Visa to Tallinn for Russians in 2021: basic requirements for visiting the Estonian capital

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Estonia joins Schengen

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Thanks to its geographical location, medieval architecture and the absence of a language barrier, Estonia is at the top of the tourist preferences of Russians. However, Estonians are famous not only for their slowness, but also for their special pedantry. Therefore, the package of documents for obtaining a visa to this country should be prepared with special care.

Types of visas to Estonia

• C - short-term: for tourism, business trips, visiting relatives. Issued for a period of several days to 5 years and allows you to cross the borders of any state in the Schengen area. It can be single - for a one-time entry into the country, or multiple. At the same time, the total time spent in Estonia and other Schengen countries within six months should not exceed 90 days.
• D - long-term national: allows continuous stay in Estonia for up to 365 days, but not more than 548 days within two years. Allows you to visit other Schengen countries. The grounds for obtaining a D visa may be a contract to work in Estonian companies, study and teaching at universities, the presence of real estate in Estonia, investments, commercial activities, family reunification.

Russian citizens are not required to obtain a category A transit visa to stay in the international zone of Tallinn Airport.

Visa rules: what documents are needed to get a visa to Estonia?

Regardless of whether a citizen applies for a visa to Estonia on his own or with the help of an agency, he will need to submit documents, the list of which is strictly regulated. Of course, many of the required documents are determined by the specific case and type of Schengen visa requested, however, the consulate also has a certain so-called standard set:

• A valid foreign passport and a copy of all its significant pages;
• A copy of all significant pages of the civil passport;
• Two color photographs that meet the requirements of the consulate;
• A receipt confirming that the citizen has paid the consular fee;
• A certificate from work confirming sufficient income;
• Hotel reservation as evidence that the applicant has somewhere to live during his stay in the country;
• Round trip plane or train tickets;
• Information confirming the purpose of the trip.

The last point is where additional requirements for a visa to Estonia begin. However, it is worth noting that they also occur in other points. For example, the requirement for a copy of internal passport pages applies only to Russians. Instead of a certificate from work, you can present other documents that can confirm your financial solvency or sponsorship of the trip. This requirement, of course, does not apply to those who apply for a work visa.

Additional requirements will be presented to those who want to obtain a work or student multi visa. Here you will definitely need invitations to work or study. Instead of an invitation, you can present a certificate of enrollment in a university or a copy of an employment contract concluded with an Estonian company. In such cases, a certificate from work in Russia, of course, will not be needed.

There are a few other caveats related to the submission rules. Among them are the conditions for those traveling by car. In this case, you will need to document that tourists are traveling to the country only for a certain time. There are also separate rules for those who come to Estonia at the invitation of their relatives or friends. Such citizens, in particular, will not need to present a hotel reservation and documents confirming the purpose of the trip.

Independently obtaining a C visa

Documents for obtaining a category C visa are accepted at the Consular Section of the Estonian Embassy in Moscow (), the Consulate General in St. Petersburg, as well as at Estonian Visa Application Centers, which are located in 50 cities of Russia and are serviced by the provider company VFS Global ().
Visa applications are accepted at the Estonian Embassy by appointment through, in St. Petersburg - by telephone, at Visa Centers without an appointment.

A visa application can be submitted no earlier than 90 days before the start of the trip. The period for reviewing documents is 5 working days. It is possible to obtain an urgent visa at the Embassy within two days.

How to apply for a visa to Estonia yourself?

At first glance it may seem very simple. Especially for those who live in cities such as Moscow and St. Petersburg. However, it is immediately worth noting that much here depends on the type of visa. In addition, it is important to emphasize that in order to successfully obtain an Estonian visa, you must strictly follow all the rules, especially if the applicant needs an urgent visa.

Doing everything yourself, of course, has one definite advantage - you only need to pay a consular fee for this whole thing. However, the applicant will have to work hard, especially if he requires a long-term urgent visa.

The first step is to carefully study the entire list of required documents, taking into account the rules for each specific situation. It is important to remember that if a visa is refused, it will not be possible to apply for it soon. And if the consul or visa officer discovers a violation of the rules, dishonesty in filling out the application form, the applicant may even receive a ban on entry into all countries of the Schengen zone for a long period.

So, speaking about applying for an Estonian visa on your own, it is worth noting the importance of carefully studying and strictly following all the rules.

