Over a year ago Estonia announced a visa for remote workers (digital nomad visa, as they advertise it). Since then we’ve been looking for an opportunity to obtain it, and, once we got our both vaccine shots, we have applied for it. In my application I’ve promised that I’ll spread the word about it, so here I am writing this article for anyone who wants to do the same.
Let’s start with some stats: 🔗
Time it took: 🔗
- Preparation: 3 days.
- Waiting: 2 weeks.
Expenses: 270 EUR for two applications. 🔗
- visa fee: 100 EUR per person
- visa center processing fee: 35 EUR.
Useful links: 🔗
Application process: 🔗
It felt like we were the first people to apply for it from Ukraine, because it took them a while to figure out what I’m applying for. Collecting the documents is quite easy and straightforward, especially if you are officially registered as a private entrepreneur or remote worker. I’ve managed to collect all the documents within just 3 days and was ready to apply. Getting an appointment at a visa center was pretty easy as well.
Documents I’ve submitted: 🔗
Standard papers that you usually bring when applying for a visa: 🔗
- passport;
- application form;
- one photo;
- travel insurance;
- personal bank account statements that show that we have sufficient funds even in case my earnings slow down;
- travel itinerary.
Freelance-related papers: 🔗
- Professional Life Course — a letter where I explain when I started freelancing, what do I do, and some references to projects I’ve developed and clients I’ve worked with;
- a letter from my client that shows that he intends to keep working with me in the future, and confirms that we’ve been working together for quite a while already;
- Upwork Certificate of Earnings;
- Upwork payouts history (just a printout that shows that I’ve been getting weekly payouts from my client).
Business papers (these depend on country, my business is registered in Ukraine, so you might have a different set of documents): 🔗
- Private Entrepreneur registration certificate;
- Private Entrepreneur bank account statement for the last 6 months, and current amounts;
- tax report and a receipt from tax office.
Estonian embassy in Ukraine accepts documents in Estonian, Russian, Ukrainian, and English, so I didn’t have to translate anything and just brought it all as it is.
When collecting documents, just do your best to provide everything you can. I have provided 3 separate letters which explain who I am, what do I do for living, how my business operates, what we are going to do in Estonia, which places we want to visit, and things like that.
Since I’ve been applying with my wife, I’ve provided 2 sets of documents; additionally visa center worker asked her to write a letter showing that she wants to travel with me.
Result: 🔗
As you see, it’s not that hard. I’ve tried to keep this overview as short as possible, so if you want to know anything else, refer to Useful Links section. Those articles also mention limits, tax question, and other things you might want to know before you apply.