Application for Estonian citizenship
Any alien who wishes to acquire Estonian citizenship by naturalisation has to comply with the conditions, and follow the requirements, provided for by the Citizenship Act.
Any alien can submit an application for the acquisition of Estonian citizenship by naturalisation if:
If one of those preconditions is fulfilled an alien who wishes to acquire Estonian citizenship has to:
In order to apply for Estonian citizenship you have to pass an exam on your knowledge of the Constitution and the Citizenship Act of the Republic of Estonia, as well as an exam on your knowledge of the Estonian language.
Exams are organised by the National Examination and Qualification Centre. The application for taking the examination should be submitted to the National Examination and Qualification Centre at the following address: Sakala 21,
Such a person has to add to his or her application a certificate of medical assessment proving the existence of the disability and a note from a doctor to confirm his or her disability to pass such an examination.
If you have acquired the basic, secondary or higher education in Estonian you are exempt from the Estonian language exam.
You can receive more information at the address: http://www.ekk.edu.ee/
Documents
In order to acquire Estonian citizenship by naturalisation, a person has to submit
These application forms are to be completed on the screen. Use block letters for completing. To move across the screen – use mouse. If you wish to print out the form and fill it in by hand – find appropriate forms here.
In addition to the application, the person has to submit the following:
If a person between the age of 15 - 18 applies for Estonian citizenship by naturalisation, the written consent of his or her parent, guardian or a guardianship authority has to be submitted in addition to the above-mentioned documents and two photographs.
Process
When all the necessary documents have been submitted, a regional department of the Citizenship and Migration Board will register an application for the acquisition of Estonian citizenship and issue the person a certificate concerning the registration of his or her application. The decision on whether to start the processing of an application will be made within a month from the date of registering the application.
NOTE!Within a month after a period of 6 months has elapsed from the date of registering your application you have to go to the regional department which registered your application to:
If you fail to submit the above-mentioned certificate and confirmation within the established term, i.e. within a period of one month, the processing of your application will be terminated and you will be notified thereof in writing.
If all above-mentioned conditions are complied with the Citizenship and Migration Board will submit your documents to the Government of the Republic withinthree months for a decision to be taken on the granting of Estonian citizenship.
After the Government of the Republic has made the decision to grant Estonian citizenship the Citizenship and Migration Board will issue a certificate of citizenship to you. On the basis of a certificate of citizenship you can apply for an Estonian passport.
You can receive additional information by telephoning 612 6979, or from regional departments of the Citizenship and Migration Board.
Application for Estonian citizenship for a minor under 15 years of age
Terms
The following persons may submit an application for Estonian citizenship on behalf of a minor (under 15 years of age):
Parents who are aliens can apply for Estonian citizenship on behalf of their child only if the child was born in
A parent is deemed to be a single parent if:
Documents
Documents to be submitted for minors in applying for acquisition of Estonian citizenship by naturalisation are:
These application forms are to be completed on the screen. Use block letters for completing. To move across the screen – use mouse. If you wish to print out the form and fill it in by hand – find appropriate forms here.
The following must be added to an application:
Additional documents, which must be submitted if necessary:
If your child is a citizen of another country you can still apply for Estonian citizenship by naturalisation for him or her. In this case you have to submit a certificate that proves that the minor will be released from the citizenship of another state in connection with the acquisition of Estonian citizenship.
The parents or the adoptive parents of a child who has been born after February 26, 1992 and who are not citizens of any country have to submit a certificate proving that they are not deemed citizens of any country on the basis of any Act in force.
If the parent or single parent or adoptive parent has not been born in Estonia, he or she has to add a certificate issued by a competent authority of the country of origin of a parent or an adoptive parent proving that the country that issued the certificate has not deemed nor is deeming its holder a citizen of that country; or
Anotarised agreement with the parent who is not an Estonian citizen.
Adocument certifying that a parent, who applies for Estonian citizenship for his or her child, is raising the child alone.
Process
If both parents with undefined citizenshipapply for Estonian citizenship for their child and one of the parents cannot, or does not want to, come personally to the Citizenship and Migration Board to submit an application, the consent of this parent with the application for Estonian citizenship for his or her child and copies of personal data and the residence permit pages from his or her travel document, both confirmed by a notary, have to be appended to the application.
Withinthree months after the registration of a standard application for the grant of Estonian citizenship to a minor under 15 years of age, the Citizenship and Migration Board shall submit the application together with additional documents to the Government of the Republic for a decision to be taken on the granting of Estonian citizenship.
After the Government of the Republic has made the decision to grant Estonian citizenship to your child the Citizenship and Migration Board will issue a certificate of citizenship, which will be handed over to you by a regional department of the Citizenship and Migration Board. On the basis of the certificate of citizenship you can apply for an Estonian passport for your child.