Documents for a visa to Estonia

Required documents to obtain Schengen category C:

1. Application Form
   Filled out online at the Embassy in Latin letters, printed and signed.
2. International passport
   with two blank pages, valid for more than 3 months after the expiration of the requested visa.
3. Photocopy of passport
   Copy of Russian passport - pages with personal data and registration.
4. Photo
   One photo of the established sample (see photo requirements below)
5. Health insurance A
   health insurance policy with coverage of at least 30,000 EUR per traveler, which can be purchased online. For a multiple visa, the policy is provided for the period of the first visit to Schengen.
6. Additionally,
   a receipt for payment of the consular fee.
7. Ticket reservation
   Copies of air and railway tickets.
8. Hotel reservation
   Confirmation of booking or payment for accommodation for the entire duration of the trip.
9. Bank account statement
   Documents confirming the availability of funds for the period of stay in Estonia.
10. When traveling to visit relatives and friends,
    an invitation certified by the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a guarantee of payment of expenses and provision of accommodation; a document confirming family ties; a copy of the document confirming the legal residence of the inviting person in Estonia.
11. For a business trip
    Written confirmation from the organization/company about the planned event; documents confirming the existence of a business relationship between partners; invitation/tickets to a conference, seminar, exhibition, etc.; a letter from a legal entity guaranteeing payment of expenses and provision of accommodation, indicating the timing and purpose of the trip.

Visa to Estonia for Russians in 2021

A visa to Estonia is a document that is placed in a Russian foreign passport. It gives the right to legally stay in Estonia and other Schengen countries for the duration of the visa.

Using a visa as an example: 1

- visa number,
2
- visa validity dates (from - to),
3
- visa type,
4
- visa multiplicity (number of entries),
5
- allowed number of days of stay,
6
- passport number,
7
- consulate stamp

Types of visas to Estonia

There are visas to Estonia:

To travel to Estonia in 2021, you can apply for the following types of visas for the relevant purposes of the visit:

Time limits for obtaining a visa to Estonia

The official review period is 15 calendar days after submission of documents. In practice, the period for obtaining a visa depends on where to submit documents:

IMPORTANT:

Paragraph 3 of the EU Visa Code provides for the possibility of extending the period for processing documents for a Schengen visa
to 60 days
.

Express visa

can be processed in just 3 working days. In this case, you will have to pay 70 euros of consular fee instead of 35 euros. An express visa is issued if one of the following grounds exists:

• Force Majeure;
• humanitarian (the applicant’s health condition requiring urgent treatment);
• family (death or serious condition of a relative living in Estonia);
• business (business trip, urgent negotiations).

When applying for an express visa

to Estonia, the main package of documents should be accompanied by documents confirming the need for an urgent trip (for example: an extract from a medical institution, a letter from a business partner, etc.).

Under the normal procedure for obtaining a visa to Estonia, documents are allowed to be submitted a maximum of 6 months before the planned trip and a minimum of 15 days. It is best to apply for a Schengen visa 30-60 days before your trip. If you are planning a trip to Estonia during the summer holidays or during the New Year holidays, you should take into account that the load on visa centers and consular offices is especially high.

For how long will a visa to Estonia be issued?

In the countries of the Schengen area, new rules for issuing Schengen visas came into force in February 2021, uniform for all. Now there should be no long breaks before each application for a visa, and the validity period of issued Schengen visas is increasing in stages.

There are 5 visa validity periods:

• travel dates (for two months in case of two consecutive trips)
• six months
• year
• 2 years
• 5 years

The procedure for obtaining a visa and the conditions for issuing it for a particular period are as follows:

The Estonian consular office has the right to determine the duration of the Schengen visa independently, taking into account the validity of the visa applicant’s passport and other circumstances. Therefore, in some cases, the validity of a visa is limited to the dates of travel, even if a person often travels to Estonia and does not violate migration laws, and in other cases, applicants receive annual multiple visas directly into their “clean” passports.

According to the European Commission, the following number of visas to Estonia was issued to Russians in 2021 and 2021:
Statistics of visas issued to Russians (Consular District of St. Petersburg)

Cost of a visa to Estonia

The cost of a Schengen visa to Estonia consists of:

• Consular fee
• Service fee
• Insurance policy
• Visa photo

Calculation of the cost of a single-entry Schengen visa to Estonia for 5 days for a citizen of the Russian Federation in 2021:
Cost of a visa to Estonia for 5 days in 2021 when issued at a visa center in St. Petersburg

Calculation of the cost of a multiple-entry Schengen visa to Estonia for 1 year (number of insured days 30) for a citizen of the Russian Federation in 2021:
Cost of a visa to Estonia for 1 year in 2021 when issued through the Consulate General in St. Petersburg

Consular fee for Schengen visa to Estonia

For processing documents for a Schengen visa to Estonia, a consular fee of 35 euros (about 2800 rubles)

.
The amount of the consular fee does not depend on the validity period of the visa. When submitting documents for an urgent visa to Estonia, you will need to pay 70 euros consular fee (about 5600 rubles)
IMPORTANT:

If for any reason your visa is denied, the consular fee will not be refunded.

