Under the current law, foreign citizens can only join the EDF after martial law or mobilization has been declared. The new changes proposed by the ministry would allow them to have a role much earlier on.

Lauri Kriisa, head of the ministry's legal department, said the amendments are aimed at foreigners already studying or working in Estonia.

"They could be from Germany, Singapore, Australia, or the United States, and they value Estonia so much that they want to defend it," Kriisa said, describing the target group. "They would like to become a quill in our defensive hedgehog."

Foreigners can already become supporting members of the Defense League and around 230 people have signed up.

"But today, it is not possible for them to join a unit in peacetime and start military training there. Neither can they make a promise today that they can be counted on in time of war," he explained.

Foreigners would sign contracts with the state

The draft says a voluntary service contract would be concluded between both sides, meaning the volunteer promises to defend Estonia but is not duty-bound to do so.

One example highlighted by Kriisa are the foreigners currently fighting in Ukraine who have time-limited contracts.

"And after that, they can withdraw from the contract. On the one hand, this gives them greater freedom compared to citizens of the state, but it still gives the state predictability," Kriisa said.

The contract would give a foreigner the right to participate in military training with the Defense League.

"The easiest way for a person who wishes to contribute voluntarily to Estonia's military defense is still today through the Defence League. And that is why the Defence League is also a very good option for involving foreign volunteers," he said.

Simplified border crossing procedures

Kriisa noted the proposed changes would help include foreigners who have skills needed for the national defense. This would allow the EDF to recruit valuable instructors, for example.

"After all, the Defense Forces do not just need people for the battlefield, we need a lot of different kinds of knowledge: in engineering, in information technology, in physics for example," Kriisa listed.

The Ministry also takes into account that foreigners may return to their home country after receiving training, but when the time comes, they must quickly return to Estonia. Ukraine's experience also showed many people are keen to help.

The ministry wants to create amendments to smooth entry barriers at borders.

"The idea is to create a simplified procedure similar to the way members of foreign armed forces arrive in Estonia," he explained. "That if a person is useful for the defense of Estonia, they can come here in a simplified and accelerated procedure."

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