Estonia student visa and study residence permit

The route covers pupils, vocational students, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral students, preparatory course participants, trainees and young people in voluntary service. You need confirmation of admission from the Estonian institution; exchange students also bring confirmation from their home institution, and Erasmus-type participants a letter from the local programme coordinator. The residence permit is granted for full-time study at a specific institution, level and specialty, so changing programme means informing the PBGB.

For the D visa the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sets means of €880 per month for students and doctoral students, shown with bank statements for the three months before the application, a sponsor’s letter with the sponsor’s statements, or a scholarship letter. The PBGB student guide confirms the same €880 a month in 2026 for the residence permit, which equals four times the subsistence level; by signing the application you confirm that you have it and must keep it throughout the permit.

Book a slot in the Ministry’s online calendar (broneering.mfa.ee) at the Estonian embassy or consulate where you apply, up to 60 days ahead; each applicant, including children, needs a separate booking, and the pre-application number must be written in the comments field or the booking is deleted. Bring originals and copies, give 10 fingerprints (children under 12 are exempt) and pay €120 by card at the mission or by prior bank transfer. Foreign public documents must be apostilled or legalised and translated into Estonian or English. A representation may take up to 30 calendar days to process the visa; buy tickets only after it is issued.

If the studies last more than a year, check that the university will send its invitation (usually sent directly to the PBGB), then book “Applying for or extending a residence permit” at a PBGB service office; slots open three months ahead and fill quickly. Arrive 20 minutes early with your passport, completed forms and booking number; the photo, signature and fingerprints are taken free at the office’s booth. The fee of €225 is paid on the spot by card or cash.

You also need a criminal record certificate from every country where you lived for at least three consecutive months in the last three years, issued within six months before arrival in Estonia. The decision comes by e-mail within 90 days of acceptance; the card is produced within 30 more days and an e-mail titled “elamisloakaardi väljastamine” tells you to collect it.

Temporary residence permits can be extended for up to 10 years at a time, but the card itself is valid for at most five years. Apply at least two months before expiry; a complete application filed on time is decided no later than 10 days before the old permit ends. If you gave fingerprints within the last six years and hold a valid card, the extension can be filed by e-mail. For study the university’s invitation confirming continued studies is attached.

Students may work as long as the job does not interfere with their studies and they continue full-time. They must start on time, complete the curriculum and avoid interruptions: a study-based residence permit ends automatically 30 days after the student falls behind or interrupts studies. Health insurance, private or under the Estonian Health Insurance Act, must cover the whole validity. Within a month of the permit being granted, register your place of residence in the Population Register through the local government; keep valid health insurance and the required income for the whole validity, or the permit can be revoked.

A refused, annulled or revoked visa can be appealed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, directly or through the PBGB, within 10 days of receiving the decision, on the official form with a €160 fee (reference 2900073630). The Ministry decides within 30 days; after that, a complaint to the administrative court is possible within 10 days. An appeal does not allow you to enter or stay.