Estonia
Registration procedures and residence permits
- Any European Union (EU) citizen is entitled to work in Estonia for three months after entering the country or if they have been accorded the right of residence (a work permit is not required). The family members of an EU citizen are permitted to work in Estonia only if they have been granted the right of residence (a work permit is not required). The right of residence forms the legal basis for EU citizens and their family members to live in Estonia. An EU citizen’s right of residence in Estonia may be either temporary or permanent. Family members of EU citizens are allowed to stay in Estonia for 3 months on the basis of a valid travel document. During that period, family members should apply for temporary right of residence.
- In order to acquire a temporary right of residence, EU citizens must register their place of residence with the local authorities of their place of residence within three months of the date they entered Estonia. A temporary right of residence may be acquired for a maximum of five years. A temporary right of residence will be automatically extended if the EU citizen’s registered place of residence continues to be in Estonia and if their temporary right of residence has not expired or been terminated. Within one month after acquiring a temporary right of residence, EU citizens must appear in person at a service centre of the Citizenship and Migration Office of a prefecture of the Police and Border Guard Board to apply for an identity card (ID card) proving their temporary right of residence. Upon expiry of the identity card, an application for a new identity card must be submitted.
- An EU citizen is entitled to permanent residence in Estonia if he or she has lived in the country on the basis of a temporary right of residence for five continuous years. Residence in Estonia is considered continuous if the person concerned stays in Estonia for at least 183 days of each year. The newborn baby of an EU citizen who has a permanent right of residence in Estonia is also entitled to a permanent right of residence. In order to register his or her permanent right of residence, an EU citizen must visit in person the Citizenship and Migration Office of a prefecture of the Police and Border Guard Board or send an application by post, except when registering the permanent residence of a child less than 12 months old. The Citizenship and Migration Office will consider the application and, if the candidate has the right of residence, will issue an ID card.
- As a derogation, EU citizens are entitled to permanent residence before five years have expired, if they live or have lived in Estonia continuously under a temporary right of residence for at least three years continuously and have worked or been self-employed for at least the last twelve months, and have reached the age of retirement; reside or have resided in Estonia under a right of temporary residence for at least the last two years and have ceased work or self-employment due to permanent incapacity for work; have ceased work due to permanent incapacity for work due to a work-related injury or occupational illness; have worked in Estonia or been self-employed for at least three years and have started work in another EU Member State but return to Estonia at least once a week.
- The Citizenship and Migration Office of a prefecture of the Police and Border Guard Board will make decisions on issuing ID cards or declining applications and on whether or not to register permanent rights of residence within one month of receiving applications or from the date any shortcomings were resolved. Further information on the right of residence in Estonia is available from the Citizenship and Migration Office of a prefecture of the Police and Border Guard Board and on its website.
Kinds of employment
- The legal framework regulating the employment of foreign citizens in Estonia is set out in the Estonian Aliens Act. The employment rights of foreign citizens permanently residing in Estonia and of stateless persons are the same as those of Estonian citizens.
- An employer can either be a natural person with active legal capacity or restricted active legal capacity or a legal person with passive legal capacity. Written employment contracts are generally signed with employees. A written employment contract need not be concluded if the contract is entered into for a period of less than two weeks. An employment contract can be entered into for a fixed term or for an unspecified term.
- By default, it is presumed that an employment contract is entered into for an unspecified term. A contract for a fixed term is entered into for work of a temporary nature, mostly due to a temporary increase in the volume of work or for work of a seasonal nature. A contract for a fixed term can generally be entered into for a maximum of five years.
Employment conditions
In order to be employed in Estonia, a person must be at least 18 years of age and have active legal capacity or restricted active legal capacity. An employer may enter into an employment contract with minors 13–14 years old or minors 15–16 years old subject to the obligation to attend school, and may permit such individuals to work where the nature of the tasks is simple and does not require great physical or mental effort and does not present a threat to health. 7 to 12-year-old minors are allowed to work in the fields of culture, art, sports or advertising. The minor’s declaration of intention and the prior consent of the minor’s legal representative are required before an employment agreement may be entered into.
zdroj: https://ec.europa.eu/eures/main.jsp?catId=8102&acro=living&lang=en&parentId=7742&countryId=EE&living
zdroj: https://ec.europa.eu/eures/main.jsp?catId=8234&acro=living&lang=en&parentId=7775&countryId=EE&living