HOW TO OBTAIN ESTONIAN CITIZENSHIP FOR A RUSSIAN: GROUNDS AND PROCEDURE

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The Estonian government is careful about including migrants in the ranks of its subjects, so it is very difficult to obtain Estonian citizenship. This country was previously part of the USSR, and now it is already part of Europe. Therefore, on the one hand, it attracts Russians with the usual mentality of the local population, and on the other hand, it opens up a lot of opportunities.

Pros and cons of Estonian citizenship

Over the past 20 years, the migration of Russians to Estonia has increased significantly. Thus, almost 30% of the local population are former Russians.

Among the advantages that attract migrants are:

Simplified system of obtaining a visa to the USA, Canada, Australia;
The ability to freely travel to all Schengen countries without a visa;
The right to buy real estate not only in Estonia, but also in any other EU country;
Opportunity to get a high-paying job in any European country;
Providing loans on favorable terms under a preferential program;
Almost free education in universities and valuable diplomas that do not require nostrification;
Opportunity to work in government services.

There are also disadvantages to Estonian citizenship. This:

Inability to have dual citizenship;
Compulsory study of the national language, which is difficult for most Slavs to comprehend;
Living standards are lower than the European average;
Compulsory military service by conscripts;
Complicated procedure for registration of citizenship.

Who can obtain Estonian citizenship

According to local law, anyone can apply for the status of an Estonian citizen. The main thing is that it meets all the necessary criteria and does not threaten state security.

However, in reality, everything turns out to be more complicated. So, in addition to the basic requirements, a foreigner must meet additional ones. For instance:

Be over 15 years old;
To legally reside in the country for permanent residence;
Not have a valid criminal record in Russia or Estonia;
Receive legal income, which should be sufficient for the residence of the applicant himself and his family;
Not have diseases that could be dangerous to others;
It is good to know the Estonian language and be fluent in it.

The income that a migrant receives in Estonia must be sufficient for his life and support of his family members. Only in this case it will be possible to convince the authorities that the migrant will not apply for social benefits from the state.

Who is barred from the path to Estonian citizenship?

There is also a list of persons who, under no circumstances, can apply for citizenship. This:

Foreign government officials;
Police and foreign special agents;
Defendants in criminal cases that are being prosecuted at home;
Suspected terrorist attacks and links to organized crime;
Persons who during the Soviet years served in the KGB or actively opposed the acquisition of statehood by Estonia;
Low-income citizens applying for social assistance from Estonia.

Also, citizenship will be denied to violators of the Estonian immigration regime and those who are infected with a dangerous infection.

Methods for obtaining an Estonian passport

Estonia offers migrants 4 ways to open citizenship:

By birth;
By origin;
Restoration of rights;
Naturalization.

Important! The state does not provide for the automatic issuance of passports to investors, as is common in other countries. The acquisition of real estate also does not become the basis, but can influence the final decision.

By birth

Mostly children fall into this category. Thus, a child who was born automatically receives citizenship:

In the family of indigenous Estonians in any country in the world;
From the union of a foreigner and an Estonian citizen within the country;
In Estonia from the union of two permanent residents who have lived in the country for at least 5 years.

By origin and restoration of rights

Citizenship by origin is relevant if the applicant has Estonian roots. Moreover, his ancestor had to live in the country. from 1918 to 1940, that is, at the time of its independence.

Naturalization

This path to citizenship is the longest. It is suitable for all other citizens who have no roots in Estonian citizenship.

Has the following algorithm:

Crossing the Estonian border with a residence permit;
Legal residence in Estonia for at least 5 years;
Submission of an application for opening permanent residence;
Registration of an application for granting citizenship after 3 years of life for permanent residence.

In total, a migrant will have to live in Estonia for at least 8 years before he can apply for citizenship.

Important! The first entry must be justified. This can be a move on the basis of employment, admission to a university, starting a business or buying real estate.

Citizenship after marriage

A foreign spouse or spouse of an Estonian citizen has the right to obtain full-fledged citizenship under a simplified scheme. This status is assigned to a migrant after 3 years of living together in Estonia.

However, the newlyweds will have to go through a lot of checks, and also explain why Estonia was chosen instead of Russia for permanent life. Migration officers closely monitor such marriages. If it turns out that he is fictitious, the foreigner will be obliged to leave the country.

As confirmation of the usefulness of marriage are:

Documents on jointly acquired property;
Living on the same living space;
The birth of common children.

If the marriage is dissolved before the expiration of the 3-year period, the migrant will be deported.

Is dual citizenship possible

A potential Estonian citizen is obliged to renounce his original citizenship, since the country's legislation prohibits dual citizenship.

Despite this, children who appear here are allowed to be citizens of two countries at once. So, if one of the parents is Estonian and the other is Russian, the child at birth will receive two citizenships at once.

