Estonia · Business / Startup

Estonia Start-up founder permit

Income needed: €880+ a month ≈ $980

Residence permit for business: start-up entrepreneur

First checked against official sources on 11 Oct 2026Change log

Key facts

Start-up founder permit is a business / startup route for Estonia. Applicants need income of €880+ a month ≈ $980. You can stay 5 yrs, renewable. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.

Money needed: €880+ a month ≈ $980
Processing: 10 working days
First stay: 5 yrs

Cost, time and long term

To apply: income to show €880+/mo ≈ $980; decision: 10 working days. No lawyer or agent fee is included.

Shown, not spent€880+/mo ≈ $980

EUR 880 a month (≈ $980)Four times the subsistence level set annually by the State Budget Act (4 x EUR 220 (≈ $250) per month from 1 January 2026); confirmed by signing the application. No minimum investment amount for start-ups.

RenewalRenewable

A residence permit is issued for up to 5 years and can be extended for up to 10 years at a time.

Police and Border Guard Board

Permanent residenceAfter 3 years of residence

A long-term residence permit needs at least 3 of the last 5 consecutive years in Estonia on a residence permit or right of residence, plus Estonian at A2 level, health insurance, income at subsistence level and the basic adaptation programme.

Police and Border Guard Board

Processing10 working days

An expert committee evaluates the start-up within 10 working days of a complete application; the residence permit is then decided within 90 days and the card issued within 30 days.

Police and Border Guard Board

Where to applyInside the country

Obtain the start-up evaluation first, then apply in Estonia with the documents and state fee; after the permit you settle in Estonia and register your residence.

Police and Border Guard Board

Why this route may not fit

Check this before you apply.

Not open to EU, EEA or Swiss passports

What you'll need

Who can apply3

The applicant is not a citizen of an EU or EEA state or Switzerland.
The applicant holds shares in a company registered in the Estonian Business Register.
The start-up has a positive evaluation from the Ministry of the Interior expert committee, or is exempt from evaluation.

What you must show2

Income is at least four times the subsistence level: EUR 880 (≈ $980) per month in 2026.
There is no minimum investment amount for start-ups.

Documents1

A health insurance contract is in place with cover of at least EUR 6,000 (≈ $6,700) a year.

Steps2

The expert committee gives its evaluation within 10 working days of a complete application.
The residence permit decision takes up to 90 days and the card follows within 30 days.

After you arrive1

The holder settles in Estonia and registers the place of residence in the Population Register.

What happens at day 183

How Estonia decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.

Stay on this route: Up to 5 years at first, renewable
Tax residence: At least 183 days in 12 consecutive calendar monthsAlternative to having a permanent or primary place of residence in Estonia.
Foreign-source income: Flat 22% income tax on residents worldwide (including foreign-source) income; EUR 700 (≈ $780) per month basic exemption; non-residents taxed on Estonian-source income only.

All tax rules for Estonia Tax records checked 12 Oct 2026

Official site

Full official text

Temporary residence permit for a shareholder of an Estonian-registered start-up positively evaluated by the Ministry of the Interior expert committee (or exempt from evaluation). ^{1 2 3 4 5}

What you must show

Income of at least EUR 880 a month (≈ $980) · Four times the subsistence level set annually by the State Budget Act (4 x EUR 220 (≈ $250) per month from 1 January 2026); confirmed by signing the application. No minimum investment amount for start-ups. ^{1 6}

Requirements

The applicant is not a citizen of an EU or EEA state or Switzerland. ¹
The applicant holds shares in a company registered in the Estonian Business Register. ¹
The start-up has a positive evaluation from the Ministry of the Interior expert committee, or is exempt from evaluation. ¹
Income is at least four times the subsistence level: EUR 880 (≈ $980) per month in 2026. ^{1 6}
There is no minimum investment amount for start-ups. ^{1 5}
A health insurance contract is in place with cover of at least EUR 6,000 (≈ $6,700) a year. ^{1 5}
The expert committee gives its evaluation within 10 working days of a complete application. ¹
The residence permit decision takes up to 90 days and the card follows within 30 days. ¹
The holder settles in Estonia and registers the place of residence in the Population Register. ¹

Stay

Up to 5 years; extendable up to 10 years at a time. Decision within 90 days.
First stay: up to 60 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

Business activity in the start-up.

