Digital Nomad Visa
Residency route facts
Identity
| Official name (local) | Not established from a qualifying source |
|---|---|
| Official name (English) | Digital Nomad Visa as of 2026-08-08[4][5] Name used by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the e-Residency programme; the Aliens Act's official translation names the instrument 'visa for teleworking' (s. 62-5). |
| Legal basis | Aliens Act s. 62-5 (issue of visa for teleworking); issued as a long-stay (D) visa or short-stay (C) visa as of 2026-06-29[1][5] S. 62-5(2) defines a location-independent employee: work independent of location, performed as telework using telecommunications technology, continuing (1) employment for an employer registered in a foreign state, (2) business for a company registered in a foreign state in which the alien holds a holding, or (3) services mainly to clients whose place of business is in a foreign state. |
| Instrument type | national visa as of 2026-06-29[1][5] A visa, not a residence permit; the D visa allows a stay of up to 365 days. |
Who can apply
| Nationals not served by this route | EU, EEA, EFTA as of 2026-08-08[5] Visa requirements apply to third-country nationals; EU, EEA and Swiss citizens exercise free movement. Recorded on the same basis as the residence-permit routes. |
|---|---|
| Criminal-record condition | Not established from a qualifying source[1] Criminal record operates as a refusal ground (Aliens Act s. 124(1)(5), s. 124(2)(7)), not an application condition. |
Permit terms
| Initial duration | up to 365 days as of 2026-06-29[1][5] Maximum stay on the long-stay visa: up to 365 days (s. 62(3) regime; MFA: 'stay in Estonia up to 365 days'). |
|---|---|
| Renewable | Not established from a qualifying source[5] |
| Work rights | own activity only as of 2026-06-29[1][2] Telework for the foreign employer, foreign company or mainly-foreign clients defined in s. 62-5(2); the state portal lists the teleworking-visa holder among those whose right to work follows directly from the Aliens Act without short-term-employment registration. Local employment outside that definition is not covered. |
Permanent residence and citizenship
| Counts toward permanent residence | No as of 2026-06-29[1] S. 232(1)(1) counts residence 'on the basis of a residence permit'; time on a visa does not qualify toward the long-term resident's residence permit. |
|---|
Requirements
| Minimum income | Sources disagree as of 2026-06-11[4][5] |
|---|---|
| Qualifying income basis | employment abroad, own company abroad, freelance work for foreign clients as of 2026-06-29[1][5] S. 62-5(2)(1)-(3): employer registered abroad, own company registered abroad, or services mainly to clients with a place of business abroad. |
| Local work allowed | No as of 2026-06-29[1] The definition of a location-independent employee covers only work for foreign employers, a foreign company of the alien's, or mainly foreign clients (s. 62-5(2)); employment for an Estonian employer falls outside the visa's purpose and requires its own basis (registration or a residence permit). |
| Route carries its own tax regime | No as of 2026-03-13[3] No special tax regime attaches to the visa; the ordinary tax-residency rules (183 days over 12 months, Income Tax Act s. 6(1)) apply. |
Process
| Where to apply from | Not established from a qualifying source as of 2026-08-08[5] |
|---|---|
| Observed processing time | 15 to 30 days as of 2026-08-08[4][5] The MFA states applications are reviewed within 30 days; the e-Residency programme states 15-30 days. Service standard, not a statutory clock. |
| Fees |
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| Quota |
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Physical presence
| none stated | to keep the permit as of 2026-06-29[1] Stay under the terms and conditions determined by the visa (s. 44(1)); no residence-registration or day-count condition attaches to the visa itself. |
|---|
Family inclusion
| Family members may be included | Yes as of 2026-06-29[1] S. 62-5(6)-(7): a visa may be issued under the same conditions to the alien's spouse, registered partner, minor child and an adult child unable to cope independently due to their state of health or disability (in force 01.01.2024). |
|---|---|
| Eligible relations | spouse, registered partner, minor child, adult dependent child as of 2026-06-29[1] |
| Family may apply at the same time | Yes as of 2026-06-29[1] The family visa may be issued for the alien's period of stay, under the same conditions. |
| Family members' work rights | authorisation required as of 2026-06-29[1][6] A visa confers no employment right by itself: family members may work only where an employer registers their short-term employment with the PBGB or a statutory exception applies (s. 104). Conditions in note. |
Your next step
Read the requirements above considering your own situation: the income multiple, the absence limits, who you can bring. Check the country record for the reference figure those amounts are calculated from, and for anything that has changed recently.
The next step is your own case. That assessment is legal work. Create profile for our assistance in this.
Profile benefits
- A 30-minute call with our consultant, who reads your profile first.
- An offer for legal support built around your case, covering the whole process.
Verification
| Sources cited | 6 |
|---|---|
| of which official (tier 1) | 6 |
| Oldest as-of date | 2026-03-13 |
| Newest as-of date | 2026-08-08 |
| Reviewed on | 2026-08-11 |
| Schema version | 1.1 |
Sources
- [1] Aliens Act (Välismaalaste seadus), consolidated text, official English translation
Riigi Teataja (State Gazette), Republic of Estonia · statute · Tier 1 · Published 2026-06-29 · Accessed 2026-08-08 - [2] Working in Estonia (state portal article, text by the Police and Border Guard Board)
Riigiportaal eesti.ee / Police and Border Guard Board · official portal · Tier 1 · Published 2025-04-15 · Accessed 2026-08-08 · Archived copy - [3] Determining residency
Maksu- ja Tolliamet (Estonian Tax and Customs Board) · official guidance · Tier 1 · Published 2026-03-13 · Accessed 2026-08-08 · Archived copy - [4] Digital Nomad Visa vs e-Residency
e-Residency programme (Enterprise Estonia) · official portal · Tier 1 · Published 2026-06-11 · Accessed 2026-08-08 - [5] Digital Nomad Visa
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Embassy of Estonia in Washington) · official portal · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 · Archived copy - [6] Working in Estonia — for employees
Police and Border Guard Board · official portal · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 · Archived copy