Estonia visa service fee*

The service fee for issuing a Schengen visa to Estonia is 11 euros (approximately 900 rubles).

IMPORTANT:

* service fee is non-refundable in case of visa refusal.

Price of insurance policy for visa to Estonia

Calculation of the cost of insurance for a visa to Estonia using the example of Alfastrakhovanie JSC policies with the coverage area of ​​the “Schengen Agreement Countries” for citizens of the Russian Federation:

IMPORTANT:

The insurance policy must meet the mandatory requirements, otherwise it is not suitable for obtaining a visa, and the documents will not be accepted for processing.

Requirements for an insurance policy for a Schengen visa to Estonia

Cost of a photo for a visa to Estonia

The cost of a photograph measuring 3.5 x 4.5 cm will cost an average of 300 rubles. in any photo studio, and 300 rubles. (4 euros) for 6 photos in the photo booth at the visa center.

Documents for a visa to Estonia

To apply for a visa to Estonia, you must collect the following list of documents:

• Internal passport and its copy
• International passport
• Health insurance policy for 30,000 Euro
• Confirmation of employment and solvency
• Hotel reservation, flights or travel plan
• Paid consular fee
• Visa application form
• Photo 3.5 x 4.5 cm

Internal passport and its copy

To submit documents, you need an original internal passport, but you do not need to submit it, and copies of the following pages:

• Photo page (page 2-3)
• All pages with registration stamps (page 5-12). If there is no permanent registration, then a blank page or a copy of the page with a mark on deregistration + a copy of temporary registration on the territory of the Russian Federation.

International passport

To obtain a visa, you must have an original passport in which the visa is affixed.

The passport must meet the following requirements:

1. Passport expiration date is at least 3 months longer than the requested visa
2. Have at least 2 blank pages
3. Issued less than 10 years ago

If your international passport does not meet these requirements, you will need to apply for a new one, since such a document will simply not provide you with a visa to Estonia.

If you have a canceled passport that contains Schengen visas, photocopy it and attach it to the package of documents for a visa to Estonia.

Health insurance policy for 30,000 Euro

The requirements for an insurance policy for a Schengen visa to Estonia are as follows:

• Health insurance must be valid in all countries that have signed the Schengen Agreement
  . Insurance valid only in Estonia is not suitable for obtaining a Schengen visa.
• The amount of insurance coverage must be at least 30,000 euros.
  You can exceed this amount - there is no upper limit.
• The insurance period must cover the entire validity period of the requested visa to Estonia.
  If you attach insurance to your visa documents that only covers the period between the dates of your planned trip, then you are unlikely to be issued a visa with a longer validity period. Purchasing annual insurance allows you to apply for a multiple visa, and it is not necessary to pay for insurance for all 180 days - you can buy an annual insurance policy in which the number of insured days is 15-180.
• The insurance must cover all standard insurance risks.
  These include: outpatient and inpatient treatment, hospitalization, transportation of the insured person to the country of residence in the event of an insured event, including death.
• There should be no deductible in the insurance.
  A franchise is an insurance condition under which a tourist, in the event of an insured event, is not covered for all treatment costs, but only for those that exceed the amount specified in the insurance contract.

In the given example: 1

— Policy coverage area T-VI Schengen countries,
2
— Sum insured 30,000 Euro,
3
— Insurance period 1 year,
4
— Number of insured days 30,
5
— Insurance risks,
6
— No deductible

Confirmation of employment and solvency

When collecting documents for a visa to Estonia, it is recommended to pay special attention to confirming that you have sufficient financial resources to travel and return to Russia. This can be done with the help of documents confirming that you have a permanent source of income, funds in a bank account and real estate.

Employment confirmation:

Confirmation of solvency:

IMPORTANT:

The validity period of all certificates is 30 calendar days. The expiration date for the account statement is one week.

