From passing the test to the citizenship application
Harno issues the exam certificate only electronically, on eesti.ee; you need not print it. The exam regulation gives it no expiry date.
You can apply when you meet all conditions of the Citizenship Act (Kodakondsuse seadus, § 6): age 15 or over, a long-term resident's permit or permanent right of residence, 8 years of residence (the last 5 of them permanent), a registered address, B1 Estonian (or an exemption), the passed exam, a permanent legal income and loyalty to the state.
- Where: in person at a Police and Border Guard Board (Politsei- ja Piirivalveamet, PPA) service office, booked online.
- Documents: the application form (it contains the oath of loyalty), proof of legal income, a digital photo, proof of paying the fee, and proof that you have been or will be released from your current citizenship, or have undetermined citizenship. Certificates already in state databases are not needed.
- Fee: €150 (State Fees Act § 270, 2026). Applicants under 18 pay nothing, and the PPA can reduce or waive the fee if your finances require it.
Decision and oath
The PPA sends your application with its proposal to the Government of the Republic within 6 months (3 months for a child under 15). The Government decides by an order (korraldus), which takes effect on the day it is signed unless it names another date.
You give the oath in writing in the application form; there is no later oath. If citizenship is granted, the PPA sends the certificate of citizenship (kodakondsustunnistus) by post.
ID card and passport
The ID card is compulsory for Estonian citizens living in Estonia; the passport is optional. State fees (in force since 2025, unchanged in 2026):
- ID card: €45 at a service office, €35 in the PPA self-service portal
- Passport: €60 at a service office, €50 in the self-service portal
- Both together: €80, or €70 in the self-service portal
- Fast processing: €250
Standard processing takes up to 30 days. The ID card is valid for up to 5 years, the passport for up to 10 years.
Your previous citizenship
An adult who naturalises cannot keep another citizenship (Citizenship Act § 1). You must show that you have been released from it or will be released when you become Estonian. The only exception is for people who received international protection in Estonia or another EU country and cannot give up their citizenship because the situation in their country of origin has not changed (§ 3).
Later, accepting another country's citizenship makes you lose Estonian citizenship (§ 22 and § 29). Your previous country sets its own release fees and times, so start early.
Tax and social security
Nothing changes automatically. Income tax depends on tax residence, not citizenship: you are resident if you live in Estonia or stay at least 183 days in 12 months (Income Tax Act § 6). Health insurance, pensions and family benefits keep depending on work, social tax and residence. As an EU citizen you can now live and work anywhere in the EU, with your social security rights protected by EU coordination rules.
Voting and other rights
- Riigikogu (parliament): vote from 18, stand from 21.
- Local councils: vote from 16, stand from 18. Since the 2025 constitutional amendment only Estonian and EU citizens vote, so a long-term resident who naturalises gets this vote back.
- European Parliament: vote from 18, stand from 21.
- Public service: posts in state security, defence, the courts, prosecution and diplomacy are open only to Estonian citizens (Civil Service Act § 14).
- Defence duty: male citizens aged 18–60 have a defence obligation, and men aged 18–27 can be called up for conscript service (Defence Service Act). Women can volunteer.
Effect on children
- Children under 15 can become citizens with you or later, on your application, if they live permanently in Estonia on a residence permit or right of residence. A child under one only has to be in Estonia (§ 13 and § 14).
- Children aged 15–17 apply in their own name under the general conditions.
- Children born after you become a citizen are Estonian by birth (§ 5).
- Someone who has Estonian and another citizenship as a minor must give up one within 3 years after turning 18 (§ 3).
Frequently asked questions
Does the exam certificate expire? No. The other conditions are checked when you apply.
How long does the whole process take? The PPA has up to 6 months to send your file to the Government; no official total time is published.
Is there a ceremony? The Citizenship Act and the PPA describe none. The oath is in your application, and the certificate comes by post.
Can my application be refused even though I passed? Yes, for example if you gave false information, acted against the Estonian state, or have an unexpunged prison sentence of more than one year (§ 21).
Do I need a new ID card? Yes. The citizen's ID card is compulsory for citizens living in Estonia.