Working in Estonia

Yes. Starting from June 1, it is possible for employers to apply for a service supporting the employment of recipients of international protection.

An employer can apply for:

• a one-time mentorship payment, in the amount of 75% of minimum wage. The mentorship payment can be applied for within four months of hiring an employee.
• compensation of professional training in the amount of up to €2500 per employee within a year of hiring the employee.
• compensation of costs related to translation services and acquiring a qualification in the amount of €500 per employee. The benefit can be applied for those employees who have been hired for at least four months or without a term.

The mentorship payment and compensation of costs cover those recipients of international protection who have received their initial Estonian residence permit as a recipient of international protection or temporary protection, or the certificate of an applicant of international protection that permits working in Estonia no more than five years ago.

The measure has been designed mainly to support the employment of Ukrainian war refugees that have received temporary protection but the conditions apply for the hiring of all recipients of international protection.

More information about applying and the conditions can be found from tootukassa.ee.

More specific information on the language requirements regarding the recruitment of Ukrainian war refugees can be found at the web page of the Language Inspectorate: www.keeleamet.ee/et/uudised/ukraina-sojapogenike-varbamisest (in Estonian).

The decision on hiring an employee is made by the employer who can also support the war refugees who have arrived from Ukraine in coping in an Estonian language environment and returning to regular life in Estonia. Some examples of the Language Act requirements to different positions:

• Servers are required to have a B1 level skill of Estonian. If a company hires a Ukrainian war refugee, it is required that informing and servicing in Estonian is ensured with work organisation measures, as, regardless of the nationality or status of the employee, the consumer still has the right to get the information and service in Estonian. Work organisation measures mean that in order to ensure client intenaction in Estonian, there must always be a colleague with a command of Estonian present in the sales area of the store or any other place where there is direct interaction with the clients, so that the colleague could assist and support the server from Ukraine if necessary.
• Nurses are required to have a B2 level skill of Estonian. A medical worker must also be entered into the medical workers' registry before she can start working. If an employee who does not speak Estonian starts working at a medical institution, the employer has to ensure that a colleague with a good command of Estonian is working with her when dealing with patients who speak Estonian, so that the colleague can translate and assist if necessary.
• Teachers are also required to have a B2 level skill of Estonian. People who have received teacher training in Ukraine will have an easier time finding work in the schools where the language of instruction in Russian, but teachers of foreign languages (English, German, French) can also be of use in schools where the language of instruction is Estonian.

All institutions where Ukrainian war refugees find employment could support their studies of Estonian. Languages have been learned in the course of everyday interactions for centuries. A motivated person obtains an elementary command of the language within a few months.

Should the Language Inspectorate get a complaint about an employee without a sufficient language skill, the inspectorate wishes to solve these kinds of customer complaints as flexibly as possible and counsel the war refugee employees in how to find opportunities to learn the language.

Information on language training can be found from the Integration Foundation and the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund, which assist employers in developing the language skills of their employees, offer language training, and other services that support language learning.

Once you have received a residence permit in Estonia (e.g. based on temporary or international protection), it is possible for you to register as unemployed at the nearest office of the Unemployment Insurance Fund. Bring an identity document and the residence permit decision with you to register as unemployed. You can find more information from the web page of the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund or the helpline (+372) 777 3000.

While looking for a job, you will be paid the basic unemployment insurance benefit if you have worked for at least 8 months within the past three years (working in Ukraine is also taken into account). The rate of the basic unemployment insurance benefit is 50% of the minimum wage in Estonia in the previous year: in 2026, €14.77 per calendar day, making it €457.87 a month (gross) for a 31-day month. It is possible to receive the basic benefit for 180 days, and the period may be extended, depending on the labour market situation. If you have worked at least 12 months within the past three years, you might also be eligible for the income-based unemployment insurance benefit.

While you are registered as unemployed, you also have health insurance coverage.

The conditions for becoming employed are the same for Ukrainian health care workers as they are for all other health care workers who have received their education in another country. This means that for professional employment thet have to be registered, and in order to get into the register, a person who has received their education in another country has to pass a compliance exam.

The compliance exam consists of an internship (four months, on average) and a written exam. A compliance exam can only be taken in Estonian. Professional health care workers are not allowed to provide health care services without having been entered into the register and they cannot be hired as doctors, dentists, nurses, or midwives.