Hotel reservation, flights or travel plan

The hotel reservation document must indicate the check-in and check-out dates. To obtain a visa to Estonia, reservations for air tickets (or tickets for other modes of transport) must be provided for round-trip tickets. The dates of entry and exit must be the same as those indicated on the document confirming the hotel reservation. For those tourists who are going to enter Estonia by car, proof of tickets is not required (what documents they need is described in the section If you are traveling by car

.

To avoid being denied a visa to Estonia, you need to confirm that you have a place to stay in Estonia.

Paid consular fee

Receipt of paid consular and service fees. It will be issued at the visa application center when you apply for your visa.

Payment at the Estonian visa center is made by bank card or cash

.

Completed visa application form

In this article we will describe in detail the algorithm for filling out the application form for a Schengen visa to Estonia. Before submitting the package of documents, be sure to sign your visa application.

Photo requirements for an Estonia visa

The photo must be 3.5 x 4.5 centimeters in size, meeting ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) standards. This is an important point, so it must be approached with the utmost seriousness. This is an example of a proper photograph.

Click on any item for detailed information

:

Photo quality

It is important that the photographs:

• Made no more than 6 months ago;
• 35 millimeters wide;
• 45 millimeters in height;
• the face occupied 70-80% of the photo
  , and the head and shoulders were completely visible;
• must be focused;
• must be of high quality, without bends;
• pictures should not be dirty.

The person in the photograph must:

• look into the lens;
• be natural (don’t smile too much, don’t grimace);
• optimal contrast and brightness;
• Printed on high quality paper with good resolution.

Consulate example

Style and lighting

In the Foto:

• A background of a neutral light color is required;
• lighting should be uniform, without flashes and shadows;
• eyes should be open, and hair should not cover them;
• there should be no unnecessary objects in the background;
• The face should be frontal, not sideways.

Consulate example

Glasses, hats and facial expressions

In the Foto:

• eyes should be clearly visible, even if you have glasses;
• glasses should not be tinted;
• glasses should not cover your eyes;
• the head bur should be removed;
• if, due to religious convictions, it cannot be removed, then the face should be uncovered;
• the child should be alone without unnecessary objects and people.

Consulate example

Documents for entering Estonia by car

Those planning to travel to Estonia by car must additionally provide:

• route sheet indicating dates, destinations and hotels with their addresses and telephone numbers;
• a copy of your national driving license;
• a copy of the vehicle registration certificate;
• if necessary, a copy of a notarized power of attorney to drive a car;
• a copy of the “Green Card” - a civil liability insurance policy valid in the Schengen countries.

The documents listed above are attached to each passenger's package, including a copy of the driver's license of the person who will be driving.

When crossing the border with Estonia in a car registered in Russia, you must have a diagnostic card confirming that you have passed a technical inspection. In case of its absence, border guards have the right to refuse entry.

Applying for a visa for minors (under 18 years of age)

A separate form is filled out for each child and signed by parents or guardians. Children under 14 years of age who do not have a foreign passport are issued a visa provided that their details and photograph are in the passport of one of the parents. A child over 14 years old or traveling abroad unaccompanied by parents requires his own passport.

The following documents are additionally attached to the visa application package:

• a copy of the birth certificate;
• if necessary, a copy of the notarized consent of the parents for the child to travel to the Schengen countries, accompanied by only one of the parents or a third party. When applying for a multiple-entry visa, the consent must cover the entire duration of the visa;
• a copy of the valid Schengen document of the parents or a third party who will accompany the child on the trip.

An application for a business visa category D is submitted to the Embassy by appointment via email at

Estonian visa centers in Russia do not accept documents for category D visa.

Documents for a visa to Estonia

Required documents to obtain Schengen category D:

1. Application Form
   Filled out online at the Embassy in Latin letters, printed and signed.
2. International passport
   with two blank pages, valid for more than 3 months after the expiration of the requested visa.
3. Photocopy of passport
   Copy of Russian passport page with personal data and registration.
4. Photo
   Photo of the established sample.
5. Medical policy
   For the entire duration of the visa.
6. Bank account statement
   Documents confirming the availability of funds during your stay in Estonia.
7. Additionally,
   a receipt for payment of the consular fee for processing the application for a long-term visa.
8. Purpose of the trip
   Documents confirming the purpose of the trip (certificates of property ownership, family ties, contract for work, teaching or scientific activity).

The contract for work, teaching and scientific activities must be previously registered with the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board.

Applying for a visa to Estonia through a travel agency

To do this, the citizen must provide the travel company with the following list of documents:

• A foreign passport that will be valid for at least 3 months from the date of return from a trip from Estonia;
• Application form with reliable data, signature of the applicant ();
• Take color photographs of the required size ();
• An insurance policy whose validity period is equal to the period of stay in the territory of the EU countries.

