Ukrainian citizen does not need a visa to come to Estonia. The family members of Ukrainian citizens (children, parents, spouses) who are citizens of some other country and whose visa or other basis for stay has expired or is about to expire may temporarily remain in Estonia. Additionally, the Police and Border Guard Board can admit other arrivals, e.g. partners, from Ukraine to Estonia on humanitarian grounds, in order to maintain family unity.

Ukrainian citizen must have a valid travel document for crossing the border. This could be:

• biometric passport
• service passport
• non-citizen passport/a refugee’s travel document
• seaman’s passport.

If a Ukrainian citizen does not have a valid travel document and he reaches the external border of Estonia and wishes to receive protection from the state of Estonia, it is possible for him to submit an application for international protection at the border crossing point.

Border crossing points will be established between Estonia and Latvia at four locations, three in Valga and one in Ikla. During the reintroduction of border control between Estonia and Latvia, people are allowed to cross the state border between the border crossing points as usual.

The government of Estonia has organized information points in the country to help refugees from Ukraine, where you can get information about the rules of processing documents to stay in Estonia, humanitarian aid or temporary shelter. They work around the clock and are located at the following addresses:

• Tallinn Bus Station (Lastekodu 46)
• Jõhvi (Viru 5a)
• Narva (Peetri plats 3, open 8-22)
• Pärnu (Pikk 18)
• Tartu (Riia 179)

Tips for those who were deported to Russia or the so-called DPR are collected in the Telegram channel .

Chatbot to help Ukrainians around the world from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

The chatbot can simultaneously serve several users and provide advice on the most common questions, namely:

• rules of entry to a foreign country;
• registration of temporary protection;
• social security;
• return to Ukraine;
• consular services.

You can get help through the chatbot at the link .

In addition to the chatbot, citizens can also contact the call center at +38 (044) 224-57-20.

You can enter Estonia with any of the following documents:

• A biometric passport.
• Ukrainian ID. According to the Ukrainian State Border Guard Service (DPSU), the citizens of Ukraine who can leave Ukraine with an internal passport are currently only those evacuating from occupied territories or territories where hostilities are taking place, the list of which is approved in accordance with the Order of the Ministry on Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine of December 22, 2022 No. 309 . Citizens from other territories must have a biometric passport to travel abroad.
• Children under the age of 16 traveling with their parents must have a birth certificate. Children have the right to cross the border with one parent (without the official permission of the other parent). If the child is traveling with acquaintances or relatives, she/he needs to have a travel permit from one of the parents, certified by a notary.

In order to prove family/marital status, birth certificates and a marriage certificate are required.

The telephone number of the DPSU hotline ("Trust" Service) is 1598. You can use it for questions of a consultative nature within the competence of the State Border Service of Ukraine.

For more information about the documents with which you can cross the border, and about the categories of citizens who are allowed to travel outside Ukraine, see here .

Once you have arrived in Estonia, move to your destination. If you plan to stay in Estonia, please apply for temporary protection as soon as possible. You can do this at the Police and Border Guard Board. Before visiting the Police and Border Guard Board, please book an appointment. More information here .

At Tallinn bus station, in Tartu, Pärnu and Jõhvi, official information points are open 24 hours a day and provide you with additional information about the possibilities of staying in Estonia. If necessary, you will be provided with accommodation in simple conditions (for up to 24 hours) until you have received temporary protection or can move on from Estonia. You can also get help from an information point if you arrive in Estonia in the evening, at night, on a weekend, or on a public holiday and you do not have a temporary place of stay.

The government of Estonia has organized information points in the country to help refugees from Ukraine, where you can get information about the rules of processing documents to stay in Estonia, humanitarian aid or temporary shelter. They work around the clock and are located at the following addresses:

• Tallinn Bus Station (Lastekodu 46)
• Jõhvi (Viru 5a)
• Narva (Peetri plats 3, open 8-22)
• Pärnu (Pikk 18)
• Tartu (Riia 179)

At Tallinn bus station, in Tartu, Pärnu and Jõhvi, official information points are open 24 hours a day and provide you with additional information about the possibilities of staying in Estonia.

