Estonian Alien's Passport Guide

A passport is usually proof of one’s citizenship, so the existence of a kind of Estonian passport for its non-citizens is quite curious. What is it really, and how does the application process work? We’ll cover it in this article.

Table of contents

• Estonian Alien's passport explained
• Rights of Estonian Alien's passport holders
• Estonian Alien's passport eligibility
• Estonian Alien's passport application process
• Estonian Alien's passport photo requirements
• Get an Estonian passport photo online!
• Estonian Alien's passport fee
• Estonian Alien's passport validity and extension

Estonian Alien's passport explained

The Estonian alien’s passport is issued to foreigners who have a valid Estonian right of residence and lack a travel document issued by a foreign country and they can't obtain one.

In other words, it is issued to foreigners who are stateless or of undefined citizenship.

The history of the passport itself dates back to the fall of the Soviet Union, with the citizenship conundrum that ensued after the country was independent.

Rights of Estonian Alien's passport holders

Holders of Estonian alien's passports have the right to legal residence in Estonia and receive social benefits in the country as a resident.

However, it doesn’t grant a full citizen’s rights, including the freedom of movement and workin the Schengen Area.

Estonian Alien's passport eligibility

As explained in the first section above, the passport is issued to foreigners who have a valid Estonian right of residence and lack a travel document issued by a foreign country, and it is not possible for them to obtain one, or in other words, who are stateless or of undefined citizenship.

Estonian Alien's passport application process

There are two ways to apply for an alien’s passport: through the self-service portal or at a service office.

To apply through the self-service portal, follow these steps:

1. Go to the self-service portal and login;
2. If applicable, fill out the application form and upload your documents, including ones taken in a service photo booth (no older than 183 days);
3. Pay the state fee;
4. Submit and wait for processing.

To apply at a service office:

1. Reserve a time at your desired service office (optional);
2. Send a document application photo to ppa@politsei.ee (if applicable);
3. Fill out the form and submit required documents;
4. Pay the state fee in cash, by card, or at a service terminal;
5. Wait for processing.

Estonian Alien's passport photo requirements

Make sure your photo fulfills the following:

• The photo must be in color;
• The required digital picture format is 40 x 50 mm (4 x 5 cm);
• The file size must be between 1 MB and 5 MB;
• The image must have adequate brightness and contrast and show natural skin tone;
• It should show a close-up of the head and (partial) shoulders;
• Your head must be looking straight forward, centered with a neutral expression, and in sharp focus;
• The eyes must be open and no hair obscuring the face;
• Prescription glasses are allowed but have to be clear and should not have flash reflection or obscure the eyes;
• Head coverings, hair, head-dress or facial ornaments should not obscure the face;
• The photo must have a plain light background with no other people or objects in the photo;
• The lighting must be uniform with no shadows on the face or behind;
• Photos should not have red eyes.

Here is an example:

Get an Estonian passport photo online!

By having your photo ready in advance, you could save time on your application and ensure that your photos are 100% compliant with the requirements. This is handy both in online applications and for in person ones, as you could send the photo in advance.

Visafoto, our professional photo service, can make sure that your application photo fully complies with the requirements. All you need to do is take a picture of yourself with the guidelines above, but no need to worry about the technicalities like background, size, or face-to-frame proportions, as we’ll handle that for you. Then, upload it to our tool.

Take an image with a smartphone or camera against any background, upload it here and instantly get a professional photo for your visa, passport, or ID.

You will get photos like these ones. The first one is for online submission, the second ones are for printing.

Estonian Alien's passport fee

The fee depends on the way you apply and the social benefits that apply to you.

For in-person applications:

• €45 for regular applicants;
• €20 for applicants who have reached retirement age and have disabilities (with documental proof).

For online applications:

• €35 for regular applicants;
• €20 for applicants who have reached retirement age and/or have disabilities (with documental proof).

Estonian Alien's passport validity and extension

The alien’s passport is valid for up to 10 years.

To renew the Estonian alien’s passport, one can follow the same procedure as applying for a new one.