  

  Sample international insurance policy

Consular fee – 35 €

For Russian citizens, the consular fee for a category C visa is 35 EUR, for urgent processing - 70 EUR. The fee for visa category D is 80 EUR. Children under 6 years of age, schoolchildren, students and representatives of non-profit organizations under 25 years of age taking part in seminars, conferences, sports, cultural and educational events are exempt from payment. At Estonian consulates, payment is made in cash, euros or by bank card. Prices on the page are for April 2021.

When submitting documents through a visa center, its services are paid additionally. Depending on the region, the service fee is 11.00–18.50 EUR. Payment of consular and service fees, as well as additional services of visa centers, is made in cash or by bank card in rubles at the exchange rate of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation on the day of payment.

The visa application form is accompanied by one color photograph on a light background, 3.5 by 4.5 cm, taken within the last 6 months. The eyes must be completely visible. It is allowed to wear glasses with clear lenses without glare.

Primary requirements

First of all, all Estonian visa applicants must remember that a current photograph is required to obtain a visa permit to leave Russia for the Schengen area.

This means that only a photograph taken no more than three months before the date of travel is allowed to be attached to the completed application form and other documents for obtaining a visa to Estonia.

A photograph for a visa to Estonia must meet the following standards:

• light background of white or blue shade;
• photograph parameters – 3.5 by 4.5 cm;
• face size from crown to chin – from 3.0 to 3.5 cm;
• The applicant's face occupies 70% to 80% of the area.

Extra options

The person in the photo looks straight into the camera, positioned so that his face and shoulders look straight. It is forbidden to smile or make grimaces.

The eyes are at the same level and are clearly visible in the image. Because of this, you cannot film with sunglasses on your face.

If a person is photographed wearing glasses that a doctor has prescribed to wear on a regular basis, then glare from them is not allowed to appear in the picture. Also, the frame should not be large, covering the eyes and part of the face.

What is prohibited?

There are a number of rules that must be strictly observed for photographs when applying for a visa:

• Self-tanning, makeup or the use of other cosmetics that can change appearance are not allowed.
• Photos are not taken wearing a headdress. The exception is their wearing as prescribed by a particular religious denomination.
• The photo should be free of glare, blur and streaks.
• Correction and retouching of images is prohibited.
• There should be no red-eye effect.
• Before taking photographs, you need to remove your glasses from your head and remove your hair from your face so that it reveals your forehead, ears and face.
• Women are not recommended to wear bright makeup, take pictures with bare shoulders or with a lot of jewelry.
• Frames, corners, inscriptions, watermarks, and foreign objects in the background are prohibited.

The photo for an Estonian visa should not be worn or damaged. The photo must be printed on colored paper with a glossy or matte finish.

Confirmation of financial solvency

The availability of funds for a trip to Estonia can be confirmed by a bank account statement or a certificate from the place of work indicating the position, length of service, salary and duration of the vacation provided.

Bank statements and certificates are valid for 1 month from the date of issue.

If the trip is paid for by the sponsor, a certificate or extract is provided on his behalf along with a letter of guarantee and a photocopy of the passport (pages with personal data and registration). Individual entrepreneurs provide a Certificate of Registration of Individual Entrepreneurs, TIN, tax return 3-NDFL or an extract from the current account.

To stay in the country, a person must have funds in the amount of 108 EUR for each day of travel.

Duration for which the visa is issued

There is no general rule, but the more extensive the applicant's visa history, the higher his chances of obtaining a visa for a longer period. 40% of Estonian category C visas issued to Russian citizens are multiple visas valid for 6 months. They are received by persons who previously had one Schengen visa for the duration of the trip or without any visa history at all.

The number of annual multiple visas is 26%. As a rule, to obtain them, it is enough to have two Schengen visas in your passport in the last three years. Having one- and two-year Schengen visas allows you to count on a two-year multiple visa (17%) and even a three-year one (8%). 4- and 5-year multiple visas are given to no more than 4% of applicants. The remaining 5% comes from single-entry visas for travel periods for those who have not yet been to the Schengen area.

Having previous trips to Estonia has a very positive effect on the validity period of the visa you receive.

Embassy and consulates of Estonia in Russia

Embassy of Estonia in Moscow

Consular Section of the Estonian Embassy in Moscow

Consulate General of Estonia in St. Petersburg

Estonia Visa Application Center in St. Petersburg