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Estonia · Law · SE

786

The Act on Amendments to the Aliens Act and other related laws (unified permission)

avaldatud riigiteatajasEstonia· Riigikogu· ET

Introduced

18 December 2025

Last action

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Status

AVALDATUD_RIIGITEATAJAS

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Discovery layer

Source updated

4 May 2026

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Summary

The purpose of the bill is to adopt the corresponding EU directive into Estonian law, or the so-called unified permit directive, which regulates the right of residence and work of third-country nationals and ensures equal treatment of foreign workers. The changes are scheduled to enter into force on May 22, 2026, which is the deadline for transposing the directive. In the future, it is possible to change employers during the validity period of the temporary residence permit granted for work without applying for a new residence permit. It is enough for the new employer to register change of job in the Police and Border Guard Board, which makes a decision within 30 days. When working for a new employer, the usual employment requirements apply, such as a salary criterion and an unemployment fund permit, in order to prevent misuse of the procedure. The change significantly reduces the administrative burden and speeds up the change of employer. On the basis of a residence permit granted for work, a foreign worker may be unemployed for up to 3 or 6 months instead of the previous 90 days, depending on the residence permit duration: up to 3 months for a residence permit valid for less than 2 years; up to 6 months for a residence permit valid for at least 2 years. In exceptional cases, employment may last up to 9 months. In addition, the permissible basis of employment status also extends to other reasons for termination of the employment contract, including the employee's own initiative. If the employment lasts more than 3 months, the foreigner must prove the availability of sufficient financial means to live in Estonia. For those staying in Estonia while working with a long-term visa people become entitled to a number of social security benefits, such as parental benefit, work ability and pension benefits. It arises on the condition that the general qualification conditions are met. The right applies only to those who actually work in Estonia and have a corresponding visa. Family allowances do not extend to foreign workers. The number of violations of the law regarding the employment of foreigners has increased in recent years. While 380 prosecutions were recorded in 2021, of which a legal entity was punished in only one case, in 2024 already 524 violations were identified and legal entities were prosecuted 38 times. The current fine rates date from 2010 and are out of date and do not fulfill the purpose of penal law. For some violations, the maximum fine for a legal entity is 3,200 euros, which is not a real deterrent for many companies. In this regard, legal entities are raised fine rates, setting the maximum fine for significant violations at 100,000 euros. The aim is to increase the effectiveness of sanctions and prevent violations.

Machine translation from Estonian. The official text remains authoritative.

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