Profile

Residence permit for business – for large investors

Route status

Active as of 2026-06-29[1][4]

Open to new applications under the rules recorded below.

Residency route facts

Identity

Identity
Official name (local)Elamisluba ettevõtluseks – suurinvestorile as of 2026-08-08[5]
The Estonian-language Police and Border Guard Board page names the instrument 'Elamisluba ettevõtluseks' and this limb 'Suurinvestorile'.
Official name (English)Residence permit for business – for large investors as of 2026-08-08[4]
The authority's own English rendering; English is not an official language of Estonia.
Legal basisAliens Act ss. 197-2 to 197-8 (temporary residence permit issued to a large investor for enterprise), within the residence permit for enterprise under s. 118(1)(5) and s. 191 as of 2026-06-29[1][4]
Subdivision 5-1 of the Aliens Act, inserted by RT I, 03.01.2017, 1, in force 18.01.2017.
Instrument typeresidence permit as of 2026-06-29[1][4]

Who can apply

Who can apply
Nationals not served by this routeEU, EEA, EFTA as of 2026-08-08[4]
Criminal-record conditionNot established from a qualifying source[1][4]

Permit terms

Permit terms
Initial durationup to 5 years as of 2026-06-29[1][4]
Statutory maximum. Aliens Act s. 119(1): a temporary residence permit is issued with a period of validity of up to five years; the Police and Border Guard Board states the same for the residence permit for business. The actual term is set case by case under s. 119(2).
RenewableYes as of 2026-08-08[4]
The Police and Border Guard Board states that a temporary residence permit may be extended for up to 10 years at a time.
Renewal durationup to 10 years as of 2026-08-08[4]
Maximum extension term stated by the authority: up to 10 years at a time.
Work rightsfull as of 2025-04-15[1][2]

Permanent residence and citizenship

Permanent residence and citizenship
Counts toward permanent residenceYes as of 2026-06-29[1][9]
Aliens Act s. 232(1)(1): a long-term resident's residence permit may be issued to a person who has resided in Estonia on the basis of a residence permit for at least the last five years before the application. The provision is not limited by the basis on which the temporary residence permit was issued.

Requirements

Requirements
Investment options
    • Option: ee-trp-business-large-investor-company
    • Asset class: business capital
    • Minimum amount: EUR 1,000,000 as of 2026-06-29[1][4]
      Aliens Act s. 197-3(1): a direct investment of at least EUR 1,000,000 in a company entered in the Estonian commercial register that invests primarily in the Estonian economy. Under s. 197-3(1-1) a direct investment includes an investment in share capital for which real estate, machinery or equipment has been acquired and registered as fixed assets, or for which investments have been made in other companies entered in the Estonian commercial register that have actual economic activity in Estonia.
    • Value may fall below the threshold: No as of 2026-06-29[1][4]
      Aliens Act s. 197-3(2): the investment must be lasting during the period of validity of the residence permit, meaning it is not reduced except through fluctuations in the market price of the investment and is not taken out of the company or fund. Under s. 197-3(3) the beneficiary company or fund may be changed during validity provided the new one meets the same conditions.
    • Restrictions: The company must be entered in the Estonian commercial register and invest primarily in the Estonian economy.
    • Option: ee-trp-business-large-investor-fund
    • Asset class: investment fund
    • Minimum amount: EUR 1,000,000 as of 2026-06-29[1][4]
      Aliens Act s. 197-3(1): an investment of at least EUR 1,000,000 in an investment fund which, under its investment policy, invests the fund's resources primarily in companies entered in the Estonian commercial register. Section 197-3(1-1) refers to a fund created or founded on the basis of the Investment Funds Act.
    • Value may fall below the threshold: No as of 2026-06-29[1][4]
      Aliens Act s. 197-3(2), same lasting-investment condition as for the direct company investment.
    • Restrictions: The fund must invest primarily in companies entered in the Estonian commercial register.
Source-of-funds checksYes as of 2026-06-29[1]
Aliens Act s. 197-5(4): the issue or extension of the permit may be refused, or the permit revoked, where the applicant does not provide evidence of the trustworthiness of the financial source of the investment or of the business partner.
Income requirement6 × subsistence level per month as of 2026-05-19[3][4]
Minister of the Interior's regulation s. 53(4): for a temporary residence permit under Aliens Act ss. 191, 197-2 and 198 the legal-income rate is six times the subsistence level established under s. 131(3) of the Social Welfare Act for each month spent in Estonia. The Police and Border Guard Board states the same condition as 'sufficient income (six times the subsistence level)', confirmed by signing the application.