You can receive additional information by telephoning 612 6979, or from regional departments of the Citizenship and Migration Board.
Application for Estonian citizenship for anadult without active legal capacity
Terms
Estonian citizenship can be applied for an adult who has been divested of legal capacity by his or her legal representative who is an Estonian citizen. An application has to be submitted to a regional department of the Citizenship and Migration Board, which is located in the region in which the person divested of legal capacity, resides.
Documents
On behalf of an adult without active legal capacity the following has to be submitted:
These application forms are to be completed on the screen. Use block letters for completing. To move across the screen – use mouse. If you wish to print out the form and fill it in by hand – find appropriate forms here.
Process
An application which is completed in compliance with the established requirements will be registered and a decision on whether to start the processing of an application will be made within a month from the date of registering the application.
NOTE! Within a month after a period of six months has elapsed from the date of the registering of the application you have to go to a regional department which registered your application and
Otherwise the processing of the application will be terminated.
If all above-mentioned conditions are complied with, the Citizenship and Migration Board will submit your documents to the Government of the Republic withinthree months for a decision to be taken on the granting of Estonian citizenship to your ward.
After the Government of the Republic has made a decision to grant Estonian citizenship the Citizenship and Migration Board will issue a certificate of citizenship which will be handed over to you at a regional department of the Citizenship and Migration Board.
You can receive additional information by telephoning 612 6979, or from regional departments of the Citizenship and Migration Board.
Resumption of Estonian citizenship
Terms
Everyone who loses Estonian citizenship as a minor has the right to resume Estonian citizenship.
If you live in Estonia on the basis of a residence permit and you wish to resume Estonian citizenship, you have to contact a local regional department of the Citizenship and Migration Board in order to submit the necessary documents.
Documents
First of all you have to submit a holographic application or fill in a
These application forms are to be completed on the screen. Use block letters for completing. To move across the screen – use mouse. If you wish to print out the form and fill it in by hand – find appropriate forms here.
The application has to include the following data:
In addition to the application you have to submit the following:
Process
When all the necessary documents have been submitted, your application for the resumption of Estonian citizenship will be registered and taken into processing, and a certificate concerning the registration of your application will be issued to you.
NOTE! Within one year, elapsed from the date of registering you application, you have to go to the regional department, which registered your application, to submit a certificate proving that you have been released from your previous citizenship or that you will be released therefrom in connection with the resumption of Estonian citizenship; or that you are recognised as a stateless person. If you fail to submit the above-mentioned certificate within the established term the processing of your application will be terminated.
If you comply with the above-mentioned condition the Citizenship and Migration Board will, submit your documents to the Government of the Republic within six months for a decision to be taken on the granting of Estonian citizenship.
After the Government of the Republic has made a decision to grant Estonian citizenship the Citizenship and Migration Board will issue a certificate of citizenship to you, which will be handed over to you at a regional department of the Citizenship and Migration Board. On the basis of such a certificate of citizenship you can apply for an Estonian passport.
You can receive additional information by telephoning 612 6979, or from regional departments of the Citizenship and Migration Board.
Release from Estonian citizenship
Terms
If a person wishes to be released from Estonian citizenship he or she has to submit the respective application to a regional department of the Citizenship and Migration Board.
A person who resides permanently abroad has to submit his or her application for release from Estonian citizenship to a representation of the Republic of Estonia.
An application on behalf of a minor under 15 years of age or for a person who is divested of active legal capacity is submitted by his or her parent, guardian or a guardianship authority.
A minor between the age of 15 and 18 submits an application for release from Estonian citizenship together with the certified consent of his or her parent, guardian or a guardianship authority.
Release from Estonian citizenship may be refused to a person if:
Documents
A person who wishes to be released from Estonian citizenship has to submit the following documents:
These application forms are to be completed on the screen. Use block letters for completing. To move across the screen – use mouse. If you wish to print out the form and fill it in by hand – find appropriate forms here.
Process
When all the necessary documents have been submitted, your application for release from Estonian citizenship will be registered and taken into processing, and a certificate concerning the registration of your application will be issued to you.
Within one year from the date on which a person's documents were registered, the Citizenship and Migration Board shall submit the documents to the Government of the Republic for a decision concerning the release of the person from Estonian citizenship.
If the Government of the Republic has decided to release the person from Estonian citizenship, a note certifying the release will be issued to her of him after he or she has returned a document certifying citizenship to the state agency where the application for the release from Estonian citizenship was submitted.
You can receive more detailed information on the release form Estonian citizenship either from regional departments of the Citizenship and Migration Board or from representations of the
You can receive additional information by telephoning 612 6979, or from regional departments of the Citizenship and Migration Board.