The requirements for getting into the register are strict because the safety of the patients is paramount. However, all nurses, doctors etc. that have come from Ukraine can help as medical consultants and assistants under the guidance and responsibility of a registered health care worker. No decision on granting an exception to Ukrainian health care workers has currently been taken.

Yes, it is allowed to start working in Estonia even without applying for temporary protection. However, it is necessary to have a personal identification code to start working, which you will get when your employer registers your short-term or seasonal employment.

Short-term employment

• Without applying for temporary protection, you are entitled to short-term employment if your working time is more than five days in one month and up to a maximum of 365 days within a 455 day period in Estonia. For short-term employment, it is necessary for your employer to register you as a short-term employee at the Police and Border Guard Board. You will also get an Estonian personal identification code when your employer registers your short-term employment.
• To a short-term employee, an employer pays a wage in the sum at least equal to the Estonian average gross monthly wage (as of January 2025, €1832). Exceptions regarding jobs that do not fall under the wage requirement can be found from the web page of the Police and Border Guard Board
• Short-term employment does not entitle you to benefits and allowances like family benefits, subsistence benefit etc.

Seasonal work

• Seasonal work is a subcategory of short-term employment. Your employer registers you at the Police and Border Guard Board as a short-term employee doing seasonal work, e.g. in agriculture, forestry, fishing, hospitality or catering sector, food production etc. It is possible to do 270 days of seasonal work within one year.
• For seasonal work, your employer has to pay you at least €5,31 (gross) an hour or €886 (gross) a month or the minimum wage in force in Estonia.
• Seasonal work does not entitle you to benefits and allowances like family benefits, subsistence benefit etc.

How to register short-term or seasonal employment at the Police and Border Guard Board?

• An employer can apply for the registration of short-term employment himself or through an authorised representative at the service offices of the Police and Border Guard Board, electronically, or by mail.
• For registration, it is necessary to fill out an application, submit a digital colour photograph and a copy of the passport of the job seeker and pay the state fee. Depending on the particular position, it might be necessary to present other additional documents (e.g. an employment contract).
• As a regular procedure, the registration of short-term employment or a denial of registration is done within 15 working days of the day the processing of the application started or the day the shortcomings in the application were removed.

Yes, he is.

A Ukrainian citizen whose short-term employment was registered at the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) as of February 24, 2022, and whose allowed period of employment in Estonia has expired or will expire by May 31, 2022 can continue his short-term employment in Estonia until May 31, 2022, regardless of the limitation on the number of days. If the employment continues with the same employer, it is also not necessary to reregister the short-term employment at the Police and Border Guard Board.

If the legal basis for the Ukrainian citizens stay in Estonia (a visa) expired and the number of days allowed for short-term employment was up before February 24, 2022, he is allowed to remain in Estonia but registering for new short-term employment should be held off until the rules allow this (short-term employment can be registered for 365 days within a period of 455 days; for 270 days within a year for seasonal work).

Yes, you are. If you have been granted temporary protection and a residence permit, you are subject to the same conditions as local workers.

Contract

• Working is possible under a number of types of contracts. The best protections are granted by an employment contract (either fixed-term or permanent). The contract must be signed, but only if you agree to its terms! The contract will set out: your working time and rest time; your wage and payday; your working conditions;
• your job duties.
• Your employer must instruct and train you on how to do the job safely. Always follow safety rules (e.g., wear personal protective equipment)!

Working hours

• In Estonia, full-time employment means 40 hours of work per week. The standard working day is 8 hours long. If your working time is calculated as summarised working time, it may be longer. It is also possible to work part time.
• Whenever you work longer than agreed upon, you are working overtime. Overtime may only be worked by agreement between the parties and is compensated for with time off or 1.5 times the normal pay rate.

Resting time

• At least 11 hours of rest must be provided to workers between the end of one working day and the beginning of the next.
• At least one rest period of 36 consecutive hours must be provided each week.
• The law provides for breaks during the working day: 30 minutes for every 6 hours.
• You are entitled to at least 28 days of paid leave (holiday) each year. For every child 14 years of age and younger, both parents are entitled to use altogether 10 days of paid parental leave until the child turns 14.

