In search of earnings, residents of Ukraine, Russia and Belarus often turn their eyes to the EU countries. Their attention is attracted by the former neighbors in the USSR from the Baltic states. Working in Estonia for foreign citizens has its own difficulties, but decent wages continue to attract those who want to earn money.
The economic situation today
The Estonian economy is developing, and the average wage is growing every year. So, its size before taxes was in 2019 1242 €.
Almost a third of the population is concentrated in the capital, Tallinn, and in two other large cities, Tartu and Narva. The unemployment rate is a little over 5%, which is lower than in the neighboring Baltic countries. The labor market is ready to accept Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians for various positions in areas such as high-tech production, information technology, manufacturing, cargo transportation, and agriculture.
The advantages of this country include:
- low population density;
- the introduction of electronic technologies in various spheres of life;
- inexpensive food;
- the majority of the population speaks Russian;
- developed foreign economic relations, providing for both transit trade and foreign investment.
Minuses:
- knowledge of the Estonian language is required to obtain a highly paid position;
- expensive real estate and high cost of utilities;
- high tax deductions.
Most in-demand professions in 2021
Currently required:
- programmers;
- truck drivers;
- crop pickers;
- CNC machine operators;
- nannies;
- sellers;
- guides;
- doctors;
- electricians;
- welders;
- builders;
- financial workers.
The salary will differ depending on the county. But with a full-day device they cannot pay less than the established minimum - 470 euros per month before taxes. Information technology professionals can count on 1700–2000€, truck drivers - 1300-1500€, production specialist - 1000–1100€.
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The level of wages per month by profession
| Profession | Net minimum wage (EUR / month) | Average net salary (EUR / month) |
| doctor | 1100 | 1400 |
| driver | 400 | 771 |
| taxi driver | 680 | 1070 |
| Cook | 345 | 614 |
| guide | 640 | 985 |
| dentist | 1050 | 1844 |
| salesman | 301 | 437 |
| an electrician | 560 | 824 |
| builder | 760 | 980 |
| welder | 870 | 1080 |
| foreman | 920 | 1100 |
| student | 490 | 520 |
| for women | 470 | 760 |
| nanny | 550 | 640 |
| work from home | 400 | 480 |
| at the factory | 530 | 1050 |
| at the Embassy | 780 | 995 |
| on the farm | 490 | 840 |
Search without intermediaries
For those wishing to work abroad, it is safer to search for a potential employer on their own. The Internet provides an opportunity to search for proposals and post your resume. You can also collect information about the place, read reviews of other employees, compare conditions.
Popular job search sites
For a general acquaintance with the labor market and understanding how demanded this or that specialty is, one should turn to the stock exchanges. There are concentrated ads for the search for employees, and there is an opportunity to publish your resume.
These sites are:
- Express Job
- CV-online
- NETI
- CV Keskus
The disadvantage of an independent search will be the difficulty in identifying an unscrupulous employer.
Specialized resources, agencies
Specialized agencies eliminate this problem by independently checking the proposed vacancies. Placing a resume in such an agency increases the chances of avoiding the scammers' attention, but limits the range of searches by the clients of this agency.
Examples are agencies such as:
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- Manpower
- Aarius
Employment types
In addition to full-time employment, full-time employers offer other options for cooperation. For some positions, they are ready to accept candidates without knowledge of the language. The summer and fall months bring a spike in offers of unskilled work in agriculture.
Without knowing the language
Only a third of the vacancies will be available to a non-Estonian-speaking job seeker. Most of them are suitable for unskilled workers. IT specialists have become a pleasant exception - for them English remains more important, and a high level of professional skills makes employers come to terms with insufficient knowledge of Estonian.
Seasonal work
Provided more often in agriculture, can last no more than 6 months. Requirements for work experience and language skills are low. In agriculture, there is a large proportion of Russian-speaking workers, so the problem of communication is usually solved.
