In Service Offices of the Citizenship and Migration Bureau

1. Submit documents required for applying for a residence permit card.
2. The official will fill in the application questionnaire on the spot (no need to fill it in advance) and will capture the applicants fingerprints.

• Follow link to view Service Points of Citizenship and Migration Bureau of the Prefecture: https://www.politsei.ee/en/kontakt/kmb/index.dot
• If you wish to make a reservation in the service point follow link: https://broneering.politsei.ee/

By post

1. Conformity of a copy to an original document confirm by your name, signature and date on every page of the copy containing data.
2. Please send application and documents required for a residence permit card and copies of the original documents to the address:

APPLICATION FOR RESIDENCE PERMIT CARD

Police and Border Guard Administration

Sle 61a

10313 Tallinn

• You can read more in detail about documents to be annexed to an application form, by following the link: https://www.politsei.ee/en/teenused/isikut-toendavad-dokumendid/eesti-kodaniku-pass/taotlusankeedid.dot

By e-mail

1. You can apply for residence permit card by means of an e-mail, if less than 2 years have passed since applying for the previous residence permit card and capturing fingerprints, and if you hold a valid ID-card or residence permit card.
2. Sign all documents required for application digitally in one folder. Digital colour photo (minimum size is 480?600 pixels) and specimen signature must be in jpg format.
3. Send the signed folder to: teeninduskeskus@politsei.ee. For the subject, please write: "Application for passport and/or residence permit card".

• For instructions on saving and digital signing of the questionnaire follow link: https://www.politsei.ee/en/teenused/lingid/ankeedi-allkirjastamise-ja-salvestamise-juhend/index.dot

In foreign representation of the Republic of Estonia

1. In order to apply in the foreign representation please submit documents required for applying for residence permit card (filled questionnaire).
2. The official will capture the applicants fingerprints.

• List of Foreign Representations of the Republic of Estonia: https://www.politsei.ee/en/teenused/lingid/eesti-vabariigi-valisesindused/index.dot

Collecting the Residence Permit Card

1. Present a valid residence permit card or ID-card issued earlier, if it still exists;
2. The official will compare your fingerprints to those given earlier.

• If you wish to receive your identity document elsewhere than the foreign representation of the Republic of Estonia, which is named on the application form, then you will find more detailed information concerning this possibility on the webpage of the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: http://www.vm.ee/?q=node/17061

• An application form (possible to fill in on a computer screen; to print out and fill in by own hand).
• Identity document;
• Coloured photograph with dimensions of 40x50 mm;
• Document certifying that the state fee have been paid.

Additional documents:

• if you have moderate, severe or profound disability and favourable conditions of paying the state fee apply to you, please submit the document certifying the disability (for example, medial expert decision, pension certificate);
• if you have changed your personal data (for example, name) in a foreign country and changed personal data are not entered to the Estonian population register, please submit document proving change of personal data (for example, marriage certificate);

Requirements for the photograph

It must be possible to identify a person on the basis of a photo unequivocally.

• A person must be depicted at a photo:
  • en face,
  • having neutral expression and closed mouth,
  • without headgear,
  • with eyes open and look has to be directed towards camera lens.
• It has to be a colour photo, by size of 40 x 50 mm.
• Area between chin and top of head must form 70-80% of the vertical height of the photo.
• Glasses are allowed, if eyes are not covered by spectacle frames and there are no gleams of light from reflection of glasses.
• Photo has to be taken within 6 months before submitting an application.
• Hair may not cover face nor cause shades on face.
• Photo may not have fingerprints, scratches or any other defects on it.
• Colour gamma of the photo must have natural spectre (may not be overexposed nor underexposed).
• Background of the photo must be flat, mono-colour, of bright colour (commendatory colours are light blue, beige, light brown, light grey or white) and in contrast with colour of face and hair.
• Red-eye effect on the photo is not allowed are also its removal by means of the software is forbidden.

More detailed requirements set to the photo can be found in Government of the Republic of Estonia regulation.

Proportions of the taken photos can be compared by means of a template that can be found here. By printing of the template, we ask not to change the scale. The document photo can be taken in the majority of Service Offices with the exception of Otep and Elva.

Photo taken in a photo booth is digital and it can be used in all Service Offices, by applications sent by post or by e-mail within 14 days.

Photo can be taken in photo booth of the Service Office free of charge.

By applying for a document for a child being below the age of three years it is easier to take a photo by a photographer than in photo booth. If necessary, ask for additional information or assistance from customer service official.

