General information on long-stay visa

According to the Estonian Aliens Act, a long-stay (D-visa) can be applied in a number of circumstances such as study and work (short term employment). A long-stay visa can be applied for only in person only at the Estonian Embassy in New Delhi.

Attention! VFS Global can’t accept D-visa applications. For D-visa you need to apply in the Embassy. The location of Estonian Embassies handling visa applications.

Please do not send any documents prior to the Embassy e-mail. All applicants need to provide the documents in person.

If a person intends to stay in Estonia for longer time or wishes to settle in Estonia with a family member already living in Estonia, it is necessary to submit an application for a residence permit and travel to Estonia after receiving the TRP card from the Embassy. In this case it is not possible to apply for a D visa in the Embassy. More information about applying for a residence permit can be found here.

According to the Estonian law, the purpose of applying for a long-stay D-visa must be justified. Applicants wishing to visit family members should apply for a Schengen visa, which is essentially a short-stay visitor’s visa.

In certain cases (study, start-up business) it is possible to apply at the Embassy for a D-visa even if the intended stay is longer than one year. In these cases, the applicant would travel to Estonia on a D-visa, and then apply for a Temporary Residence Permit at the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board.

As a guiding principle, only a Temporary Residence Permit application or a D-visa application can be lodged at the Embassy, not both.

The visa decision process is max 15 days.

All D-visa and TRP applications must be submitted at the Embassy in person. As an exception, the presence of the minor is not requested, if the minor does not have to give fingerprints. In this case the presence of parent or guardian is sufficient.

All applicants must give fingerprints when lodging an application. The following applicants are exempted from the requirement to give fingerprints:

  • children under the age of 12;
  • If the fingerprinting of fewer than 10 fingers is possible, the maximum number of fingerprints shall be taken;
  • heads of State or government and members of a national government with accompanying spouses, and the members of their official delegation when they are invited by the Estonian government or by international organisations for an official purpose;
  • sovereigns and other senior members of a royal family, when they are invited by the Estonian government or by international organisations for an official purpose;
  • employees of diplomatic or consular representations who will be accredited to Estonia and members of their families, provided that the foreign state concerned reciprocally does not fingerprint employees of Estonian diplomatic and consular representations.

Documents of the application can be in Estonian or English.

Please note that if you are lodging your application at the Estonian Embassy in Delhi, and you do not speak or understand either Estonian, English, or Hindi, you must take with you an interpreter.

More information about general rules of applying for the D-visa can be found on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The right to appeal the decision on refusal, annulment or revocation of a visa

Last updated: 20 September 2023