Estonia: Estonian Consulates in Russia and Belarus Not Accepting Visa Applications

UPDATE April 14, 2022: The official regulation limiting the visa suspension for Russian citizens was published on April 8, 2022 and went into effect on April 9, 2022.

UPDATE April 7, 2022: According to an Estonian government press release, the below restriction has been clarified/limited. Specifically, the government will not revoke residence permits and other legal bases for staying and working in Estonia. It is not yet clear whether the related regulation will be effective from the specific date of issuance of the residence permit, or based on the new regulation's effectiveness date. Russian citizens with a residence permit can also still apply for an extension or change the legal basis for their stay, including for a new residence permit to work for another employer. Russian and Belarusian citizens can also continue to travel to Estonia within the framework of family migration or for humanitarian reasons. The related legislation is expected to be published April 8, 2022. 

UPDATE March 17, 2022: The Estonian Police and Border Guard Board is still accepting long-term visa applications for Russian citizens entering Estonia on the basis of a valid Schengen visa or EU residence permit. Estonian consulates in other countries excluding Russia and Belarus, are still accepting long-term visa applications for Russian citizens if they are residents of the country where the consulate is located. Additional new restrictions include: 

• Initial e-Residency applications from Russian and Belarusian citizens cannot be submitted as of February 24, 2022.  
• Processing of pending applications submitted by Russian and Belarusian citizens has been suspended. 
• Issuance of initial e-Residency digital identification cards to Russian and Belarusian citizens who have not yet picked up their cards is suspended in all e-Residency pickup locations. This decision does not affect Russian and Belarusian citizens who currently hold a valid e-Residency digital identification card. 
  

[Originally published March 11, 2022]: The Estonian consulates in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Pskov, Russia and in Minsk, Belarus have temporarily suspended the issuance of visas for Russian citizens. Additionally, visa centers of external service providers in these countries have stopped accepting visa applications. This is due to technical difficulties in the payment of visa fees and service fees arising from the situation in Russia and Belarus. The consulates and service providers will continue to accept applications by Russian and Belarusian nationals seeking to visit family members in Estonia or for applications based on humanitarian grounds, such as illness or the funeral of a close relative. Based on the purpose of the visit, these individuals may be exempt from the visa fee. Visa applications are being accepted from Russian and Belarus citizens in the following exceptional cases:

• Applicants whose direct descendant relative (children and their descendants) or ascendant relative (parents and their ascendants) or spouse is an Estonian national, holder of an Estonian residence permit or has the right of residence (EU citizens living in Estonia);
• Those attending a funeral or visiting an ill close relative in Estonia; and 
• Applicants traveling to Estonia to receive medical treatment who have a valid medical contract with an Estonian hospital.