Short-term emloyment registration in Estonia

When hiring a foreigner, short term employment is the fastest legal route to do so. The employment of the employee needs to be registered with the Police and Border Guard by a specific application, either by email or in a specific web portal.

The processing of the application can be up to 15 working days. If the approval is given then the employee can apply for a long-term visa based on that. The visa application is a separate process with their own specific conditions but the short-term employment approval by the Police and Border Guard will be the legal basis for it. When an employee is residing in another country then it is important to see if and where they could make the visa application (otherwise the employment registration might be useless).

In the proceedings for registering short-term employment, the Police and Border Guard will assess the trustworthiness of the employer (a company which is completely new and with no or very little economic activity will most likely not be accepted).

Some of the questions/aspects they might touch:

1. They will ask for the bank statement of the employer and check if there are no tax debts. Also to verify if they can pay the required salary (the average salary of Estonia);

2. They might ask for the cv and diplomas of the employee to see if they are really qualified for the job;

3. They could ask for a rental agreement that the employer has for using specific premises (such as a restaurant) and also specifics of the workplace of the employee;

4. They will ask if the employer has tried to find the employee among local population;

5. They could ask to describe and explain the daily business of the employer.

Over the years the scrutiny has only increased. Still, the amount of questions do not necessarily mean the application will be denied - the questions need to be answered precisely and timely.

The short-term employment can also be transformed into a residence permit for up to 2 years. if someone has been working for at least 9 months then a residence permit will become a legal option.

If you have any questions or need assistance, our email is info@expatlegalestonia.com