Called "New In Estonia", the program follows the "X in Estonia" branding format, and is being overseen by the Ministry of Culture.

The ministry's cultural diversity undersecretary, Piret Hartman, said that the present-day services to date had been primarily aimed at aiding longer-term foreign nationals settle in Estonia, adding that in the interests o social cohesion, those intending to stay temporarily should also receive support.

Hartman said: "The focus of the training program which began today is on short-term and seasonal people arriving in Estonia on a D-Visa. Notwithstanding the growing number of arrivals in Estonia, there has not been enough information provided to people staying in the country temporarily, concerning the services on offer to them."

"In order to support people staying here temporarily, in coping independently, the training sessions aim to provide information relating to staying, working and studying in Estonia and adjusting to life in Estonia," Hartman went on, according to a ministry press release.

The program will be free to those eligible.

Martin Lään, head of Expat Relocation Estonia, says that the practical information materials relating to the state will definitely be of great help to those coming to Estonia, be it for work or study.

Lään said: "Within this free training program, we will be covering all the most important topics, from employee's rights and responsibilities to everyday issues," adding that a total of 36 training videos for arrivals and five separate video topics for the employers who hire them will be contained in the course.

"In addition to the instructional videos, our goal is to conduct counseling activities for at least 500 people staying in Estonia on the basis of a visa. The first training session will take place today, Friday, May 20, in the Russian language. The subsequent training sessions are also open for registration."

The New In Estonia site's English-language page is here.

It is also available in Ukrainian, as well as in Estonian and Russian.

Those wishing to register for courses should do so from the same page.

The ministry notes that the requisite legal basis must be in place for those wishing to work temporarily. Since short-term work is permitted for up to 365 days, a long-term visa is most often used (D Visa), while third-country or non-EU/EEA students often use the same visa as the basis for stay.

The majority of short-term workers in Estonia come from Ukraine, followed by Belarus, Russia, Moldova and Uzbekistan, the ministry says.

The project, entitled AMIF2021-11, is co-financed by the EU via its the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund as well as by the Estonian interior ministry.

The Ministry of Culture is the substantive partner in the project.

Those with a residence permit in Estonia who are seeking support should visit the Settle In Estonia site instead.

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