Register acts by foreign students arriving to study in Estonia

FOREIGN STUDENT WHO IS A RESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

A foreign student who is a citizen of the European Union, a state which is a contracting party to the EEA Agreement and the Swiss Confederation (hereinafter EU citizen) will first visit a city district registration department. The student’s local place of residence will be registered there and they will be issued a personal identification code. This is necessary in order to take advantage of several local services, for example, free public transportation in Tallinn or the university’s electronic study information system. A personal identification code is necessary if the foreign student plans to remain in Estonia for more than three months. The personal identification code will be sent to the applicant’s e-mail address within 10 working days. More detailed information will be provided by the registrar who has accepted the applications.

You must bring along a personal identification document (passport or ID card) and lease contract. The application for a personal identification code and the notice of residence application should be printed out and completed beforehand, since this will significantly speed up the course of the proceedings. The registration department does not have to be located within your place of residence – you may visit a registration department located outside of your place of residence.

Forms printed out for completion in advance must be double sided (not on two separate pages). PLEASE NOTE! Only the Estonian language notice of the residence form is to be completed (the English language form has only been included as an example, and should not be completed).

After you have obtained your personal identification code and registered your place of residence you must visit the Police and Border Guard service office within 30 days, where you will be issued an Estonian ID card within one month, at the latest. More detailed information: https://www.politsei.ee/en/teenused/elamisoigused/el-kodaniku-elamisoigus/. It is recommended that you print out and complete documents in advance, which will help to speed up the course of the proceedings at the Service Office.

PLEASE NOTE! Please make sure and note that once you leave Estonia, for example, you return home, you will need to complete the residence form once again. Simply marking the country and city where you will be going on the residence form is sufficient.

More detailed information about changing the residence address in the Population Register. This can also be done by post. For example, the student’s representative (university) collects notices of residence along with copies of personal identification documents (ID card or passport) and delivers them to the city registration department or sends them via post. Concerning the matter at hand, please contact your foreign student representative for assistance.

FOREIGN STUDENT ORIGINATING FROM OUTSIDE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Foreign students originating from outside the European Union, who are legally present in Estonia (for example, are here with a visa or on a visa-free basis or with a residence permit from another European Union Member State), may apply for an Estonian residence permit. To do so, the student must personally visit one of the Service Offices of the Police and Border Guard, where they will submit an application to receive a residence permit. They will be issued a residence permit card. The residence permit proceedings may take up to two months; in addition, printing of the residence permit card may take up to 30 days.  Exchange students who come to Estonia for period of less than a year (for example, a single semester) are not required to obtain a residence permit.

The necessary documents required for applying for a residence permit are listed on the agency’s homepage. It is recommended that they be printed out and completed in advance, since this will speed up the course of the proceedings at the Service Office. Your foreign student adviser will help you with this. The addresses and opening hours of Service Offices are provided below, along with contact information for the information telephone service (also available in English).

Once you have received your residence permit, you must visit the registration department of a city district administration. This does not have to be the registration department in your place of residence, but may be any of the registration departments listed below. Your local place of residence will be registered there. This is necessary in order to use various local services, for example, free public transportation in Tallinn.

You must bring along a personal identification document (for example, passport or ID card), residence permit and lease contract to the registration department.  The notice of residence application should be printed out and completed beforehand, since this will significantly speed up the course of the proceedings in the registration department. Forms printed out for completion in advance must be double sided (not on two separate pages). PLEASE NOTE! We ask that you please make sure to only complete the Estonian language notice of residence form (the English language form has only been included as an example, and should not be completed).

PLEASE NOTE! Please make sure and note that once you leave Estonia, for example, you return home, you will need to complete the residence form once again. Simply marking the country and city where you will be going on the residence form is sufficient.

More detailed information about changing the residence address in the Population Register.This can also be done by post. For example, the student’s representative (university) collects residence forms from departing students along with copies of personal identification documents (ID card or passport) and takes them to the city district’s registration department or sends them there via post. Concerning the matter at hand, please contact your foreign student representative for assistance.

