years, a temporary residence permit can be extended or an application for a residence permit for a long-term resident (analogous to permanent residence) can be submitted. To obtain it, you must have a legal income sufficient to live in the Baltic Republic and health insurance. In addition, you will have to pass an exam on your knowledge of the Estonian language.
Collection and submission of documents
The application for citizenship can be completed by hand or electronically in Estonian.
In addition to the application, when applying for citizenship you must provide:
- 1 color photo 40x50 mm or 480x600 pixels;
- Proof of legal income (salary, scholarship, pension, alimony, commercial activity);
- Confirmation of release from another citizenship or that this will happen after obtaining Estonian citizenship;
- Confirmation of payment of state duty;
- Certificate of passing a language exam (confirmation of receipt of secondary or higher education in Estonian);
- Certificate of passing the exam on the Constitution and the Citizenship Law.
Documents must have a notarized translation into Estonian. Exception: certificates in English and Russian.
Exam
The exam on knowledge of the Estonian language and legislation is administered by the Innove Education Center (Lõitsa 4, Tallinn). Potential migrants must obtain a minimum of level B1.
Persons who have an appropriate expert opinion are fully or partially exempt from taking the exam due to health reasons.
How is the exam going? Preparation
The Estonian language proficiency exam consists of 4 parts: listening, reading, speaking, and writing a simple essay. Persons over 65 years of age are exempt from writing text.
The legislative knowledge exam has 24 multiple-choice questions. You must answer at least 18 questions correctly. During the exam, you can use the texts of laws in Estonian.
It is recommended to study Estonian in courses. But you can master the main provisions of the legislation of the republic on your own.
If you study Estonian in licensed educational institutions, you can qualify for reimbursement of tuition costs after successfully passing the exam.
Time frame for obtaining citizenship
Documents submitted along with an application for Estonian citizenship will be reviewed for up to 6 months. If the decision is positive, a certificate of this will be issued at the ceremony or sent by mail. Having a citizenship certificate, you can obtain an Estonian ID card or passport.
Expenses
To consider an application for Estonian citizenship, you must pay a fee of 13 euros. Minor applicants (under 18 years of age) are exempt from it.
Tallinn, Estonia
Obtaining an Estonian passport based on ancestors
My situation is the following: my parents are from the Estonian SSR, born in 1969. His father's mother is listed as Estonian on his birth certificate. There are no documents on hand, because... she lived all her life in Valga and the documents most likely were with her (it is unlikely that she is still alive now), the approximate year of birth is 1949. In her hands there is an extract from the registry office of Valga for her mother (that her parents are such and such, she was born then and she married so-and-so, my grandmother’s father) and in the electronic archives I found a page that indicated the fact of her residence in 1938 in the same Valga. And I don’t understand how to prove her citizenship? Where to apply for documents? To the registry office in Valga, or to the archives? Are these documents sufficient to obtain a passport? Do I need to somehow certify a page from the archive? I want to make an appointment with the consul in St. Petersburg, but I don’t know how he can help in these matters.
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So, to summarize, I will say that I received my passport and ID from my great-grandmother; submitted both originals and modern duplicates with certificates; none of the parents and grandparents ever had Estonian documents, only the great-grandmother; No one demanded that I renounce Russian citizenship.
Main reasons for refusal to obtain Estonian citizenship
The reason for refusal to grant citizenship is most often the discovery of false information in the documents provided. Citizenship will also be denied if an outstanding criminal record is discovered, if the applicant was a KGB officer during the USSR, or if there are socially dangerous diseases. Another reason is too low an income, based on which the new citizen will need social assistance.
Finally, watch the video from the “Johann Sebastian” channel about obtaining Estonian citizenship:
How to get an Estonian passport
As in all countries, you can obtain Estonian citizenship if you were born here, have one of the Estonian ancestors, or through a long process of naturalization. The right to obtain an Estonian national passport has arisen for many non-compatriots who permanently reside here. What are the features of obtaining Estonian citizenship if there are no corresponding roots?
Electronic citizenship is not related to state affiliation. This name arose rather as a PR move by the Estonian government. We are talking about an electronic digital identity card that can be used for identification via the Internet. There are two types of such cards:
DELFI News - The largest news portal in Russian in Estonia
“These people are not actually Estonian citizens, and the Estonian citizen document was issued to them erroneously. But this does not mean that they do not have the opportunity to obtain an Estonian citizen’s document,” explains Raidla-Puhm.
The department set a condition: if confirmation is not provided, then the issuance of new documents will be refused. “Since I live and work in Romania, it turns out that the Estonian government is making me an illegal resident. I cannot leave Romania because I do not have valid documents with which I entered the country and got a job. My work contract, residence permit, bank account and my whole life in Romania, which I started here on absolutely legal grounds, are also in question,” the girl points out.
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Estonian citizenship for Russians: 4 ways of instructions
- birth certificate of the Russian applicant;
- a document or court decision confirming relationship with an Estonian citizen;
- birth certificate of an Estonian ancestor;
- in some cases, a foreign passport is also required.
Regarding the deadlines, they are quite long - 6 months to transfer documents to the Cabinet of Ministers and another 2 months to make a decision. In this case, the authorities may require additional information, documents or verification, which will further prolong the citizenship process.
