Digital Nomad visa regulation comes into force

From today, people can apply for the digital nomad visa that Estonia is offering and that should benefit the IT and digital sector people of the world. Estonia estimates that the maximum of 1800 visas could be issued yearly. It remains to be seen and if we look at the regulation then it is difficult to see reasons for major excitement or who shall actually benefit from this. One clearer group could be the e-resident community. So what is this visa?

It can be a long-term visa (up to one year, D-type) or short-term (C-type) and the usual visa rules apply, meaning:

1.. You need to fill an application;

2. Pay the state fee;

3. Have medical insurance;

4. Have sufficient means to support yourself;

5. Proof of residence could be checked;

6. Fingerprints need to be taken/given;

7. You need documents to prove the purpose of the journey (we will touch upon this more later).

More detailed information about the applications and supporting documents can be found here:

https://www.vm.ee/en/long-stay-d-visa

A digital nomad is someone who comes to work to Estonia but his or her work is location independent and uses mainly IT means/possibilities to work. The law differentiates 3 options for this:

1. He or she continues to work in a described way for a foreign employer;

2. He or she continues business activities for the benefit of a foreign company in which he or she has a share;

3. He or she offers services mainly to clients that are in foreign countries and with whom he or she has a contractual relationship.

The final point seems to be fitting for Estonian e-residents.

In case of C-type or D-type visa you need documents that indicate the purpose of the journey - normally confirmation letters from the host, short-term employment etc. In the case of this special visa, the confirmation letter should come from a "reliable broker". This is a new term and these brokers are to be licensed by Estonia. As of yet, there is no information who should license them and when would they be ready to work. Also the Police can determine if the digital nomad actually can be considered as such based on law.

So we can conclude that digital nomad visas can be applied for from today even though these reliable brokers that would issue confirmation letters do not exist yet. We are excited to help anyone willing to test this new opportunity!