Address and opening hours of registration departments

Haabersti District Administration, Ehitajate tee 109a, telephone +372 640 4815
Mon       (08:15am to 12pm)     (1pm to 5:30pm)
Tue        (08:15am to 12pm)     (1pm to 4:30pm)
             No reception on Wednesdays
Thu        (08:15am to 12pm)     (1pm to 4:30pm)
Fri          (08:15am to 12pm)     (1pm to 3:30pm)

Kristiine District Administration, Tulika 33b, telephone +372 645 7127

Mon       (08:15am to 12:30pm)     (2pm to 5:30pm)
             No reception on Tuesdays
Wed       (08:15am to 12:30pm)     (2pm to 4:30pm)  
Thu        (08:15am to 12:30pm)     (2pm to 4:30pm)  
Fri          (08:15am to 12:30pm)  

Lasnamäe District Administration, Pallasti 54, telephone +372 645 7730
Mon       (08:15am to 12pm)      (1pm to 6pm)  
Tue        (08:15am to 12pm)      (1pm to 5pm)  
Wed       (08:15am to 12pm)      (1pm to 5pm)  
Thu        (08:15am to 12pm)      (1pm to 5pm) 
             No reception on Fridays

Mustamäe District Administration, A.H.Tammsaare tee 135, telephone +372 645 7500
Mon       (08:15am to 12pm)      (1pm to 6pm)
Tue        (08:15am to 12pm)      (1pm to 5pm)  
Wed       (08:15am to 12pm)      (1pm to 5pm)  
Thu        (08:15am to 12pm)      (1pm to 5pm)  
Fri          (08:15am to 12pm)      (1pm to 4pm)

Nõmme District Administration, Vabaduse pst 77 (as of 1 September 2017, Valdeku 13), telephone Nos. +372 645 7318, +372 645 7305.
Mon       (08:15am to 6pm)  
Tue        (08:15am to 5pm)  
Wed       (08:15am to 5pm)  
Thu        (08:15am to 5pm)  
Fri          (08:15am to 4pm)

Pirita District Administration, Kloostri tee 6, telephone +372 645 7641
Mon, Wed, Fri – by agreement (+372 645 7641)
Mon       (08:15am to 12pm)       (2 pm to 6pm)  
Thu        (08:15am to 12pm)       (2pm to 5pm) 

North Tallinn Administration, Niine 2, 6457057
Mon       (08:15am to 12pm)       (1pm to 5:30pm)  
Tue         (08:15am to 12pm)      (1pm to 4:30pm)  
Wed       (08:15am to 12pm)  
Thu        (08:15am to 12pm)       (1pm to 4:30pm)  
Fri           (08:15am to 12pm)      (1pm to 3:30pm)

Tallinn City Centre Administration, Pärnu mnt 9, telephone +372 645 7855
Mon       (08:15am to 12pm)       (1pm to 6pm)  
Tue        (08:15am to 12pm)       (1pm to 5pm)
             Closed on Wednesdays  
Thu        (08:15am to 12pm)       (1pm to 5pm)  
Fri           (08:15am to 12pm)      (1pm to 4pm)

Tallinn City Office, Vabaduse väljak 7, telephone +372 640 4457
Mon       (08:15am to 6pm)  
Tue         (08:15am to 5pm)  
Wed       (08:15am to 5pm)  
Thu        (08:15am to 5pm)  
Fri           (08:15am to 2pm) 

Tallinn Vital Statistics Department, Pärnu mnt 67, telephone +372 645 7481
Mon       (08:15am to 6pm)  
Tue        (1pm to 5pm)  
Wed       (08:15am to 5pm)  
Thu        (08:15am to 5pm)  
Fri          (08:15am to 1pm)

Addresses and opening hours of Police and Border Guard service offices:

P. Pinna 4, 13615 Tallinn
Reception: Mon-Fri 9am to 5pm
Information telephone: +372 612 3000

A. H. Tammsaare tee 47, 11316 Tallinn (entry from Tammsaare tee)
Reception: Mon-Fri 9am to 5pm
Information telephone: +372 612 3000

PLEASE NOTE! It is recommended that you reserve a reception time in advance at the Police and Border Guard. This can be done on the web page https://broneering.politsei.ee/. You must visit the Service Office in person. Additional English language information on applying for documents is available from the Police and Border Guard’s Client Information +372 612 3000. 

After registering your place of residence and receiving your ID card you should personalise your ISIC card or Ühiskaart, the so-called green card, in order to be take advantage of free public transport in Tallinn. More detailed information: http://www.tallinn.ee/eng/pilet/, ISIC card personalisation: https://tallinn.pilet.ee/tickets/isic. The green card can also be obtained and personalised at many points of sale.

You are welcome to study in Tallinn!