Estonia Startup Visa

Estonia's Startup Visa is the route for founders of innovative technology start-ups with global growth potential. It has two stages: a long-stay D-visa of up to 365 days, and a temporary residence permit for business of up to 5 years once the company is registered in Estonia (Startup Estonia; Police and Border Guard Board).

• Status: active
• First step: a positive evaluation from the Startup Committee
• Funds: €880 a month in 2026, four times the subsistence level
• Residence permit: up to 5 years, fee €350 in Estonia
• D-visa: up to 365 days, fee €120
• Decision on the permit: within 90 days

Remote workers without a start-up usually look at the Estonia Digital Nomad Visa instead. The Estonia guide compares both.

Start-up evaluation: before applying, the company needs a positive evaluation from the start-up expert committee, known as the Startup Committee, which decides within 10 working days. It must be registered in Estonia before the residence permit application.

PBGB defines a start-up as an early-stage company creating and launching an innovative business model with strong international growth potential. Traditional small businesses and one-person consultancies do not qualify (Startup Estonia).

For the residence permit, the founder also needs (Police and Border Guard Board):

• A shareholding in the company, registered in the Estonian Business Register.
• Sufficient income of €880 a month, four times the subsistence level set each year by the State Budget Act, confirmed by signing the application. The figure resets each Jan. 1.
• A health insurance contract meeting section 120 of the Aliens Act.
• A plan to settle in Estonia and register a place of residence in the Population Register.

Family allowed: Yes. A spouse, children and adult children who cannot cope independently because of health or disability may get the same visa, including on extension (Startup Estonia).

Local work allowed: Yes, through the founder's own start-up. Work for other Estonian employers needs its own basis.

For the D-visa, Startup Estonia lists (Startup Estonia):

• A travel document issued within the last 10 years, with at least two blank pages and valid for at least three months after the visa ends.
• The visa application form, completed online.
• The Startup Committee's confirmation letter.
• A color photo, 35 by 45 mm.
• Proof of payment of the state fee.
• Travel medical insurance valid for Estonia or the Schengen area with cover of at least 30,000 euros for the whole stay.
• Proof of funds for each month of the stay.
• Confirmation of planned accommodation and a travel booking to Estonia.

For the residence permit, the founder submits the required documents with the expert committee's decision and pays the state fee (Police and Border Guard Board).

• D-visa: €120 state fee for a long-stay visa (Police and Border Guard Board).
• Temporary residence permit for business: €350 in Estonia or 380 euros at a foreign representation; an extension in Estonia costs the same (Police and Border Guard Board).

Company registration, insurance and translations add to the total and vary by founder.

First get the Startup Committee's approval code through Startup Estonia. Visa-exempt founders can enter Estonia and apply for a D-visa at the Police and Border Guard Board; others apply at an Estonian embassy. After registering the company in Estonia, apply to the Police and Border Guard Board for a temporary residence permit for business.

1. Apply for a startup code by introducing the company to the Startup Committee. It decides within 10 working days.
2. With the code, visa-exempt founders enter Estonia and apply for a D-visa at the Police and Border Guard Board before their visa-free stay ends; others apply for a D-visa at an Estonian embassy.
3. Register the company in the Estonian Business Register.
4. Apply to the Police and Border Guard Board for a temporary residence permit for business. It responds within 90 days, and the residence permit card is issued within 30 days after that.

Sources: Startup Estonia, Police and Border Guard Board.

D-visa: up to 365 days. Family members can get the same visa when it is extended (Startup Estonia).

Residence permit: issued for up to 5 years (Police and Border Guard Board). The temporary residence permit can be extended for up to 10 years at a time.

Long-term residence: temporary residence permit holders can later apply for a long-term resident's residence permit. The Police and Border Guard Board sets the conditions.

No tax rule specific to start-up founders applies.

A person who stays in Estonia at least 183 days in any 12 consecutive months, or who has a place of residence there, is an Estonian tax resident (Estonian Tax and Customs Board). Founders who settle in Estonia and register a place of residence, as the residence permit requires, should expect to be tax residents.

How the start-up and its founders are taxed depends on the company's structure and payouts; the Estonian Tax and Customs Board publishes the rules.