Citizenship procedure: documents

An applicant for Estonian citizenship will first have to collect a package of papers. It should include:

A written application for the opening of citizenship with an explanation of the basis;
National passport with photocopies;
2 color photographs on a white background that meet ICAO standards;
State language proficiency certificate;
Residence permit and permanent residence cards to confirm the legality of life in Estonia;
Certificate confirming the presence of official income in the country;
Confirmation of the availability of living space (private or rented);
Check for payment of state duty.

Police officers may also require additional documents. The applicant will be notified of this need by phone or e-mail.

Interview and exams

After collecting the documents, the applicant must pass a series of exams. They will be checked:

Knowledge of spoken Estonian, the ability to write and read in it;
Knowledge of the state Constitution and laws on citizenship;
Knowledge of the great people of Estonia, its history and culture, important symbols.

To alleviate the plight of migrants, the Estonian government has organized courses to familiarize themselves with local laws. They are completely free and available to everyone in need.The courses are held in Russian and Estonian. On average, the listener is entitled to 12 lectures with the provision of educational literature. There are no language courses in the country, but the government is ready to reimburse the costs for taking them.

Important! Disabled persons and people who are not able to attend an interview for health reasons are exempted from testing and exams.

How and where to submit documents

The applicant supplements the previously collected documents with certificates of passing the tests. All papers can be submitted in one of three ways:

Give the package to the personally receiving employee at the Migration Department at the place of stay;
Send by registered mail with notification;
Send scans of documents by e-mail: [email protected].

If the submission takes place in person, it is allowed to fill out an application directly on the spot. In this case, an employee of the migration service can help the applicant if there are problems with registration.

Terms and cost of registration

To every citizen from 15 years you will have to pay for the examination of documents 50 euros. An application from a migrant is processed in turn by several instances:

The Police Department, where the documents go in the first place;
Cabinet of Ministers: here applications are considered within six months;
Estonian government: the authorities are given no more than two months to make a final decision.

The maximum waiting time for a decision is 8-9 months, but practice shows that the result comes much earlier. If a positive decision was made, the applicant is notified of this in writing.

After that, the newly minted Estonian citizen must apply for a passport. He can receive it at a solemn ceremony or by mail, as well as order in the form ID cards.

Why they can refuse and what to do

An applicant may be refused citizenship if he:

Indicated false information in the application form or forged documents in order to obtain the desired status;
Has violated Estonian laws or immigration regulations;
Participated in criminal activities abroad or in the country itself;
He chose not to give up his original citizenship;
He is an employee in government agencies of another state.

Typos or errors in the application, as well as insufficient income, are less dangerous for a citizen's reputation. These shortcomings can be eliminated and you can try to submit the documents again. However, with more serious misconduct, the migrant will be forced to leave the country.

Electronic citizenship: what is it

Contrary to the expectations of migrants, the Estonian ID card does not give the holder the right to be called a local citizen. This is a digital ID that citizens can use as a passport to present online.

There are 2 types of such credentials:

ID for Estonian citizens and permanent residents;
ID for e-residents.

This card does not give additional rights and obligations to a resident of the country, but only simplifies his life in Estonia. For example, you can use it to:

Verify your identity online;
Sign important documents and agreements with an electronic signature;
Use various electronic services, including voting in elections or submitting various applications (for marriage, registration of property, court petition).

This is only a partial list of the possibilities that open up to the cardholder. Their list is constantly expanding. Moreover, Estonia intends to go with this innovation to the international level. There is already an agreement on the mutual use of digital signatures with Finland.

Benefits of an ID card for migrants

Obtaining digital citizenship does not give a foreigner the right to reside in Estonia and even cross its border without a visa. However, its owner has access to:

Business registration in Estonia;
Opening and managing bank accounts in the country;
Payment of taxes via the Internet;
Sending encrypted information securely over the Internet;
Registration of international treaties and certification of their digital signature.

Step-by-step registration of an ID-card

There are two options to apply for e-citizenship:

At the Police Department if the migrant is already in Estonia;
At the consulate if he lives outside of it.

The step-by-step design instructions look like this:

Collect documents. You will need a national passport, an application for an ID with an indication of the reason for this, photo 35x45 mm;
Report to the Police Department. On the spot, the applicant must pay a fee of 50 euros and be fingerprinted. If the application is submitted from abroad, the amount of the state fee is increased to 80 euros;
Wait for a response from the police officer. In the process of considering the application, additional information and documents may be required;
Pick up the finished electronic card. At the end of the checks, an answer will be sent to the applicant's e-mail. If it is positive, the foreigner will be asked to come for the document. As a rule, the review process lasts no longer than a month.

If a citizen is applying for a residence permit in Estonia or local citizenship, the ID card is given to him in addition to the paper document.

Modern Estonia is beginning to catch up with more developed European countries in terms of its standard of living. This can be called one of the reasons for the difficult registration of citizenship. But this selective delivery of passports helps the state maintain its identity.

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