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Frequently asked questions

On what occasions do I have to book an appointment and come to the Embassy to apply for documents?

  • Your old passport has expired and you need to get your fingerprints taken at the Embassy.
  • Your child has reached 12 years of age and therefore needs to give fingerprints for the passport.
  • You wish someone else to pick up your passport / ID card on your behalf. A written consent can only be given at the Embassy at the time of application (not when your documents have arrived).

Can I ask someone to pick up my documents on my behalf?

  • If you wish someone to pick up your documents you need to give written consent when you apply for the document. Later (for example when the passport/ ID card has already arrived) such consent cannot be given. If you wish to someone else to pick up the documents you have to submit the application personally, you can not use post, e-mail or online service center.

Can I send my passport and/or ID card application to the Embassy by post or e-mail?

  • If you want to apply for a passport/ ID card via the Embassy you have to come in person. Embassies do not accept applications sent by post or e-mail.

I wish to pick up my documents at Honorary Consuls’. How should I mark it on my application?

  • Besides the Embassy and Consulate General in New York you can receive your documents at Honoray Consuls’. Please write on the application “Eesti aukonsul / name of town/” as the location of receiving the documents.

Can I use expedited procedure at the Embassy?

  • Expedited procedure can only be used in Tallinn.

How long before expiration date should I renew my passport/ ID card?

  • We do not advise to wait until the expiry date is near, especially if you are planning to travel. Please consider that it takes approximately 6 weeks to 2 months for your documents to arrive.

I need a new passport, but I live very far from DC or New York. Is there another way to apply for the document which does not require me to travel long- distance?

  • Estonian Consulate General in New York does consular missions. Follow their homepage and social media to learn when the consul will be closer to you.

I need documents for my child. Do I need to bring him/her with me? What about pickup?

  • A child older than 12 needs to be fingerprinted. Younger children do not need to come in person. If the child is younger than 15 then the documents will be issued to legal guardian. If the child is between 15 and 18 years of age the child can pick the documents up himself/herself or the legal guardian can do it.

How do I know my documents have arrived?

  • Estonian passports and ID cards are issued by the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board. Information and contacts are on their homepage. You can see the status of you document here. Once it arrives to the Embassy we will notify you via e-mail.

I am an adult and I want to apply for my first ever Estonian document. What do I need to do?

When applying for the first ever Estonian passport for an adult you will need documents proving that an applicant is an Estonian citizen.

You need to have an original of a document indicating that at least one of your parents is an Estonian citizen (for example parent’s passport), and verification documents to prove that you are descended from a parent who is an Estonian citizen, i.e. your birth certificate with an apostille.

Documents referring to Estonian citizenship for the period from 1918 to 1940 can be obtained from:

  • Registers of Births, Deaths and Marriages (birth certificates, certificates of marriage and divorce, certificates on changing names, etc.);
  • the National Archives (certificates of Defense Forces, option certificates, school- leaving certificates, documents verifying the possession of real estate or working in the public service, etc.).

Printout of the Estonian Population Register (extracts, family event certificates)

The population register is a database which unites the main personal data on Estonian citizens, citizens of the European Union who have registered their residence in Estonia and aliens who have been granted a residence permit or right of residence in Estonia. The register is maintained and developed by the Ministry of the Interior, as the chief administrator of the register. The consul issues extracts and certificates of birth, death, marriage, divorce and name change from the population register. Certificates of family events are issued only for events registered in the population register. Certificates of birth, death, marriage, divorce, and name change are issued in Estonian, English, German, and French languages. All adults have the right to access the information entered in the population register regarding themselves, their minor children and individuals under their guardianship.
Extracts from the population register can be issued in both Estonian and English.

To apply for certificate or extract please present an application together with a copy of your passport/ID-card and state fee to the Consulate.

Certificate for marriage preventing circumstances

For getting married in the United States you might be asked to prove that you are single or that you are allowed to marry. Estonian citizens who have registered their place of residency to United States can apply for the certificate from the Consulate by post. The document is called a Marriage  Non-Impediment Certificate.

Please send us a filled application,  copy of your and your future spouse’s passport or ID-card and state fee.

According to the Estonian regulations the certificate will expire if the marriage is not contracted within six months after the certificate has been issued.

A certificate could be issued concerning the circumstances known (beyond doubt) to the consular officer.  To apply for certificate please present a relevant demand in writing together with a copy of your passport/ID-card and state fee to the Consulate.

Police clearance certificate

The Police clearance certificate/Certificate of good conduct is issued by the Estonian Punishment Register: Estonian Punishment Register.

In case you have an ID-card (with pin-codes and an ID-card reader) it is possible to apply for it online: www.e-toimik.ee

It is also possible to apply for it by post or email. An application form has to be sent to the following email ([email protected]) or by post to:
Nimekast nr 1563
Toompuiestee 33A
10402, Tallinn
ESTONIA

The certificate is in Estonian language and in case you order it yourself it will be issued for free. You can apply for a consul’s statement (Certificate for circumstances known to the consul) in English from the Consulate by post. In order to do so please send us your original certificate of good conduct (in Estonian), copy of your passport or ID-card and the state fee.