Temporary employment
Construction companies regularly recruit personnel for specific projects. Service personnel are also temporarily required - both in the catering sector and in families. Housekeeping, nanny, and governess positions usually include living with the employer's family. There are vacancies for students in the field of tourism and catering, but knowledge of the language will be required.
Other options
This way of organizing work is preferable in the field of cargo transportation, manufacturing industry, construction. It requires truck drivers, construction equipment operators, welders. The watch is convenient with a clear time frame and is usually accompanied by the provision of accommodation, and sometimes food.
Official employment procedure
For official permanent employment in Estonia, you need to contact the nearest consulate.
Priority of actions
The procedure should be as follows:
- Issue a foreign passport, if you already have one, then check its validity period. It must expire no earlier than three months after the expiry of the requested visa.
- Find an employer in Estonia who is ready to apply with a request to hire a foreign employee and conclude a contract with him.
- Apply for a work visa or residence permit based on employment at an Estonian consulate.
- Obtain a work permit upon request from the employer.
Types of work permits
A short-term permit is issued by the Police and Border Guard Board. It indicates the approved period and characteristics of the place of employment. The basis for obtaining it is the appeal of an employer who cannot find an Estonian or an EU citizen for this position.
Categories that do not require permission
This permission is not required:
- persons holding a long-term residence permit from an EU country;
- accredited journalists;
- employees of Estonian universities, including those leading research activities;
- workers of culture and sports;
- persons educated in Estonia;
- management personnel of foreign companies operating in Estonia;
- agricultural workers on a short-term contract.
List of main documents
To submit an application, you must submit the following documents:
- a foreign passport with a validity period exceeding the validity of the requested visa by 3 months;
- questionnaire (download a sample);
- 4 photographs 35 × 45 mm that meet the requirements for photographs for documents;
- health insurance policy, the insurance liability of which is at least 30,000 euros;
- a document confirming the registration of a short-term work of a foreigner;
- an invitation from the employer, which indicates the salary and place of residence;
- receipt of payment of state duty (except for citizens of Belarus and Ukraine).
Registration of a work visa
This is a document confirming the right to stay in the country in connection with the conclusion of an employment contract with the employer. It is necessary to obtain it if the expected term of cooperation exceeds 6 months. The processing time should not exceed 2 months from the date of submission of documents.
Selection Criteria for Applicants for a Work Visa
Selection criteria include requirements for:
- qualifications;
- the level of knowledge of the language;
- state of health.
The employer undertakes to pay at least average wages, which protects the rights of local workers.
Extension of a visa
It can be extended without leaving Estonia if there are grounds for this, for example, the extension of an employment contract. To do this, you should apply with an application in advance.
Business immigration
Starting a business or buying an existing company in Estonia presupposes obtaining a long-term visa and allows you to obtain a residence permit. The state does not put forward special requirements for enterprises owned by foreigners, but in order to obtain a residence permit, it is necessary that the authorized capital of the enterprise being created is at least 75 000€.
It is also advisable to declare the intention to create jobs, but this is not a prerequisite. But to confirm the non-fictitious nature of the enterprise, it is necessary to provide evidence of its activities and profit.
Features of internship in the country
Favorable conditions have been created for the internship of students.
Popular areas of internship:
- economics and finance;
- Information Technology;
- tourism.
You can find a company that is ready to accept a future specialist for an internship through specialized sites. For example Studentweb (https://tudengiveeb.ee/en).
Consequences for attempting illegal employment
Getting all the paperwork you need can seem like a long and unnecessary process. But the Estonian authorities carefully monitor violations in this area, and the system of fines and punishments makes attempts to evade compliance with formal requirements unprofitable.
Fines will be levied on both the employer who pays 1500 euros, and on the employee himself - in the amount up to 1700 euros... The foreigner will be expelled from the country with an entry ban in the coming years (the maximum ban period is 10 years).
The Estonian labor market is in need of skilled workers, programmers and seasonal agricultural workers. For employment, you will need to conclude an agreement with an employer, obtain a work visa and a work permit. Seasonal work involves a lightweight option for preparing documents.
