Long-term stay in Estonia

What is long-stay (D) visa?

A long stay (D) visa is meant for staying in Estonia for more than 90 days in 180 day period. Long stay (D) visa may be issued for the period of stay of up to 365 days within twelve consecutive months and it allows to stay in the whole Schengen Area up to 90 days in any 180 day period. In case of consecutive long-stay visas, the whole period of stay shall not be longer than 548 days within 730 consecutive days.

If person is intending to stay in Estonia for longer than one year, person applies in the Embassy for a residence permit and travels to Estonia after receiving a residence permit card from the Embassy. More information about applying for a residence permit can be found here. In certain cases (study, start-up business, working in the start-up) it is possible to apply in the Embassy for a D-visa even if intended stay is longer than one year. In these cases applicant travels to Estonia on the basis of D-visa and applies for a residence permit in Estonian Police and Border Guard Board.

If person’s intended stay in Estonia is with length up to one year, D-visa is applied in the Embassy and person travels and executes his or her long-term stay on the basis of the D-visa.

As a rule only a residence permit application or D-visa application can be lodged in the Embassy.

Who can apply for D visa in Estonian Embassy in Tbilisi?

  • Citizens and residents of Georgia and Armenia. Resident status can be confirmed by valid residence permit.
  • Residents of other countries provided that there isn’t Estonian representation, which is handling visa applications in the country where applicant resides. Residents of such countries can apply for Estonian long stay (D) visa in any Estonian representation. List on Estonian representations which are handling visa applications can be found here.

Lodging a visa application and capturing biometric identifiers 

Visa application must be lodged personally, visa application of minor (below 18) is lodged by parent or guardian. Application can be lodged up to six months before start of the trip to Estonia and must be applied not later than 30 days before start of the trip.

Appointment must be acquired for lodging application in the Consulate (appointments can be acquired on webpage broneering.mfa.ee).

Every applicant, including minors, must have separate appointment.

At the time of submission of the application, 10 fingerprints of the applicant will be collected.

Applicants below 12 and following applicants are waived for requirement to give fingerprints: persons for whom fingerprinting is physically impossible, head of states and members of national government and members of their official delegation and sovereigns and senior members of royal family when they are invited by Member States’ governments or by international organizations.

Examining of the long-term (D) visa application and returning the passport

Long-term (D) visa applications is examined within 30 days from the day application was lodged at the Consulate, usually it will take 7-10 days.

Entry requirements

Mere possession of a visa does not confer an automatic right of entry. The holders of visa are requested to present proof that they fulfil the entry conditions at the external border, as provided in the Schengen Border Code. Border guards, for instance, may ask to present return tickets, hotel reservation or the information of the invitee, travel insurance, proof of sufficient means of subsistence. For more information, see also questions about crossing the border on the website of the Police and Border Guard Board.

Contesting refusal to issue a visa

Applicant, who was refused to issue a visa, may file an appeal. Appeal can be filed within 30 days as of the date of notification of the decision. Attention! Deadline of filing an appeal should not be restored! For more information about process of appeal please visit website of Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Sate fee for examining the appeal (80 Euros) can be paid in the Consulate by credit card or in Euros to the account of Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For more information please visit this website.

Application to contest decision of refusal to issue visa is examined within 15 days.

Information for citizens of the Russian Federation and of the Republic of Belarus!

The Government of the Republic of Estonia has approved a sanction imposing a restriction on citizens of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus applying for an Estonian visa, please read on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.