Family

Spouse, unmarried minor children and adult children unable to cope independently (health or disability) can apply for family-member residence permits, valid up to 5 years and not beyond the holder's permit.

Checked 2026-10-11

Official sources

Residence permit for business: start-up entrepreneurs · Police and Border Guard Board · checked 2026-10-11
Residence permit for a family member · Police and Border Guard Board · checked 2026-10-10
Residence permit for a family member: for a spouse · Police and Border Guard Board of Estonia · checked 2026-10-11
Residence permit for a family member: for an adult child · Police and Border Guard Board · checked 2026-10-11
Aliens Act (Välismaalaste seadus), consolidated text in force from 1 October 2026 · Riigi Teataja · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2026-06-30
Subsistence benefit and subsistence level (toimetulekupiir) · Ministry of Social Affairs of Estonia · checked 2026-10-11
Temporary residence permit for permanent residence · Police and Border Guard Board · checked 2026-10-11

Start-up founder permit and its alternatives

Route	Money needed	Stay	Work
Start-up founder permit	Needs income of €880+ a month ≈ $980	5 yr, renewable	–
Company shareholder permit	Needs an investment of €65k+ ≈ $73k	5 yr, renewable	–
Sole proprietor permit	Needs an investment of €16k+ ≈ $18k	5 yr, renewable	–
Startup Visa D	–	1 yr, renewable	–
Startup Visa Portugal	Needs savings of €6,446+ ≈ $7,200	2 yr, renewable	–

Questions people ask

How much money do I need for the Start-up founder permit?

Income of at least EUR 880 a month (≈ $980). Four times the subsistence level set annually by the State Budget Act (4 x EUR 220 (≈ $250) per month from 1 January 2026); confirmed by signing the application.

How long can I stay on the Start-up founder permit?

Up to 5 years; extendable up to 10 years at a time.

How long does the Start-up founder permit take to process?

An expert committee evaluates the start-up within 10 working days of a complete application; the residence permit is then decided within 90 days and the card issued within 30 days.

Can I work on the Start-up founder permit?

Business activity in the start-up.

Can I bring my family on the Start-up founder permit?

Who can apply for the Start-up founder permit?

Does the Start-up founder permit lead to permanent residence in Estonia?

Time on the Start-up founder permit counts toward permanent residence in Estonia, which the rules allow after 3 years of residence.

How are Start-up founder permit holders taxed in Estonia?

No special regime in our records is tied to the Start-up founder permit. The standard rules apply: Flat 22% income tax on residents worldwide (including foreign-source) income; EUR 700 (≈ $780) per month basic exemption; non-residents taxed on Estonian-source income only.

More in Estonia

Working Holiday · Japan Working Holiday · Canada Working Holiday · AU & NZ Digital nomad D visa Large investor · €1M Blue Card Start-up employee permit Work permit

Business / startup visas elsewhere

🇪🇸 Entrepreneur visa 🇮🇹 Startup Hub (in-country)🇬🇷 Business investor permit 🇩🇪 Self-employed permit 🇫🇷 Entrepreneur / freelancer 🇬🇧 Innovator Founder

≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.

Ask the AI about this route AI

An AI assistant answers from the published records on this page and cites them. It can't assess your personal eligibility. Don't include personal details.

How this was checked

Checked on 2026-10-11 against 7 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.

Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.

Residence permit for business: start-up entrepreneurs · Police and Border Guard Board · checked 2026-10-11
Residence permit for a family member · Police and Border Guard Board · checked 2026-10-10
Residence permit for a family member: for a spouse · Police and Border Guard Board of Estonia · checked 2026-10-11
Residence permit for a family member: for an adult child · Police and Border Guard Board · checked 2026-10-11
Aliens Act (Välismaalaste seadus), consolidated text in force from 1 October 2026 · Riigi Teataja · checked 2026-10-11
Subsistence benefit and subsistence level (toimetulekupiir) · Ministry of Social Affairs of Estonia · checked 2026-10-11
Temporary residence permit for permanent residence · Police and Border Guard Board · checked 2026-10-11

Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.