Situated in Northern Europe, Estonia is a hidden gem of the Baltic region. It shares borders with Russia and Latvia. Although the size of the country is unremarkable, the influence of the country on the region keeps getting stronger. Estonia is a forward-looking country. Here new exciting technological advancements are applied in different sectors. Tourism is not an exception in this regard. As the country is getting know more day by day, we see an increase in numbers of visitors. Estonia owns almost every facility to be a great tourist destination. Many sights are worth seeing. Estonia is also a great place for nature lovers. The country is a green oasis with forests covering around 2.3 million hectares. For the locals, the oak tree remains sacred. The cities are among the cleanest cities in Europe. In 2011 the air quality of the country was voted to be cleanest in the world. These vast forests protect wildlife. Many endangered species remain intact such as wolves, moose, deer, brown bears, etc. Be careful while driving because animals can jump on roads. Every year June 24 is celebrated by the Estonians as it is the date of St. John's day, which marks the coming haymaking season. On that day, people gather around, sing, dance with their family members while lovers go and search for fern flowers.
Estonia is well-known for having more than 2000 islands. These islands give us a glimpse of the history of the country as once these islands were inhabited by Estonians. However, now most of the islands remain desolate. These islands are great places for nature lovers. They can enjoy the peaceful environment in these islands and engage in activities like birdwatching, canoeing, sailing, or fishing.
Estonia is famous for its festivals in Europe. Viljandi Parimusmuusika festival is one of the biggest of its kind in the continent. The festival is celebrated by a majority in July every year. The main gathering point for the festival which main activities happen is the castle situated in the centre of the city of Viljandi. Here you will hear folklore songs illustrating the cultural richness of the country and enjoy delicious Estonian cuisine.
If you are familiar with this geography, then you are aware of Saunas as they are so popular among Baltic countries. Estonians have a rich tradition of building refreshing saunas. This tradition date back to XIII and XIV centuries.
I am sure you are intrigued by the beauties of Estonia. But this was the juicy part. What about technical issues such as the Estonia tourist visa. Luckily, for this article, we will mainly focus on answering questions like how to apply for Estonia tourist visa? How to get Estonia visa? What are Estonia tourist visa requirements? But first, let’s find out who needs a visa and who does not.
Visa Policy of Estonia
Depending on your nationality, you might need a visa to visit Estonia. Given that, we can categorize the countries into two groups which are visa-free countries and visa-required countries. The Schengen area and EU member countries are visa-exempt countries. Besides, the followings are visa-free countries as well: Australia, Antigua, and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, El Salvador, Georgia, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Macao, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Taiwan, Timor-Leste (East Timor), Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, USA, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Uruguay. To check all countries, please visit the visa policy section on our website. Other countries that can not be found on the list are visa-required, which means that nationals of these countries will need to start Estonia tourist visa application. What does one need to do before they start the application? First of all, you need to meet Estonia tourist visa requirements and present Estonia tourist visa documents.
Estonia Tourist Visa Checklist
Before looking at the checklist, let's learn what is Estonia tourist visa. This visa type is a short stay visa that is granted to those who travels the country as a tourist. With this visa, you can not work or study but engage in touristic activities for a short time. What is the duration of the tourist visa? It is given for a maximum of three months. A tourist visa for Estonia is a Schengen visa as the country issues Schengen visas for short stays. Therefore, from now on, we will refer to it as an Estonia tourist Schengen visa. As it is a Schengen visa, the Schengen regulations will apply to Estonia tourist Schengen visa as well. On the list below, you will find Estonia tourist visa documents required for Estonia tourist visa application: • You will start your application by filling out and signing the Estonia tourist visa application form. • You will need a photo of yourself, which has a size fitted 3,5x4,5 cm and taken recently. The background for the photo should be white. • You should present your passport, which should stay valid for at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen area. In the passport, there should be two blank pages ready to be processed. The passport should not be older than ten years. • In case of having Schengen visas on your older, expired passport, that passport should be submitted as well. ID Card • If you reside in a country that you are not a citizen of, you will need to present a residence permit or a visa for the place you reside now. • You should have medical insurance for the travel. The medical insurance you get should be applicable in all Schengen countries. The insurance should be able to cover expenses that can be as high as 30000 euros. • You should be capable of financing your travel. Therefore, you will be asked to prove financial sufficiency for the travel. To prove that, you will need to show you are capable of spending 100 euros per day. Financial meanings can be proof of employment, credit card, cash, payslips, or a bank statement depicting the last 3-6 month’s financial activity. • You also have to submit proof of accommodation place in Estonia. The proof of accommodation can be a hotel reservation or an invitation from a sponsor, etc. • Proof of itinerary Additional documents can be added to the Estonia tourist visa checklist, depending on your nationality and country of submission.
Estonia Tourist Visa Fees, Processing Time, etc
According to Schengen regulations, visa fees can vary based on the nationalities of visitors. Specific fees apply to certain countries. Another criterion for pricing the fee is age. Usually, people aged below 12 pay half of the amount fee of people aged over 12. The standard fee amount is 80 euros. For children 6-12 years old, it is equal to 40 euros. However, for the nationals of Azerbaijan, Russia, and Armenia, the fee amount is 35 euros. There are some cases that people can avoid paying a fee. For example, if you have a close relative residing in the Schengen area, then you will be fee exempt. Other cases are: • If you are a pensioner. • If you are a member of a delegation which will take part in a formal meeting, consultation, negotiation, and exchange program, etc. • If you are travelling the country for research and educational purposes as a student or pedagogical staff. • If you have a disability, then you and, if necessary, the accompanier will be exempted from paying fees. • If you travel to Estonia to participate in an international event or sports event. If you are a pupil, student, graduate student, or pedagogical staff travelling with them for research and educational purposes within the framework of the official educational program What about processing time? How long is the average visa processing time? Most of the time, the processing time does not exceed 15 days. However, in extreme circumstances such as a pandemic, this can take even two months. Therefore it is advised to start the process well ahead of your planned travel.
How to Get Estonia Visa?
To get started, you will need to locate the Estonian embassy in your country. If there is no Estonian embassy or consulate, or visa application centre, contact the nearest one located in one of the neighbouring countries. Secondly, you will need to make an appointment. On the scheduled date, you will present the required documents and the Estonia tourist visa application form. There you will pay the fee. The next thing to do will be to wait for your application to be processed. If your application is successful, you will get your visa. In conclusion, Estonia is an exciting country with its great vision. It is a great alternative to visiting some of the expensive Scandinavian countries as prices in Estonia are more reasonable for many. We are aware that visa procedures can be overwhelming. Therefore, you might want to hand in the burden of application to a reliable party. In this case, you can rely on Pickvisa to handling your application.