Elron and the Transport Administration in cooperation with public transport centres allow Ukrainian war refugees to travel for free in trains, as well as city and county bus lines. The right to travel for free does not extend to commercial bus lines (e.g. the Tallinn-Tartu bus lines). The right to travel for free is not automatic: war refugees need to get a relevant public transport card from the local municipality or regional public transport centre in order to prove their right; the card is valid in trains, trams, trolleybuses, as well as buses all across Estonia. A train passenger must additionally be able to show an identity document.

The following public transport cards can be used to prove to the ticketing system that one has the right to travel and right to a discount: Ühiskaart of Tallinn and Harju County (the so-called green card), the Atko Kohtla-Järve Ühiskaart, the GoBus Ühiskaart, the Ridango Ühiskaart, the Tartu Ühiskaart, the Pärnu County Ühiskaart, the Viljandi Ühiskaart, and the Ühiskaart of the Road Administration.

The public transport cards can be cross-used: i.e. a Ukrainian war refugee can use the Tallinn Ühiskaart to also travel for free in Tartu and vice versa.

The "Friends of Mariupol" organization helps those evacuating through the territory of the Russian Federation with the construction of a route and transport after crossing the border with Estonia. To contact: send a request to the Telegram bot or visit the site or Facebook . Volunteers of the organization can be found in Narva at the refugee volunteer center (Vaksali 19) and in Tallinn at the bus station (Lastekodu 46).

You can travel by airplane, bus, car or train to different countries. The largest airports in Estonia are located in the following cities: Tallinn, Pärnu, Kuressaare, Kärdla.

As of 9 March 2022, Ukrainian citizens and their family members who have come to Estonia because of the war will be able to apply for temporary protection from the Police and Border Guard Board of Estonia.

Temporary protection in Estonia will be granted until March 2025 to those who:

• applying for the first time
• wants to extend his status.

The EU migration calculator helps to calculate the number of days of stay in EU countries for those who do not apply for temporary protection.

Unaccompanied minors have to have a legal representative, i.e. a guardian, appointed in Estonia, who will take care of the welfare of the child and represent him in necessary procedures (e.g. applying for benefits, applying for a bank card, making medical decisions etc.). Until a guardian has been appointed, the role of a guardian is taken up by the local municipality where the child has been registered (if there is no registration to residence, the local municipality on whose administrative territory the child resides). A guardian is appointed by the court. For this, it is necessary to submit an application to the court.

As the language of the court proceedings and administration is Estonian, the specialists of the local municipality will assist in applying for the guardianship. If the guardianship is applied for as a provisional measure, the court will usually make its decision about appointing a guardian within up to five days. After receiving the court order, the guardian will be able to officially represent the child. The person that has been appointed a guardian is fully responsible for the child, including raising him, making decisions regarding him, taking care of his person and property, and representing him.

The guardian can apply for family benefits for the child, e.g. the child allowance and the guardianship allowance:
- the size of the child allowance is €60 for the first and the second child in the family, and €100 for the third and each following child in the family;
- starting from the third child, the family is also paid the allowance for a family with many children, which is €300 a month, starting from the seventh child €400 a month;
- in addition to the child allowance, a benefit of €240 a month is paid for each child under guardianship.

The border crossing restrictions enacted to stop the spread of COVID, including the obligation to present a COVID certificate, do not apply to Ukrainian citizens and their direct descendants (children, grandchildren) and ascendants (parents, grandparents).

You can apply for temporary protection in Tallinn at Police and Border Guard Board service offices at A. H. Tammsaare tee 47 and P.Pinna 4. For details, see . To submit an application, you must book an appointment here . The client support 612 3000 can also help you make a reservation.

The Police and Border Guard Board is also planning to establish pop-up processing points in accommodation facilities where refugees from Ukraine are staying. Information on this can be obtained onsite at the accommodation facilities.

One adult with any minor children may use a single appointment for applying. If there are more adults in the family, you will need to book more than one appointment.
If you submit your application at another time before your appointment (e.g. at a service point set up in an accommodation facility), cancel your appointment so that others can use it. Cancel your appointment here .

