Appointments For The Submission of Residence Permit Applications No Longer Available

Since Monday, 23 November it was possible to start booking appointments for the submission of residence permit applications based on the 2021 immigration for December and January. As far as is known to the Chamber of Commerce, it is no longer possible to book appointments, because they have all been given out. The immigration quota for 2021 has not yet been established, but the respective draft has gone through the approval rounds and will most probably be passed in the near future.

At the beginning of October, the Chamber of Commerce presented to the Ministry of the Interior its positions regarding the 2021 immigration quota that according to the draft act will be 1,315 persons and which is distributed by the reasons for the application of temporary residence permits. Similarly to 2020, the draft act establishes that a certain amount of the immigration quota is booked for creative workers, athletes, trainers and referees, aliens coming to Estonia under foreign agreements and a certain amount of the quota will be distributed freely.

Marko Udras, head of the policy formation and legal department of the Chamber of Commerce said that entrepreneurs consider it reasonable that the immigration quota for the next year be established as the maximum possible rate, i.e. 0.1 percent of the permanent population of Estonia. “Considering the current situation where many employers have, despite of the increasing number of unemployed people, difficulties in finding workers with suitable skill, experience and knowledge from among local people, it would be very reasonable to establish the maximum allowed immigration quota for 2021,” said Udras.

At the moment all the appointments have been booked
When distributing the immigration quota, residence permit applications submitted at the Police and Border Guard Board or foreign representations of Estonia since December will be taken into account. In order to submit a residence permit application at the Police and Border Guard, an appointment had to be booked at the website of the Police and Border Guard and at the moment, appointments for December, January and partially also for February have already been booked. If anyone gives their appointment up, this appointment will appear in the Police and Border Guard’s booking system, but those who are interested must check the availability of appointments on their own.

In order to book an appointment, aliens can still turn to Estonian embassies in their home countries that accept applications for residence permits as the Estonian embassies will start accepting applications subject to the immigration quota from the beginning of December.

Who are subject to immigration quota?
The immigration quota applies to temporary residence permits issued to third country nationals for employment, entrepreneurship, or based on an international agreement or considerable national interest.

Who are exempt from the immigration quota?

• Citizens of the European Union;
• Citizens of the USA, Japan, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein;
• Aliens who are moving to live with a spouse or close relative;
• Aliens who are studying or conducting research in Estonia;
• Aliens who are granted temporary residence permits for settling permanently in Estonia;
• Aliens who are granted residence permits for working in a position related to information and communication;
• Aliens who are granted a residence permit for working in a start-up;
• Aliens who are employed as lecturers in Estonia;
• Aliens who are granted temporary residence permit for entrepreneurship as a large investor or in relation to start-ups;
• Aliens who are granted temporary residence permit for working as a top specialist;
• Applicants for international protection.

When will the new immigration quota enter into force?
1 January 2021