Estonia wishes to make it necessary for foreigners looking for temporary work to apply for a one-year visa prior to entering the nation.

The goal of the Estonian government's modification of the visa requirements for temporary employees is to reduce the likelihood of migration.

As ERR explains, in line with the current rules, all migrants in Estonia can engage in short-term employment with temporary visas or without visas, provided that their employment is registered.

However, the proposed change would make it mandatory for short-term workers to obtain long-term visas that are valid for a period of 365 days prior to starting working in the country.

Commenting on the matter, the head of the Border Guard and Migration Policy Department of the Interior Ministry, Janek Mägi, said that this measure is necessary to address the issue of individuals entering Estonia on tourist visas and then engaging in employment.

Mägi further stressed that foreigners who intend to work in Estonia should apply for the appropriate document, in this case, a long-stay visa, to ensure transparency as well as legality in their employment.

If a person already knows their clear path to come here to work, they should apply for a long-stay visa, and that would be perfectly correct.
-Head of the Border Guard and Migration Policy Department of the Interior Ministry Janek Mägi

Agricultural Sector Concerned About New Rules Making it Harder to Hire Foreign Workers

While the changes regarding the visa regulations for short-term employment have been seen as necessary by the Estonian government, the agricultural sector has expressed concern.

According to ERR, the agricultural sector is deeply concerned that the new visa rules will make it harder to hire foreign workers.

The head of the agricultural sector at the Estonian Chamber of Agriculture and Commerce, Ragnar Viikoja, said that if the government decides to make it mandatory for short-term workers to obtain one-year visas, it will become more expensive for both parties to complete the procedures.

The agricultural sector of Estonia heavily relies on foreign workers when it comes to tasks that require manual labour. Taking this into account, Viikoja highlighted that imposing additional rules for foreign workers could lead to labour shortages as well as increased domestic produce prices.

Viikoja suggested that seasonal workers are exempted from this requirement. He further emphasised that the authorities can maintain thorough background checks without imposing burdensome visa requirements.

In response to these concerns, Mägi clarified that the proposed changes would not affect seasonal workers such as strawberry pickers who work in the country for only limited periods of time within a year.