In order to apply for temporary protection, you will need to bring your identity documents or other documents, such as a birth certificate. If you do not have any documents, you should contact the Embassy of Ukraine, which will issue identity certificates to Ukrainian citizens. Then you will be able to apply for temporary protection.

Who will get temporary protection in Estonia?

• those Ukrainian citizens and their family members who arrived in Estonia starting from February 24, 2022;
• those stateless persons and third country citizens who lived in Ukraine before February 24, 2022 and arrived in Estonia starting from February 24, 2022, as who had international protection in Ukraine, as well as their family members.

Renewal of residence permits granted under temporary protection

If your residence permit is about to expire, you can renew it in the self-service environment of the Police and Border Guard Board. Submit the application for extending your residence permit one to three months before the expiry date of your residence permit.

To submit the application in the self-service environment, you need:

• internet connection
• personal identification number and the details of your residence card.

Please note! To submit an application, you must go to a service office of the Police and Border Guard Board if:

• you receive such instructions from the self-service environment;
• your residence permit has expired by the time you apply for extension.

You will receive an extended residence card from a service office of the Police and Border Guard Board of your choice.

An application for an extension of a residence permit for temporary protection can be submitted via the self-service portal asylum.politsei.ee three months to one month before the expiry of the residence permit.

Temporary protection in Estonia will be granted until March 2025 to those who:

• applying for the first time
• wants to extend his status.

Previously, temporary status was granted for one year with the possibility of extension for another year.

To extend temporary protection, Ukrainians must take a new photo for their police and border guard identification documents. Law enforcement officers may also ask emigrants additional questions about the circumstances of their arrival in Estonia.

Temporary protection grants Ukrainian citizens and their family members rights similar to those of Estonian residents. For instance, access to social services and the right to work and education. It also entails the right of free movement within the European Union. Additionally, the recipients of protection have a right to state support in renting housing, learning Estonian, and using translation services.

In order to apply for temporary protection, you will need to bring your identity documents or other documents, such as a birth certificate. If you do not have any documents, you should contact the Embassy of Ukraine, which will issue identity certificates to Ukrainian citizens. Then you will be able to apply for temporary protection.

For applicants for temporary protection, the Police and Border Guard Board issues a temporary residence card.

If you are temporarily leaving Estonia, you can temporarily go to Ukraine, and you can also stay in another Schengen zone member state for 90 days in a 180-day period. You do not have to tell anyone about your temporary departure, except when you are staying in government-provided accommodation, including hotels, ships and government-provided apartments. In this case, you must inform the housing coordinator about your temporary departure if you are going to be away for more than a day.

If you permanently leave Estonia for Ukraine or another country, the Department of Police and Border Guard will invalidate your residence permit in Estonia.

Source .

Relinquish temporary protection status:

Regardless of the country of residence, temporary protection must be waived. Your status will be revoked by the state body or institution where you issued the documents. However, citizens of Ukraine can re-obtain this status if they decide to return abroad.

Make sure your documents are valid:

Citizens who left Ukraine with a valid foreign passport will not face any difficulties. The expired document can be extended in diplomatic institutions for another five years - this decision was made by the Cabinet of Ministers, because it is not possible to issue biometrics abroad. You can also add a child's data to an adult's passport.

Ukrainians who have only an internal passport or who left Ukraine without documents should also contact the embassy or consulate. Employees of the institution will issue a special document - an identity card for returning to Ukraine (it is not necessary to pay the consular fee during martial law).

Cancel receiving cash assistance abroad:

When returning home, refugees cannot receive state benefits. If you do not notify the relevant institution about your departure from the country, it will be considered an offence. In such a case, a Ukrainian may be fined or even banned from entering the country.

By the way, it is not necessary to declare cash payments received abroad in Ukraine.

A Ukrainian citizen who has been granted temporary protection has the same status as any other third-country national holding a residence permit in Estonia. A third-country national holding an Estonian residence permit is allowed to stay in another Schengen Member State for 90 days within a period of 180 days (note that not all EU countries are part of the Schengen zone).

If a Ukrainian national enjoying protection wishes to stay longer in the Member State of his or her choice, he or she must apply for a long-stay visa or residence permit in that country.

