Returning to Estonia will be easier if you have thought it through before and understood what you need to do upon returning to your home country. The Integration Foundation advises returnees who have an interest and desire to return to Estonia, as well as those who have already started a new life in Estonia. The consultant can help you to plan a smoother return to Estonia, provides some practical information as well as consultation on settling back into Estonian life. For more information about consultation please visit the homepage of the Integration Foundation.
Registering your place of residence in the Population Register
First, you will need to register your place of residence in the Population Register. This is a crucial step before other actions, such as finding places in schools or kindergartens, applying for social benefits, etc.
Local governments provide the majority of public services and a person’s place of residence according to the Population Register is the basis for providing these services. Therefore, local governments verify that the person lives in Estonia and the municipality in which they wish to be provided these services.
You can submit a notice of residence at the seat of the local government or in the e-population register. You can read more about registering a place of residence from the State Portal’s article ‘Registering residence’.
Return support and other benefits
Return support is aimed at facilitating the return of families with children who have stayed abroad for a long time, as the number of family members increases over the years and the cost of returning services is high.
The maximum rate of the basic support will be EUR 640 per applicant. The maximum rate of the additional support for the creation of the living conditions of a minor child is EUR 640 per each returning child or per each child if the returning person has been the sole breadwinner of the family and up to EUR 640 for reimbursement of transportation and return costs.
The amount of the support will generally be credited to the applicant's bank account. Family supports may be credited to the bank account of one of the family members.
An ethnic Estonian who has Estonian citizenship or Estonian residence permit can apply for the return support, provided that:
- he/she emigrated from Estonia at least seven years prior or was born in a foreign country and will come back to Estonia with minor children or to his/her minor children, or
- he/she is maximum 40 years old, was born in a foreign country, has completed postgraduate and doctoral studies abroad, and has returned permanently to Estonia, or
- he/she emigrated from Estonia at least seven years prior or was born in a foreign country and is partially or fully incapacitated;
- has returned to Estonia permanently, no later than eight months prior to the submission of the application, and has registered his/her and the children's that return with him/her place of residence in the Population Register of the Republic of Estonia;
- due to his/her economic and social condition, is in need of support in order to return to Estonia, because his/her family has at its disposal means of daily subsistence that do not meet the threshold established in Estonia.
Young people under 40 years of age who have completed their Master’s degree and doctorate studies abroad do not need to have lived abroad for seven years.
The support can be applied for immediately after registering your place of residence in the Estonian Population Register, but no later than eight months after actually returning to Estonia.
The list of documents needed to apply for the return support can be found on the website of the Integration Foundation.
You can get an overview of other allowances and pensions available in Estonia, as well as information about applying for them from the State Portal under ‘Pensions, social services and allowances’.
You can get information about allowances paid to families with children from the State Portal, under ‘State Monetary Assistance for Families with Children’ in the “Family” section. You can also find lists of documents needed to apply for various benefits, as well as e-services if the application can be submitted electronically.
People of retirement age who are returning to Estonia, who lack the length of employment in Estonia needed to be assigned an old-age pension, and who are not guaranteed a monthly income in the amount of the national pension of 255,18 per month, can apply for a benefit from the Social Insurance Board. More information about applying for the benefit and the documents necessary to do so can be found on the website of the Social Insurance Board (article currently only in Estonian). If you have any questions, call the helpline of the Social Insurance Board at (+372) 612 1360, or send an e-mail to [email protected].
Health insurance and family doctor services
An entry in the Population Register is important with regard to health insurance and family doctor services. You should also take into account that it takes time to be entered into a family doctor’s practice list.
You can find information about the possibilities of obtaining health insurance on the website of the Estonian Health Insurance Fund.
Information about choosing and signing up with a family doctor can be found on the website of the Health Board and in the State Portal under ‘Medical Care’.
Education
The local government will support people in finding a place in a kindergarten or a school. These issues should be addressed at the local rural municipality government or city government.
Pursuant to Estonian legislation, the local government shall ensure a place in a kindergarten and in a school near their home to all children living in Estonia. If you wish to enrol your child in another school, this is possible if there are vacancies in the desired school.
Organising local recreational activities is also in the competence of the local government. Participating in recreational activities helps people who have returned to Estonia adapt and integrate faster.
Employment
The Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund will help you in finding a job and making job-related decisions. You can also get an overview of topics related to looking for a job from the State Portal under ‘Unemployment and job-seeker’.
If you wish to start a business in Estonia, you can find information from the ‘Doing business’ section of the State Portal.
Driver’s licence and registering a car
If you take your personal vehicle with you upon returning and it has the registration marks of another country, you will need to re-register the vehicle in Estonia at the Transport Administration.
Detailed information about the requirements and the contact details can be found on the website of the Transport Administration.
Returning people whose driver’s licence was issued in a foreign country should also review the requirements on the website of the Transport Administration to retain their right to drive and, if necessary, update their driver’s licence on time.
Related articles
- Registering residence
- Health insurance
- Medical care
- Family and children's allowances
- Applying for admission to a preschool in Tallinn
- Recognition of foreign professional qualifications in Estonia
- Driving licence
- Motor insurance
- Pet
References
- Consultation of migration-related issues
- Migration advisors of Police and Border Guard Board
- A brief overview of family benefits (Social Insurance Board)
- Taxable income and tax incentives
Services
- Changing my data in Population Register
- E-services of the Transport Administration
- Query of own data and underage children (Population Register)
- Submitting a notice of residence in the e-population register