Citizens of the European Union, European Economic Area and the Swiss Confederation (hereafter referred to as citizens of the European Union) do not need a separate permit to work in Estonia. In order to obtain a residence permit they must register their place of residence with the appropriate local government agency within three months of arriving in Estonia. Temporary residence permits are issued for periods of up to five years. Matters regarding citizens of the European Union living and working in Estonia are regulated by the European Union Citizen Act. More detailed information is available from the website of the  Police and Border Guard Board.

In certain cases foreigners may work in Estonia for short periods of time (up to 6 months) without a work permit. Such employment must still be registered with the Police and Boarder Guard Board. In certain cases involving short-term employment, employers are obliged to pay the foreigner a fee to an amount at least equal to the average monthly salary in the field in which the employer primarily operates in Estonia as most recently published by the Statistical Office, but not less than the average annual gross monthly salary in Estonia most recently published by the Statistical Office multiplied by a coefficient of 1.24. The basis for determining an employer’s primary area of operation is the Classification of Estonian Economic Activities code of the Statistical Office.

A foreigner may work in Estonia as a member of the management body of a legal entity registered in Estonia in order to fulfil management and supervision functions for up to six months in a year without a work permit or a residence permit for the purpose of employment and without being registered with the Police and Boarder Guard Board under short-term employment provided they have a legal basis for residing in Estonia, not including a residence permit.