Baltic States – CIS, Demography, Estonia, Law and Regulations

For the past few years Estonia's annual immigration quota has equaled 0.1 % of the country's permanent population, totaling 1,317 people this year. Considering that the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) has already issued 893 living permits under the quota and 320 applications are being processed at the moment, this year's quota is to be exhausted during the summer and it is likely that already as of the end of June no new applications can be filed.

The Ministry of the Interior has analyzed different ways for changing the immigration quota regulation and has submitted the results to the government. "The immigration quota has been in force in Estonia's migration policy already since 1990 and now it is clearly outdated. In the coming weeks we have to decide in the Cabinet to set up a broad-based working group so that by including all cooperation partners we could work out proposals that suit Estonia and which the government could use to move forward," Interior Minister Andres Anvelt said. "We have to reach a clever solution which would take into account the needs of the labor market and would enable to react to changing circumstances as flexibly as possible," he added.

When the quota is exhausted, foreign specialists can use registering short-time working as a substitute measure. A foreigner who is legally staying in Estonia for a short period of time and whose working has been previously registered in PPA can temporarily work in Estonia without a living permit. It is possible to work temporarily up to nine months a year in Estonia.

The immigration quota limits the number of aliens who can settle in Estonia. Under the Aliens Act, the annual immigration quota is the quota for aliens immigrating to Estonia, which must not exceed 0.1 % of the permanent population of Estonia annually.

For 2012-2014, the government set the limit at 0.075% of the permanent population of Estonia, raising it to 0.1% of the population in 2015, in 2016 and in 2017.

Subject to the quota are residence permits issued for the purpose of employment, business and under an international agreement.

People arriving in Estonia under the European migrant distribution plan and other beneficiaries of international protection are exempted from the quota, just like Estonians, the spouse of an Estonian citizen, an Estonian or an alien residing in Estonia on the basis of a residence permit, to whom a residence permit is issued to settle with the spouse, minors and adult children, parents and grandparents and the ward of an Estonian citizen, Estonian or an alien residing in Estonia on the basis of a residence permit, to whom a residence permit is issued to settle with the close relative.

The same holds true for aliens who are granted a residence permit for study, aliens who are granted a residence permit for employment with the purpose of research activities, aliens who are granted a residence permit for the participation in criminal proceedings, and aliens to whom the issue of a residence permit is justified and who do not pose a threat to the interests of Estonia and who settled in Estonia before July 1, 1990 and have not left to settle in another state after the indicated deadline.

Also exempted from the quota are citizens of the United States and Japan and aliens who are granted a residence permit for settling permanently in Estonia.