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Estonian visa resources

Estonia's immigration authority

The Police and Border Guard Board handles residence permits and in-country visa matters, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs runs the visa network abroad.

Official guidance Regularly updated

Important

This information is for general guidance only. Meeting the requirements does not guarantee your application will be approved.

Estonia's national immigration process is run by two official bodies. The Police and Border Guard Board (Politsei- ja Piirivalveamet, PBGB or PPA) is the government agency responsible for residence permits, long-stay (D) visas submitted inside Estonia, residence permit cards and registration matters. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Välisministeerium) operates the network of Estonian representations (embassies and consulates) abroad where long-stay visa applications are lodged when the applicant is outside Estonia.

For most long-stay and residence matters the PBGB is the decision-making authority. Its service offices accept applications, collect biometrics and issue documents, and it publishes the official instructions, forms and state-fee schedules for every national route.

What the Police and Border Guard Board does

  • Receives and decides temporary residence permit applications (employment, study, business, family, etc.)
  • Accepts long-stay (D) visa applications submitted within Estonia and handles visa extensions
  • Collects biometrics (fingerprints and photo) and issues the residence permit card
  • Runs service offices in Tallinn, Tartu, Johvi, Narva and Parnu

What the Ministry of Foreign Affairs does

  • Operates Estonian representations abroad that accept long-stay (D) visa applications from applicants in their country of residence
  • Publishes visa guidance and runs the online pre-application system for D visas
  • Consular Department contact: +372 6377 440, konsul@mfa.ee

Getting help

  • PBGB state information helpline within Estonia: 1247
  • Online appointment booking: broneering.politsei.ee

Next steps

  1. Check the documents you’ll needView documents
  2. How to applyStart here
  3. Choose your visaFind a visa

Official sources

For the most accurate and up-to-date information, always refer to the official government sources.

Verified against official sources · last reviewed 2026-08-21. Information only — not legal advice.