A year in Estonia
Estonian Startup Visa
Program checked 2026-10-21 · official source
Money
- Income the program asks for
- No fixed income minimum on record — read the program page for how means are tested.
- Your income against it
- Nothing to compare against.
- Cost of living
- Index ≈ 60 (New York = 100; lower is cheaper) — awaiting human review.
Estimate · Numbeo — Quality of Life Index by Country (Cost of Living, Climate, Safety, Health Care sub-indices)(opens in a new tab) · as of 2026-08-04
CasaSedora doesn't publish a monthly living-cost figure for any country yet — we won't invent one.
- Cash to make the move
- About $15,400 up front for one person.
Estimate · CasaSedora planning estimate — generic defaults, not a quote
Language
- Spoken there
- Estonian, English.
- Required for residency & citizenship
- PR: B1 · Citizenship: Estonian exam (level not stated on page) + civics
Official source(opens in a new tab) · as of 2026-10-21
- Your readiness
- Starting from scratch is the usual case — sign in & set a goal in the Field Phrasebook to track your practice.
Timeline
Apply
No closing date on record. Processing time is not on record — check the official source.
Program record (official source)(opens in a new tab) · as of 2026-10-21
Your first stay
The permit or program runs 12–18 months.
Program record (official source)(opens in a new tab) · as of 2026-10-21
Permanent residency · year 5
Long-term residence permit after 5 years on residence permits.
Police and Border Guard Board(opens in a new tab) · as of 2026-07-12
Citizenship eligible · year 8
8 years of legal residence, of which the last 5 on a permanent basis.
Police and Border Guard Board(opens in a new tab) · as of 2026-07-12
Does time on this kind of permit count toward citizenship? Does not count. Estonia's Digital Nomad Visa is a visa, not a residence permit — its time never counts toward residency or citizenship.
Not on record yet
- No fixed income minimum on record for this program.