Estonia family reunification (residence permit for a family member)

A spouse can settle with an Estonian citizen, a foreign national holding an Estonian residence permit, or a foreign national applying for a residence permit for business; joining someone who is only applying for a work or study permit is possible in exceptional cases. A minor child (under 18, unmarried and not living independently) can settle with a parent who is an Estonian citizen or resident. An adult child can join a parent when he or she needs care because of health or disability.

A parent or grandparent can settle with a child or grandchild who is an Estonian citizen or holds a permanent residence permit, if the parent needs care that cannot be provided in the country of residence or elsewhere. Wards can join a guardian. Children born in Estonia to a resident parent, or arriving within a year of birth, can receive a permit automatically; a card is compulsory from age 15.

For a spouse: the spouse’s signed invitation and, if the marriage took place abroad, the marriage certificate. For a minor child: the parent’s invitation (unless the parent is the applicant), the birth certificate if not registered in Estonia, the confirmed consent of the other parent and any name-change proof. For an adult child or a parent: the invitation, proof of relationship and a document on the health condition requiring care. Foreign civil documents need an apostille or legalisation and a translation into Estonian or English.

The applicant spouse must have income of twice the subsistence level, confirmed by signing the application; with the 2026 subsistence level used by the PBGB (€220 a month, as €880 is four times it) that is €440 a month. For a parent or grandparent, the child or grandchild in Estonia must have at least twice the subsistence level to support themselves and cover the parent’s care and medical costs, a registered residence in the Population Register and actual housing. The sponsoring parent of a minor child must have a registered residence and housing unless they arrive together. Health insurance under § 120 of the Aliens Act is required.

The PBGB fee table in force since 1 January 2025 distinguishes two cases. Settling with a spouse or close relative who is an Estonian citizen costs €145 at an embassy and €115 in Estonia, and the same €115 applies to extensions. Settling with a foreign resident falls under the general temporary residence permit fee of €255 at an embassy or €225 in Estonia; extensions cost €225, or €115 for a child under 15. Family members of EU citizens use the separate right-of-residence procedure (€145 at an embassy, €45 in Estonia).

Residence permit applications from abroad are lodged in person at an Estonian embassy or consulate by appointment, one booking per person, with an interpreter if needed. The mission sends the file by diplomatic post to the PBGB, which states a decision within 90 days with the card printed within 30 more days. The fee is paid by card at the mission or by bank transfer in euros, with the transfer costs borne by the applicant.

Collect the residence permit card and register your residence in the Population Register. If the sponsor is a foreign national, your permit depends on the sponsor’s permit and is extended together with it. Short family visits without moving use a Schengen visa instead.

The first permit is issued for up to five years and can be extended for up to 10 years at a time, though a card is valid for at most five years. File at least two months before expiry; a complete, timely application is decided at least 10 days before the old permit ends, and e-mail filing is possible if your fingerprints are less than six years old. The sponsor’s invitation is attached to a spouse’s, adult child’s or parent’s extension.