Wages

• Wages are paid on your payday.
• The amount of the wages is agreed upon in the contract.
• A minimum wage has been established in Estonia, which in 2025 is €5,31 per hour or €886 per month (gross).
• Generally, the wage is paid out to a bank account, which you can open in the larger Estonian banks for free.

Leaving work

• If you want to leave your job, you must give your employer at least 30 days’ notice; however, if both parties agree, then the employment contract can be terminated at any time.
• If your employer wants to cancel your employment contract extraordinarily, they must state the reasons in writing. Employees may always contest the cancellation of their contract.
• Upon expiry of an employment contract, the employer must pay the employee remuneration that they have earned, plus compensation for any unused holiday.

You can get free counselling in employment relations and work environment from the Labour Inspectorate hotline 640 6000, on work days 9-16, or by e-mail from jurist@ti.ee. The lawyers also answer in Russian.

There are two options for starting to work:

• If you already have a valid temporary Estonian residence permit on the basis of temporary protection, international protection or on some other basis, you may start working in Estonia on the same basis as all other permanent residents of Estonia. If you want to, you can also register as unemployed at the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund in order to receive support in searching for work. The Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund has offices in each county: www.tootukassa.ee. It is also possible to get information regarding the Unemployment Insurance Fund by phone, by calling (+372) 777 3000.
• If you do not have an Estonian residence permit and are staying here on the basis of visa freedom or a visa, you need to find employment suitable for you here, after which your employer can register you at the Police and Border Guard Board as a short-term employee. You need to take into account that there are special requirements in force regarding short term employment (including seasonal work) both when it comes to the allowed duration of employment and the wage rate paid.

You can find a selection of job on offer from the web page of the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund , but also from different portals such as cv.ee, cvkeskus.ee or from the GoWorkaBit web page that specialises in smaller jobs.

No, in order to be designated as a resident, you have to submit an application to determine residency to the Tax and Customs Board.

In order to determine residency it is necessary to submit an application for determination of residency to the Tax and Customs Board.

Residency can be determined:

• In the e-services portal of the Tax and Customs Board e-MTA
• by sending a digitally signed application for determining residency (form R) to the address emta@emta.ee
• by mail at the address Lõõtsa 8a, 15176 Tallinn
• at the service bureaus of the Tax and Customs Board.

The application must be submitted by the person himself, not, for instance, his employer or representative, by noting his valid contact information (phone number and e-mail address) on it. It is also possible to submit an application for the determination of residency retroactively.

A reply on the determination of residency will come either by e-mail or on location at a service bureau. After this, the person has to notify his employer of the change in residency.

Tax incentives are available only to those refugees who are Estonian residents for tax purposes. An Estonian resident for tax purposes is a person whose permanent place of residence is in Estonia or who is staying here for at least 183 days during 12 consecutive calendar months. You can check your residency status on the web page of the Tax and Customs Board: the inquiry of non-residency.

Important! Tax residency does not depend on whether a person has an Estonian personal identity code or not. An Estonian personal identity code does not provide an automatic tax resident status. You should also note that one person can be a tax resident of several countries at the same time. If a person is a tax resident of several countries, and in a case where Estonia has concluded a double taxation agreement with the corresponding country (see the list of countries on fin.ee, the determining factor will be where the person's family is located and where the person spends more time. Estonia and Ukraine have concluded a double taxation agreement.

A person can be a tax resident of several countries at once as well.

Estonia and Ukraine have signed an agreement on avoiding double taxation, so you would not have to pay double the taxes -- with residency in several countries, the determining factor is where the person's family is located and where he spends more time. A family is considered to be a spouse/partner and underage children.

You can check your own (or your employee's) residency status on the web page of the Tax and Customs Board: the inquiry of non-residency.

Yes. A residency does not restrict leaving Estonia at any given moment in time. Upon leaving, it is important to resubmit an application to determine residency. A person is registered as a non-resident if his place of residence in no longer in Estonia and/or he has stayed (or is planning to stay) here for less than 183 calendar days during 12 consecutive months.

Estonia and Ukraine have concluded an agreement on avoiding double taxation. If a person is concurrently both an Estonian and a Ukrainian tax resident, then the decisive factor upon leaving Estonia is the location of his family -- if the person's family remains in Estonia, the centre of his vital interests also remains in Estonia and thus he himself will remain an Estonian resident.