POSTERN

Estonia

EU Blue Card for highly qualified employment. A non-EU national with a qualifying offer for highly qualified work in Estonia may apply for a residence and work permit. The salary and qualification tests are country-specific.

Free, with the law behind every answer

EU Blue Card for highly qualified employment

Residence and work authorization for qualifying employment in Estonia, subject to the conditions on the issued card.

Who qualifies

You keep your U.S. citizenship.

1

Does it fit your family?

One question, from the program’s own rules.

Do you have a binding job offer in that country?

Not legal advice.

2

What it takes.

Time
The national authority’s current processing time depends on the country and the application file.
Cost
Government fees and any employer or adviser costs vary by country; check the issuing authority before paying.
The hard part
Proving the job, salary and recognized qualifications meet the issuing country’s current rules.
3

Citizens by 2036.

If your first permit is issued in 2027 and you keep living there, this is the road.

  1. 2027
    First residence permit

    2 years, renewable for 2 years at a time.

  2. 2029
    Renew the permit

    Filed before the old one lapses; renews for 2 years.

  3. 2031
    Renew the permit

    Filed before the old one lapses; renews for 2 years.

  4. 2032
    Permanent residence

    Five years on a temporary residence permit just before applying, then Estonian at B1 by exam (the integration requirement), a registered address, stable legal income and health insurance.

  5. 2035
    Apply for citizenship

    With a language test and a civics test.

  6. 2036
    Citizenship
Language
Estonian at B1, by the state exam. Not needed if you studied in Estonian.
Civics
An exam on the Estonian Constitution and the Citizenship Act.
Time away
Eight years on residence permits, the last five of them living in Estonia permanently, with a long-term resident permit when you apply. Permanent residence means living in Estonia for at least 183 days a year.
Two passports
Usually not: new citizens are asked to give up their other citizenship.
  • Lawful residence on this status builds the ordinary residence clock while the permit remains valid.
  • How long the decision takes isn’t published; we allow a year.
  • This country asks new citizens to give up their other citizenship.
The law behind these dates
4

Living there.

Time you must spend there
The program sets no minimum number of days. Renewal still expects it to be your home.
Tax
Working and living in the country can create tax obligations; the permit itself is not a tax ruling.

We never file a tax return. We tell you what applies and brief the professional who does.

5

Start today.

  1. Check Estonia’s Blue Card requirements and the national application authority.Open home-affairs.ec.europa.eu ↗
  2. Gather these documents.
    • The signed job offer, salary, and recognized qualifications
    • Health cover for the move
6

Postern can’t run this for you yet.

The official application forms, submission and recovery specification are not complete. Postern cannot run this application yet.

Options open to you today →
7
ISSUED TO

YOUR FAMILY

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