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Estonia to re-open the borders for labour migration and learning mobility

Sander Nõmmik
Author Sander Nõmmik
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The Estonian Government has accepted amendments to orders no. 169 and 172 on 16.05.2020. This means that:
  • All restrictions on crossing the state border for the purpose of entering Estonia have been removed for aliens who do not have symptoms of the disease and come from the following countries: Algeria, Australia, Georgia, Japan, Canada, Morocco, Montenegro, South Korea, Rwanda, Serbia, Thailand, Tunisia, Uruguay and New Zealand. In addition, as of 6 July, all foreigners who do not have symptoms of illness may enter Estonia for the purpose of working in Estonia or studying in an educational institution registered in Estonia.
  • However, it is important to follow the isolation rules in force in Estonia, which are specified in the Order 172. Upon arrival in countries where the number of infected persons is more than 16 per 100,000 inhabitants or if the above data are not available and there is a high risk of spreading the virus. foreigners entering Estonia for the purpose of work or study must remain in isolation, which is organized by the employer or the educational institution, respectively. The employer and the educational institution must also ensure that the alien passes COVID-19 testing immediately upon arrival in Estonia and re-testing no earlier than on the 14th day of the stay in Estonia. The website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be supplemented in the near future with information on the implementation of isolation rules (https://vm.ee/et/teave-riikide-ja-karantiininouete-kohta-euroopast-saabujatele).
In short, this means that if a person has a basis for working in Estonia (LTR) (both, existing or a new one) and a legal basis for staying in Estonia (visa or visa waiver), he or she can come to Estonia regardless of the country of origin. Embassies will also receive visa applications and issue visas if necessary. However, quarantine rules must be followed. While during the emergency, the PBGB primarily processed the applications in cases where the alien was already in Estonia, with the end of the emergency and opening of the EU’s internal borders, LTR procedures have been constantly expanded. If you want to read more, you can find the full texts of the orders here (unfortunately only available in Estonian at this moment):
  • No. 169: https://bit.ly/38zOrZb
  • No. 172: https://bit.ly/2ZDFY32
Read full article here

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