For Estonian startups, startup visas and permits provide a great opportunity for enriching and growing their company by employing foreign talent - a process now made easier than ever before.
In order to bring non-EU employees to Estonia on a Startup Visa:
Check this list to see if your startup is pre-included as an Estonian startups that can hire non-EU employees on preferential terms. In case your company is not on the list, you need a consent from the Startup Committee. Go ahead an fill out this application about your startup to qualify for bringing foreign talent to Estonia on preferential terms - think of it as applying for an accelerator program or presenting yourself to a potential investor;
Startup Committee, consisting of members of the Estonian startup community, will review the application about your startup and make a decision within 10 working days whether your company qualifies for the startup visa or not;
In case of a positive decision, your startup will generally be qualified for up to 5 years for bringing non-EU employees to Estonia on preferential terms;
After receiving the qualification, if the employee's employment is short term, you will
need to apply for their registration for the short-term employment and your employee will need to
apply for a visa. If the employment is for a longer term, the employee will
need to apply for a temporary residence permit at an Estonian Embassy in a city of their choosing or at a Service Point for the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board;