Estonia is a beautiful country located in Northern Europe. It is well known for its unique culture, breathtaking landscapes and forests. Every year, millions of tourists visit Estonia for its beauties. Whilst its popularity keeps increasing, the number of tourists who ask themselves if they need a visa to Estonia also increases. Then, they are asking themselves, what are the Estonia visa requirements and how to get an Estonia visa? Today, we will answer all of these questions with our comprehensive Estonia visa guideline.
Guidelines for Estonia Visa
The first thing to know for sure is that Estonia has a strict visa policy. Since Estonia is a popular travel destination and the number of tourists who want to see Talinn is constantly increasing, Estonia has formed a very specific Estonia Schengen visa policy.
Estonia Schengen visa application policy
The factors that determine whether you need an Estonia visa or not depend on the purpose of your stay, the duration of your stay, and the country in which you are a citizen of. According to the Estonian airport visa regulations, you will not need to obtain a visa to go to Estonia if you are a citizen of a country that is in the Schengen Area.
If you are a citizen of a Nordic country, or an EU/EAA country, you are not obliged to do an Estonia visa application.
Who needs an Estonia Visa?
If you are a citizen or a passport holder of the following countries you are required to get an Estonia visa: Afghanistan, Gabon, Oman, Algeria, Gambia, Pakistan, Angola, Ghana, Papua New Guinea, Armenia, Guinea, Palestinian Authority, Azerbaijan, Guinea-Bissau, Philippines, Bahrain, Guyana, Qatar, Bangladesh, Haiti, Russia, Belarus, India, Rwanda, Belize, Indonesia, Sao Tome And Principe, Benin, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Bhutan, Iraq, Senegal, Bolivia, Jamaica, Sierra Leone, Botswana, Jordan, Somalia, Burkina Faso, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Burma/Myanmar, Kenya, South Sudan, Burundi, Kosovo, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Kuwait, Sudan, Cameroon, Kyrgyzstan, Suriname, Cape Verde, Laos, Swaziland, Central African Republic, Lebanon, Syria, Chad, Lesotho, Tajikistan, China, Liberia, Tanzania, Comoros, Libya, Thailand, Congo, Madagascar, Timor-Leste, Cote D’ivoire, Malawi Togo, Cuba, Maldives, Tonga, Dem. Rep. Of Congo, Mali, Tunisia, Djibouti, Mauritania, Turkey, Dominican Republic, Mongolia, Turkmenistan, Ecuador, Morocco, Uganda, Egypt, Mozambique, Uzbekistan, Equatorial Guinea, Namibia, Vietnam, Eritrea, Nepal, Yemen, Ethiopia, Niger, Zambia, Fiji, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, North Korea, and Northern Mariana’s.
Estonia visa requirements
There are some strict Estonia visa requirements that you should know of. Any failure with providing the necessary documents may result in the rejection of your Estonia visa application. To prevent any situation from happening to you, we have listed all of the Estonia visa requirements below:
- The first thing you should do is to download the Estonia visa application form and fill it correctly. Make sure you arrange this application form digitally and also get a printed copy of your form.
- You should submit 2 passport size Estonia visa photos.
- Your passport and its copy should involve your previous visas and your passport should be valid for at least 3 months after your visa expires. Additionally, your visa must have at least 2 blank pages.
- You should be getting travel health insurance to get an Estonian visa.
- You should be attaching your cover letter to state the purpose of your visit to Estonia.
- You should attach your flight ticket and hotel reservations to your Estonia visa application. If you are not going to stay at a hotel, you are still required to prove your accommodation information during your stay in Estonia. So, you may be asked to provide a host letter, if you are not going to stay at a hotel.
- You should attach a document that proves your civil status.
- Last but not least, do not forget to attach some documents that substitute as proof of financial sufficiency. Estonia visa requires you to prove your financial sufficiency throughout your stay in Estonia.
