Estonia Blue Card

EU Blue Card: a residence permit for employment in a job requiring higher professional qualification with an Estonian-registered employer, issued for the employment period plus three months, up to 2 years and 3 months at first. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

What you must show and pay

• Income of at least EUR 3,138 a month (≈ $3,510) · Gross monthly salary at least 1.5 times the average gross monthly salary published by Statistics Estonia; value for applications accepted 5 March 2026 to March 2027. ^{2 1}
• Income of at least EUR 2,594 a month (≈ $2,900) · Alternative rate of 1.24 times the average gross monthly salary for top specialists or supervisors and specialists in natural or technical science, health, pedagogics, business or administration, information or communication, and legal, cultural or social fields. ^{2 1}
• A fee of EUR 250 (≈ $280) · State fee for a temporary residence permit for employment applied for in Estonia; EUR 280 (≈ $310) if applied for at a foreign representation. ³

Requirements

• The applicant will work in a job that needs a higher professional qualification. ⁴
• The qualification is a higher education with at least three years of nominal study. ⁴
• Alternatively, it is higher professional skills shown by years of experience in a profession listed in Directive (EU) 2021/1883 Annex I. ⁴
• The employer is registered in Estonia and gives an employment contract or binding job offer of at least six months. ^{4 1}
• Pay is at least EUR 3,138 (≈ $3,510) per month (1.5 times the average), or EUR 2,594 (≈ $2,900) (1.24 times) for listed occupations. ^{4 1}
• The state fee is EUR 250 (≈ $280) when applied for in Estonia and EUR 280 (≈ $310) at a foreign representation. ³
• The foreign education or professional qualification is assessed before the application is filed. ⁴
• The employer obtains a permit from the Unemployment Insurance Fund to recruit a foreign national for the position. ¹
• After receiving the permit the holder settles in Estonia and registers a place of residence. ¹
• A new employer must register the job change before the holder starts; after 12 months on the permit the Fund permit is not needed. ^{4 5}
• The holder may be without work for up to three months, or up to six months after two years on the permit. ^{4 5}

Stay

• Issued for the guaranteed employment period plus three months, up to 2 years and 3 months; an extension runs up to 4 years and 3 months at a time.
• First stay: up to 27 months, decided case by case.
• Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.

Nationality

Third-country nationals; EU/EEA citizens do not need the permit. Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.

Work

Employment under the Blue Card permit; a new employer must register the job change with the Police and Border Guard Board before the holder starts.

Fine print

The maximum validity of the card could not be re-confirmed on the Police and Border Guard Board page when last checked on 12 October 2026, because the page was not reachable.

Checked 2026-10-12

Official sources

1. Residence permit for employment (grounds, 5-year term, salary-rate table) · Police and Border Guard Board · checked 2026-10-11
2. Aliens Act (English consolidated text): visa for teleworking, EU Blue Card · Riigi Teataja · checked 2026-10-11
3. State fee amounts: residence permit and rights of residence · Police and Border Guard Board of Estonia · checked 2026-10-11
4. Aliens Act (Välismaalaste seadus), consolidated text in force from 1 October 2026 · Riigi Teataja · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2026-06-30
5. Employee guide (Police and Border Guard Board, 9 July 2026) · Police and Border Guard Board · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2026-07-09
6. Temporary residence permit for permanent residence · Police and Border Guard Board · checked 2026-10-11
7. Applying for a residence permit · Police and Border Guard Board of Estonia · checked 2026-10-11