Residence permit card can be applied for through online self-service portal
It is now possible to apply for an alien's passport and residence permit card through the self-service portal of the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA).
Coordinator of the Identity and Status Bureau Marit Abram said: "We call on all customers to use the self-service portal. In the interests of our customers, the self-service portal is available in Estonian, Russian and English."
When applying for a document in the self-service portal, the form is largely pre-filled. "Therefore, the customers need only to check their details, choose a suitable place to claim their document and add a document photo, which is less than six months old," she explained.
Using the self-service portal saves time. When applying for a document online, you need only to collect the completed document from a service office of the PPA.
"We recommend booking an appointment in advance, so the customer would not have to wait for too long," Abram said.
Fingerprints are required to apply for a residence permit card but if the fingerprints in the PPA database were provided less than six years ago, the application can be submitted in the self-service portal.
"In the absence of valid fingerprints, you can give new fingerprints and take a new document photo free of charge at a service office. Later at home, you can submit your application using the self-service portal at your convenience," she explained.
In the case of a temporary residence permit, you need a valid residence permit to apply for a document renewal. Once a temporary residence permit has expired, you must apply for a new residence permit at a service office only at a pre-booked time. It is not possible to apply for a new temporary residence permit on a first-come-first-served basis.
Holders of a long-term residence permit can apply for a new document even if the previous document has expired by entering the self-service portal using mobile-ID, smart-ID or Internet banking.
It is possible to apply for an Estonian citizen's ID card through the self-service portal since June 2017, while the possibility to apply for a passport was added in August 2019. Estonian citizens submit about 30 percent of their applications for various documents using the self-service portal.
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Editor: Helen Wright