Emergency call number - 110 (24 hours a day)

Client information telephone - +372 612 3000 (M-F 8.00-18.00)

Police and Border Guard Board

Prnu mnt 139

15060 TALLINN

telephone 612 3300

fax +372 612 3009

ppa@politsei.ee

North Prefecture

Prnu mnt 139

15028 TALLINN

telephone +372 612 4000

fax 612 4009

pohja@politsei.ee

South Prefecture

Riia 132

50096 TARTU

telephone +372 730 8800

fax 730 8809

louna@politsei.ee

East Prefecture

Rahu 38

41588 JHVI

telephone +372 337 2200

fax 337 2209

ida@politsei.ee

West Prefecture

Pikk 18

80089 PRNU

telephone +372 444 6400

fax 444 6409

laane@politsei.ee

Follow link to view Service Points of Citizenship and Migration Bureau of the Prefecture: https://www.politsei.ee/en/kontakt/kmb/index.dot

Calling police from a foreign country

The emergency telephone number 110 of the police is not accessible when making a call from a foreign country. When needed the police can be contacted around the clock on the phones of the Control and Command Centres of the Prefectures:

• North prefecture +372 612 4100
• South prefecture +372 730 8888
• East prefecture +372 629 2310
• West prefecture +372 629 2510

The client information phone (+372 612 3000) of Police and Border Guard Board operates from Monday to Friday from 08:00 until 18:00.

Foreig

In foreign representation of the Republic of Estonia you can apply for the residence permit card only in case, if you:

• hold a valid residence permit in Estonia and you have:
  • registered your stay outside Estonia in the Police and Border Guard Board;
  • have registered yourself out of the Estonian population register to a foreign country.
  • hold a valid residence permit and you have registered yourself out of the Estonian population register to a foreign country.

• Follow link to view details about State Fee: https://www.politsei.ee/en/teenused/isikut-toendavad-dokumendid/elamisloakaart/taiskasvanule/oluline-info-taiskasvanule-elamisloakaardi-taotlemisel.dot#teenindus

Explain the time until which the certificate/document is valid.
e.g. Birth Certificate Valid Forever

• Application Form that can be filled up using the computer: https://www.politsei.ee/dotAsset/206099.pdf
• Downloadable Application Form: https://www.politsei.ee/dotAsset/56401.pdf

Please attach sample completed documents which would help other people who would like to follow this procedure.    

Residence permit card is issued within 30 days (after acceptance of the application for the proceeding) to an applicant in person in the Service Office marked in the application form. As an exception, residence permit card can be applied for in foreign representation of the Republic of Estonia. Arrival of the residence permit card to the foreign representation may take more time. For information concerning the arrival and delivery of documents please contact the foreign representation of the Republic of Estonia, where you have ordered the document.

Residence permit card applied for in expedited order is issued within 5 working days (counting starts from working day following the day of submission of the application) to an applicant in person in Service Offices located in Tallinn only.

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications. 
Attach videos using the following tag <&video type='website'>video ID|width|height<&/video&> from external websites. 	
Please remove the '&' inside the tags during implementation.
Website = allocine, blip, dailymotion, facebook, gametrailers, googlevideo, html5, metacafe, myspace, revver, 
sevenload, viddler, vimeo, youku, youtube
width = 560, height = 340, Video ID = Can be obtained from the URL of webpage where the video is displayed.
e.g In the following url 'http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0US7oR_t3M' Video ID is 'Y0US7oR_t3M'.

Residence permit card can be applied for in Service Offices of the Migration and Citizenship Bureau. If less than 2 years have passed since applying for the previous residence permit card and taking of fingerprints, you can also apply for an residence permit card by post or by e-mail. As an exception, residence permit card can be applied for in foreign representations of the Republic of Estonia.

Residence permit card can be applied for in expedited order in the Service Offices.

A list which displays the kind of information which is required to complete the procedure.
e.g.
1. Date of Birth.
2. City or County of Birth.

Residence permit card is a compulsory internal identity document issued to an alien staying/residing in Estonia on the basis of a residence permit or right of residence.

By applying for residence permit card, the applicant is required to give fingerprints (starting from the age of 6) that are entered to applicants residence permit card.

Enter other informations which might help.

Please explain what are other uses of obtaining this document/certificate.
e.g. Birth Certificate can be used as proof of identity.

Place some external links which might help.

More information which might help people.