Process

Process
Where to apply fromeither as of 2025-01-01[7]
The Police and Border Guard Board's state-fee schedule prices the application for a temporary residence permit for business both 'In Estonia' (EUR 350) and 'At a foreign representation' (EUR 380), so both submission routes exist. Neither Tier-1 page states a restriction on where the applicant must be at submission.
Statutory processing time90 days as of 2026-08-08[4]
The Police and Border Guard Board states that a response is given within 90 days and that the residence permit card is issued within 30 days thereafter. The Aliens Act itself (s. 33) leaves the procedural term to a regulation and caps any authority-set term at six months.
Fees
    • Kind: application
    • Amount: EUR 350 as of 2025-01-01[7]
      Temporary residence permit for business, application submitted in Estonia.
    • Charged per: applicant
    • Paid by: applicant
    • Condition: application submitted in Estonia
    • Kind: application
    • Amount: EUR 380 as of 2025-01-01[7]
      Temporary residence permit for business, application submitted at an Estonian foreign representation.
    • Charged per: applicant
    • Paid by: applicant
    • Condition: application submitted at an Estonian foreign representation
    • Kind: renewal
    • Amount: EUR 350 as of 2025-01-01[7]
      Extension of a temporary residence permit for business; the schedule prices extensions in Estonia only.
    • Charged per: applicant
    • Paid by: applicant
    • Condition: extension applied for in Estonia
    • Kind: card
    • Amount: EUR 70 as of 2025-01-01[8]
      Residence permit card, applicant aged 18 or over, applied for at a service office. The same schedule prices the card at EUR 60 in the self-service portal and EUR 100 at a foreign representation, and at EUR 30 for applicants under 18, applicants who have reached retirement age in Estonia and persons with moderate, serious or severe disabilities.
    • Charged per: applicant
    • Paid by: applicant
    • Condition: applicant aged 18 or over, applying at a service office
Quota
  • Quota exists: Yes as of 2025-11-06[1][10]
    Aliens Act s. 113-114 establish an immigration quota capped at 0.1 per cent of the permanent population.
  • Exempt from the general quota: Yes as of 2025-11-06[10]
    The Ministry of the Interior states that acting as a large investor falls outside the immigration quota.

Physical presence

Physical presence
none statedto keep the permit as of 2026-06-29[1]
Aliens Act s. 197-4 disapplies the actual-dwelling requirement of s. 117(1) and the population-register registration requirements of s. 121 and s. 129(3) to the issue and extension of a temporary residence permit issued to a large investor for enterprise, and s. 197-7 provides that the absence of a registered residence or actual dwelling in Estonia is not a ground for revoking such a permit.

Family inclusion

Family inclusion
Family members may be includedYes as of 2026-06-29[1][6]
A family member of a foreign national residing in Estonia on the basis of a residence permit may be issued a temporary residence permit to settle with them.
Eligible relationsspouse, registered partner, minor child, adult dependent child, parent, grandparent as of 2026-06-29[1][6]
Aliens Act s. 118(1)(1)-(2): a temporary residence permit may be issued to settle with a spouse or registered partner or with a close relative. The Police and Border Guard Board publishes the family route in four parts – minor child, adult child, spouse, and parent or grandparent – and states that the inviting party may be an Estonian citizen or a foreign national residing in Estonia on the basis of a residence permit. Unmarried partners are not among the categories published.
Family may apply at the same timeYes as of 2026-08-08[6]
The Police and Border Guard Board describes the family route as joining a family member already living in Estonia or settling together in Estonia on arrival, and waives the inviting party's registered-residence and actual-accommodation condition where the parties arrive in Estonia together.
Family members' work rightsfull as of 2025-04-15[2]
Additional means per family member
    • Relation: spouse
    • Amount: 2 × subsistence level per month as of 2026-05-19[1][3]
    • Relation: registered partner
    • Amount: 2 × subsistence level per month as of 2026-05-19[1][3]
    • Relation: minor child
    • Amount: 2 × subsistence level per month as of 2026-05-19[1][3]
    • Relation: adult dependent child
    • Amount: 2 × subsistence level per month as of 2026-05-19[1][3]
    • Relation: parent
    • Amount: 2 × subsistence level per month as of 2026-05-19[1][3]
    • Relation: grandparent
    • Amount: 2 × subsistence level per month as of 2026-05-19[1][3]

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.

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Verification

Verification
Sources cited10
of which official (tier 1)10
Oldest as-of date2025-01-01
Newest as-of date2026-08-08
Reviewed on2026-08-11
Schema version1.1

Sources

  1. [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. [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. [3] Tähtajalise elamisloa ja selle pikendamise ning pikaajalise elaniku elamisloa ja selle taastamise taotlemise kord ning legaalse sissetuleku määrad (Minister of the Interior Regulation), consolidated text
    Siseminister (Minister of the Interior), published in Riigi Teataja (State Gazette), Republic of Estonia · statute · Tier 1 · Published 2026-05-19 · Accessed 2026-08-08
  4. [4] Residence permit for business – For large investors
    Police and Border Guard Board (Politsei- ja Piirivalveamet) · official portal · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 · Archived copy
  5. [5] Elamisluba ettevõtluseks – Äriühingu osanikule
    Police and Border Guard Board (Politsei- ja Piirivalveamet) · official portal · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08
  6. [6] Residence permit for a family member
    Police and Border Guard Board (Politsei- ja Piirivalveamet) · official portal · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08
  7. [7] State fee amounts – Residence permit and rights of residence
    Police and Border Guard Board (Politsei- ja Piirivalveamet) · fee schedule · Tier 1 · Published 2025-01-01 · Accessed 2026-08-08 · Archived copy
  8. [8] State fee amounts – Residence permit card
    Police and Border Guard Board (Politsei- ja Piirivalveamet) · fee schedule · Tier 1 · Published 2025-01-01 · Accessed 2026-08-08
  9. [9] Residence permit for a permanent resident – Long-term resident's residence permit
    Police and Border Guard Board (Politsei- ja Piirivalveamet) · official portal · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08
  10. [10] Valitsus kehtestas järgmise aasta sisserände piirarvuks 1292 inimest
    Siseministeerium (Ministry of the Interior) · official portal · Tier 1 · Published 2025-11-06 · Accessed 2026-08-08

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