Foreign nationals, including Ukrainian citizens and residents, who fear persecution in their home country on account of race, nationality, religion, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, may apply for international protection. This also applies to people who consider that their return to Ukraine could lead to serious danger. Refugees are granted a residence permit for 3 years. The period of validity of the residence permit shall be extended every 3 years.
Beneficiaries of subsidiary protection are granted a residence permit for 1 year. The validity of the residence permit under subsidiary protection shall be extended every 2 years.

The PBGB may extend the residence permit granted to a refugee for a period of three years, provided that the circumstances which led to the granting of the residence permit have not ceased to exist and there are no grounds for revoking the residence permit.
The PBGB may extend the residence permit granted to a beneficiary of subsidiary protection for a period of two years, provided that the circumstances which led to the granting of the residence permit have not ceased to exist and there are no grounds for revoking the residence permit. he application will be examined as soon as possible, but no later than six months after its receipt. In exceptional cases, the time limit may be extended.

Applications from Ukrainian citizens will be dealt with under an accelerated procedure, with the aim of giving a reply within one month.

An applicant for international protection whose only legal basis for stay in Estonia is the status of an applicant for international protection is not allowed to work in Estonia as long as no decision has been taken on his or her application within 6 months. If the applicant stayed legally in Estonia before submitting the application and was allowed to work, his or her right to work continues during the period of application for protection. In order to apply for international protection, please contact:
Pärnu mnt 139, Tallinn
A.H.Tammsaare pst 61, Pärnu
Rahu tn 38, Jõhvi
Riia tee 132, Tartu

For a refugee or a beneficiary of subsidiary protection, the processing of an asylum application could take up to six months.

For more information on applying for international protection, please contact asylum.counsel@counsel.ee

In order to apply for temporary protection, you will need to bring your identity documents or other documents, such as a birth certificate. If you do not have any documents, you should contact the Embassy of Ukraine, which will issue identity certificates to Ukrainian citizens. Then you will be able to apply for temporary protection.

Applying for temporary protection is a separate service. In order to apply for temporary protection, war refugees and their relatives arriving from Ukraine need to book an appointment at this website . Booking an appointment ensures that the service offices will not receive too many applicants at once. In order to make applying for temporary protection as smooth as possible, the PBGB is also planning to set up mobile service points in the accommodation facilities of war refugees, where they can conveniently submit their applications for temporary protection.

The application is considered as soon as possible.

In order to apply for temporary protection, you will need to bring your identity documents or other documents, such as a birth certificate. If you do not have any documents, you should contact the Embassy of Ukraine, which will issue identity certificates to Ukrainian citizens. Then you will be able to apply for temporary protection. Having a international passport is not a prerequisite.

In order to issue a foreign passport, you need to contact the Ukrainian Embassy .

A foreign passport is issued to a person who has reached the age of 16 on the basis of an application-questionnaire submitted by him personally. At the same time, the issuance of a foreign passport to a person who has been recognized by the court as having limited legal capacity or incapacity is carried out on the basis of an application-questionnaire of the guardian or other legal representative.

The following are attached to the application:

• previous passport to be exchanged (if the passport is not issued for the first time);
• internal passport in the form of a booklet (if available);
• or ID card (if available);
• a document confirming permanent residence or temporary stay abroad (if available);
• certificate of registration of the place of residence in Ukraine / certificate of registration of the place of residence of a temporarily displaced person (if available);
• a certificate of assignment of the registration number of the taxpayer's registration card (RNOKPP; if available).

In case of loss or theft of the previous passport, a document (report, certificate, etc.) issued by the competent authority of the state in which the passport was lost or stolen is attached to the application, confirming the fact of the owner's application regarding its loss or theft. Such a document is submitted without legalization and translation into Ukrainian.

In the case of issuing a passport in connection with a change in personal data (surname and/or first name), a document confirming such a change (marriage certificate, divorce certificate, court decision, etc.) is attached to the application. When issuing a foreign passport with a new surname and/or first name, the "domestic" passport (ID card) must be reissued.

