By country, the highest number of visa refusals were issued to students from Nigeria, with 28 cases. They are followed by students from Pakistan with 22 refusals and India with ten refusals.

Tiina Nirk, director general of the consular department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told ERR that in some cases, there is suspicion that the true intent of certain foreign students is not to study in Estonia but rather to gain access to the European Union.

The University of Tartu currently has 1,700 international students, making up 11 percent of its total student body.

According to Aune Valk, the university's vice rector for academic affairs, the number of international students at the University of Tartu has declined over the past three years due to the war between Russia and Ukraine, difficulties in obtaining visas and economic reasons.

"We have 70 more international students this year than last, but it is still unclear whether they will all arrive, as not everyone receives a positive response to their visa applications," Valk said.

Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) currently hosts 900 international students. The highest number was in 2019 when about 1,600 international students were enrolled.

TalTech's Vice Rector for Academic Affairs Hendrik Voll noted that a larger number of international students previously brought more revenue to the university, but this policy has since changed.

This year, 646 foreign students were granted visas to study in Estonia. Among them, the largest group was from China, with 65 students receiving visas. They were followed by students from the United States with 53 successful visa applications and Azerbaijan with 51.

Of the Pakistani nationals who applied, 43 students received an Estonian visa out of 65 applicants, meaning nearly 34 percent of them were denied.

From Nigeria, nine students received a visa to study in Estonia out of a total of 37 applicants, resulting in a visa denial rate of 75 percent.

The University of Tartu hosts the most international students who successfully obtained visas, with 310 currently enrolled. This is followed by Tallinn University with 140 and Tallinn University of Technology with 78 international students.

One Pakistani student contacted ERR regarding their situation. They, along with three other Pakistani students, was accepted this spring into the master's program in Computer Engineering and Robotics at the University of Tartu. The English-taught program is a two-year course, with studies scheduled to begin on September 2.

There is no Estonian embassy in Pakistan, so the students hoped to obtain their Estonian visas either in Singapore or at the Estonian embassy in Ankara, Turkey. They planned to travel to these locations to apply in person, but neither Singapore nor Turkey granted them permission to enter. As a result, the students were unable to apply for a long-term visa to Estonia.

Before starting their studies at the University of Tartu, the Pakistani students had paid a tuition deposit of approximately €1,600 per student. Since they are unable to begin their studies this fall without a visa, they now wish to have their deposit refunded by the University of Tartu. The total amount for the four students is €6,300.

"This situation represents a significant financial loss for us and our families," said the Pakistani student, who wished to remain anonymous. "Our families have invested their savings in our education."

The University of Tartu only refunds the deposit if Estonian authorities refuse to issue a visa to the foreign student. Since these students were unable to submit their visa applications to the Estonian embassies, there was no official visa refusal, making them ineligible for a refund.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!