Tourist visa for Estonia: documents, fees and steps

Good to know

• Honorary consulsEstonia's honorary consuls and honorary consulates may neither process nor issue visas.
• Announced decision timeframesConditions and details

  As a general rule, the consulate decides within 15 days of the application being admissible; this period may be extended to 45 days if a more in-depth examination or additional documents are necessary. For nationals of certain countries, a prior consultation of other Schengen States, of up to seven calendar days, is added.
• Local lists and additional documentsConditions and details

  In some countries, a harmonized list of supporting documents specifies what must be presented; the ministry publishes those for the countries where its representations handle visas. The consulate may, in justified cases, request documents that do not appear on this list.
• Interview possibleDuring the examination, the consular officer may, if necessary, interview the applicant by telephone or summon them to the consulate.
• Non-refundable feesConditions and details

  Payment of the fees does not guarantee that the visa will be issued, and they are not refunded in the event of refusal. Service fees are added when the application is submitted to the external provider.
• Payment by bank transferConditions and details

  The Estonian representations accept payments made in advance by bank transfer to the Ministry of Finance, with the reference indicated on the page; from a bank outside Estonia, the funds may take up to two weeks to arrive. The transfer order is then attached to the application.
• Visa facilitation agreementsConditions and details

  The page sets the Schengen visa at 35 euros for nationals of Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Ukraine (EU facilitation agreements). The urgent visa costs 70 euros for nationals of Belarus and Ukraine. The Schengen visa for nationals of Cabo Verde costs 67.50 euros for an adult. The agreement with Russia is fully suspended, and the one with Belarus partially.
• Restrictions for Russian nationalsConditions and details

  Under a sanction imposed by the Estonian government, visa applications from Russian nationals are not accepted, whatever the type of visa or the purpose of travel, except for limited exceptions: visiting a spouse or a relative in the direct line residing in Estonia, humanitarian grounds, family members of an EU citizen, among others. Since 19 September 2022, temporary entry into Estonia is also restricted for Russians holding a short-stay Schengen visa. Since 31 March 2025, Estonia no longer recognises non-biometric Russian passports.
• Gambian nationalsThe application of certain provisions of the EU Visa Code is temporarily suspended for nationals of Gambia, under Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/1781.
• Refusal, annulment, revocationConditions and details

  If the conditions are not met, the visa is refused; the decision and its grounds are notified on a form conforming to the Visa Code. A visa issued is annulled if the conditions were not met at the time it was issued, and revoked if they are no longer met.
• Appeal against a refusalConditions and details

  The appeal is lodged with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs within 10 days of receipt of the decision, a period that may be neither extended nor restored, on the published form, by post or by email with a digital signature recognised in Estonia. The appeal examination fee is 160 euros. The Ministry decides within 30 days of registration of the appeal (extendable period), without giving grounds for its decision. An appeal to the administrative court remains possible within 10 days of notification.
• The visa does not guarantee entryConditions and details

  The short-stay visa does not automatically give the right to enter: at the external border, it must be proved that the entry conditions are met (means of subsistence, duration and purpose of stay). These checks may result in a refusal of entry.
• Refusal of entry by the border policeConditions and details

  According to the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board (PPA), an officer may refuse entry in particular to a foreigner who lacks the means for their stay and departure without a host to cover them, or who does not have the required health insurance. At the external border, the purpose of the trip and financial means may be requested, with supporting documents.
• Calculation of 90 days in 180 daysConditions and details

  The total duration of stays must not exceed 90 days over any period of 180 days; the calculation takes into account the 180-day period preceding each day of stay. The ministry refers to the European Commission's short-stay calculator. VisaGuideline does not verify previous stays.
• Entry/Exit System (EES)Conditions and details

  Third-country nationals on a short stay, whether or not subject to a visa, are registered in the Entry/Exit System (EES) at each crossing of the external borders of the countries that use it, including Estonia; full implementation was planned for 10 April 2026. The system records entries, exits and refusals of entry with biometric data.