In the event that the applicant has not previously been issued with an identity document, confirming Ukrainian citizenship and/or granting the right to leave Ukraine and enter Ukraine, a certificate of registration of the person as a citizen of Ukraine is provided (with the exception of cases when the person's parents at the time of his were citizens of Ukraine at birth).

You can register the birth of a child only at the consulate. There, the determination of his origin and the assignment of his surname, first name, and patronymic are carried out.

The application for registration must be submitted immediately, but no later than one month after the birth of the child, and in the case of a stillborn child - no later than three days.

The registration process takes place at the place of birth or at the place of residence of the child's parents or one of them (with a written application). At the same time, in case of illness, death of the parents or for other reasons it is impossible to register the birth - the application can be submitted by relatives or other persons authorized by the representative of the health care institution in which the child was born or is currently.

What is required for registration?

• a document from a medical institution about the birth of a child, passports certifying the identity of the parents;
• application (written or addressed orally) to enter information about the father.

Registration is free, and based on its results, parents are issued a birth certificate.

How to return to the homeland with a child born in the Estonia?

In order for Ukrainians to return home with a child born in the Estonia, they must have with them:

• a document certifying his identity;
• a child's birth certificate issued by a consular institution.

Is the status of a citizen of Ukraine preserved during the birth of a child in the Estonia?

A newborn Ukrainian in the Estonia retains the status of a citizen of Ukraine. Data on citizenship and nationality in the act record of birth and certificate are not filled in, which is why a corresponding entry is made in the column "For marks".

In addition, a person whose parents or one of his parents were citizens of Ukraine at the time of his birth is a citizen of Ukraine. The place of birth of the baby does not affect the possibility of him acquiring Ukrainian citizenship.

There are several steps involved in the process of body repatriation from abroad to Ukraine:

1. Notify the authorities.

The first step of body repatriation from abroad to Ukraine is to contact the local authorities in Estonia, so you can register the death. Ukrainian embassy should also be able to help you in the process of registering the death abroad.

2. Arrange the correct documents.

You’ll need to have all the right paperwork before you can repatriate your loved one home from abroad to Ukraine. If you are repatriating a body to Ukraine for burial or cremation, the documents you will need include:

• Death Certificate.
• Certificate or Affidavit from the local health authorities stating that the cause of death of the individual to be shipped to Ukraine was not a communicable disease or infections.
• A Document about the absence of any excessive objects inside the casket or urn with the ashes.
• The Certificate of Cremation issued be the Funeral home or Cremation office.

All the mentioned documents should be authenticated, legalized and translated into Ukrainian by the certified translator. The originals of abovementioned documents and notarized translations, must accompany the casket containing the deceased, or urn with ashes, to Ukraine.

The passport of the deceased person should be sent to the Embassy of Ukraine along with a notarized and authenticated copy of the Certificate of Death, and a translation from Estonian to Ukrainian. The Embassy is to make correspondent procedures with the passport and can forward it back if it is required to accompany the casket containing the deceased, or urn with ashes, to Ukraine.

The Embassy is to be informed of the date, time, and the place of delivery of the casket containing the deceased, or urn with ashes, to Ukraine. Only the next of kin relatives of the deceased, or persons correspondingly authorized by them, can receive the casket or urn.

3. Transport the deceased to Ukraine.

The casket containing the body, or urn with ashes, must be sealed by the Funeral Home. There are no strict requirements with respect to the urn with ashes; however, the body should be transported in a metal casket, made of zinc-plated steel or tinplate not more than 0,4 thick.

For the air cargo transportation, it is necessary to specify a cemetery in Ukraine as well as Ukrainian Funeral Home which will take care of the casket, or the urn with ashes, in Ukraine. Both are a subject of private choice by the relatives or friends of the deceased person. Source .

Photos can be taken at a photo booth of a service office of the Police or photographer.

You may also take a photo yourself. There are also many shops that offer such services. Look for printer shops and copy centers on Google Maps.

You can use online translation services here and here .

You can translate your documents at any translation agency in your city. Search for «dokumentide tõlkimine» on Google.

A new SIM card can be obtained on the border crossing or refugee center. Estonian operators offers free calls to Ukraine, distribute Sims to refugees.