Additionally, if you are self-employed, a copy of your business license, company bank statement of the latest 6 months, and income tax return (ITR) is required for an Estonia visa. For students, proof of enrollment and no-objection certificate from school or university is required for Estonian visa. Lastly, if you are retired, you will be asked to provide your pension statement of the latest 6 months to get an Estonia visa.
Estonia visa photo requirements
Just like the Estonia visa requirements, you should be careful about the Estonia visa photo requirements as well. Any failure with providing the required photo size and form may result in the rejection of your Estonia visa application. Here’s a list of all Estonia visa photo requirements you should know of:
- The background on your Estonia visa photo should be white or off-white. It should be as suggested by officials.
- Estonia visa photo size should be 0,35 x 0,45 cm (35×45 mm).
- Your Estonia visa photo must be in color. Black and white photos are not accepted.
- Neutral facial expression is essential in Estonian visa photos.
- You should avoid excessive makeup on your Estonian visa photo.
- Items like jewelry, and glasses should not be worn.
- Your mouth should be closed in your Estonian visa photo.
- You should look directly into the camera.
Estonia Visa Types
There may be additional documents required for the type of Estonia visa you are applying for. So, the Estonia work visa requirements and the Estonia student visa requirements are different. You need to pay attention to the type of visa you are applying for and the necessary documents for your application. Here’s a list of Estonian visas you can apply for:
- Estonia Tourist Visa
- Estonia Visa for Business Purposes
- Estonia Visa for Medical Purposes
- Estonia Visa for Cultural, Sports, Film Crew or Religious Purposes
- Estonia Visa for Members of Official Delegations
- Estonia Visa for Study, Training, Research, or other types of Internship Purposes
- Estonia Visa For The Wife/Husband of an Estonian citizen
- Estonian Airport Transit Visa
- Estonia Visa for Under-Age Children
For an Estonia tourist visa, you are required to provide a bank statement of the last 6 months, passport copies, and (if there is any) an invitation letter from family or friends in Estonia.
If you are traveling to Estonia for business purposes, you should be applying for an Estonia Business Visa. This Estonia business visa will require you to provide documents like an invitation letter from the Estonian company, a certificate from your employer for your business travel, a business bank statement of the latest 6 months, a trade license (if any), and coverage of financial expenses.
If you are traveling to Estonia for medical purposes, then you can apply for an Estonia visa for medical purposes. However, you need to prove your local medical report, a medical attestation from the hospital or doctor in Estonia, and lastly payment receipt of medical fees.
If you are employed by an Estonian company, then to get an Estonia work visa, you are required to provide documents like an employment contract, current bank statement of the latest 6 months, leave permission from the employer, and an income tax return (ITR) form or a certificate of income tax deducted at the source of salary.
Estonia Visa Fees
The Estonia visa fees depend on the purpose of your stay, the duration of your stay, and your age. Here’s a list of fees for the Estonia visa:
- Adults — 80€
- Child between 6-12 years of age — 40€
- Child younger than 6 years of age — Free
- Holders of diplomatic, official, or service passports traveling for official purposes — Free
- A family member of an EU/EEA national — Free
- Pupils, students, and accompanying teachers during a school trip —Free
- Researchers traveling to perform scientific research —Free
- Nationals from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia. — 35€
Extending your Estonia Visa
If you need to stay in Estonia for longer than your visa allows you to, then you can apply for a new Estonia visa to extend your stay in Estonia. However, if you know that you are going to need to stay longer in Estonia, you can apply for a long-term Estonia visa in the first place. If an unexpected situation happened for you and you are already in Estonia, then you should advise the national authorities and let them know why you need to stay longer in Estonia. If the reason you have proposed is feasible for a possible visa extension, then your Estonia visa will be renewed and extended.
Do US citizens need a visa for Estonia
Now, you may be wondering what are the Estonia visa requirements for US citizens. If you are planning to stay longer than 90 days in Estonia or in the Schengen area, you are going to need an Estonia visa. However, if your trip is going to be less than 90 days, then an Estonia visa will not be required.
