Foreign-born population – 2025 | 17.9% of the population | Main countries of birth: Russia (25%), Ukraine (23%), Belarus (3%) |
Size: 0.2 million, 49% women | Evolution since 2015: +24% |
International Migration Outlook 2026
50th Edition
In 2025, Estonia received 7 500 new immigrants on a long-term or permanent basis (including changes of status and free mobility), ‑16% compared to 2024. This figure comprises 39% immigrants benefitting from free mobility, 29% labour migrants, 22% family members (including accompanying family) and 10% humanitarian migrants. Around 500 permits were issued to tertiary-level international students and 4 200 to temporary and seasonal labour migrants (excluding intra-EU migration). In addition, 6 500 intra-EU postings were recorded in 2024, a ‑28% decrease compared to 2023. These posted workers are generally on short-term contracts.
Ukraine, Russia and Finland were the top three nationalities of newcomers in 2024. Among the top 15 countries of origin, France registered the strongest increase (90) and Ukraine the largest decrease (‑6 100) in flows to Estonia compared to the previous year.
In 2025, the number of first asylum applicants decreased by ‑24%, to reach around 1 000. The majority of applicants came from Ukraine (900), Russia (30) and Belarus (15). The largest decrease concerns nationals of Ukraine (‑300). Of the 810 decisions taken in 2025, 93% were positive.
Emigration of Estonian citizens to OECD countries decreased by ‑2% in 2024, to 4 300. Approximately 25% of this group migrated to Finland, 12% to Germany and 9% to the Netherlands.
In May 2026, Estonia adopted two labour migration reforms. Amendments transposing the recast EU Single Permit Directive allow holders of temporary residence permits for employment to change employers without applying for a new residence permit, subject to registration by the new employer. They may remain unemployed for up to three or six months depending on how long the permit has been valid, and up to nine months in exceptional cases. The amendments also allow continued employment while an application to extend or replace the residence permit is pending and raise maximum fines for certain serious infringements by legal persons to EUR 100 000. A separate reform introduced an additional route for workers in sectors experiencing labour shortages, exempt from the ordinary immigration quota and labour-market test, with a separate annual ceiling linked to economic conditions.
In a judgment of 23 March 2026 concerning family reunification, the Supreme Court ruled that the definition of a refugee’s family member was unconstitutional insofar as it excluded a de facto cohabiting partner who had lived with the refugee before the refugee’s arrival in Estonia and for whom marriage or registration of a partnership had been legally impossible in the country of origin.
On 12 June 2026, a new Act on Granting International Protection to Aliens entered into force to implement the reform of the EU asylum and migration framework. It introduced new border and asylum procedures, clarified applicants’ obligations and strengthened procedural safeguards, including access to legal assistance at an earlier stage.
Border management remained a major operational priority. Estonia implemented projects focussed on surveillance systems, telecommunications infrastructure, mobile identification technologies and counter-drone capabilities. Estonia also participated in the progressive rollout of the EU Entry/Exit System from October 2025; the system became fully operational on 10 April 2026.
As of 31 March 2025, Estonia ceased recognising non-biometric Russian foreign passports for entry and for the issuance of Estonian Schengen visas. Authorities implemented the transitional arrangements allowing holders of Estonian or other EU residence permits to enter with non-biometric passports until 30 September 2025.
On 8 May 2025, Estonia introduced a visa requirement for holders of Georgian diplomatic and service passports, implementing the relevant EU decision. In July 2025, amendments entered into force allowing applications for e‑resident digital identity cards to be returned without examination where the applicant is a national of a country presenting a higher money-laundering or terrorist-financing risk, or a country with which Estonia lacks sufficient judicial, security or law-enforcement co‑operation.
In 2026, Estonia expanded mandatory integration requirements. From 1 January, completion of the basic module of the Settle in Estonia adaptation programme and A2‑level Estonian became requirements for a temporary residence permit for settling permanently in Estonia, subject to statutory exemptions. From June, applicants for international protection were required to complete a 16‑hour settling-in module and A1‑level Estonian-language training.
Following the EU-level decision adopted in July 2026, temporary protection for persons displaced from Ukraine was extended until 4 March 2028.
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