Long-Term Resident Permit

A residence permit for a long-term resident is a permit issued to a foreign national for entry into Estonia and residence in Estonia for an unspecified term pursuant to the conditions provided for in this Act and determined by the residence permit.

1) he or she has resided in Estonia on the basis of a residence permit for at least last five years before the submission of the application for a residence permit for a long-term resident;

The period of the stay in Estonia on the basis of a temporary residence permit for study shall be taken into account in half in the calculations of the period of stay required for the issue of a residence permit for a long-term resident if a foreign national has been issued a residence permit on another basis later.

the period of residence as an applicant for international protection immediately before the grant of international protection and the period of residence in Estonia as a person enjoying international protection shall be included into the period of residence in Estonia prior to the lodging of an application for a residence permit for a long-term resident.

The period of residence in Estonia required for the issue of a residence permit for a long-term resident shall include the period of his or her temporary stay outside Estonia, which does not exceed six consecutive months and in total ten months within five last years immediately before the lodging of the application for a residence permit for long-term residents.

The period of residence in Estonia required for the issue of a residence permit for a long-term resident to a foreign national who holds the EU Blue Card shall include the period of his or her temporary stay outside member states of the European Union, which does not exceed twelve consecutive months and in total eighteen months within five last years immediately before the lodging of the application for a residence permit for long-term residents.

(3) If a foreign national’s stay outside Estonia within five last years before the lodging of an application for a residence permit for a long-term resident has lasted longer than six consecutive months and in total ten months within five last years and the Police and Border Guard Board has considered his or her stay outside Estonia justified, the period of permanent residence in Estonia required for the issue of a residence permit for a long-term resident shall extend by the length of the period of the stay away, which exceeds the allowed time period specified in subsection 1 of this section.