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Estonian Passport and ID Card

Estonian passport and ID card can be applied:

It takes approximately 2 to 3 months from submitting the application until the documents reach the Consulate General or the Honorary Consul. Ordering documents via self-service portal may shorten the time-frame to receive the documents.

State fee shall be paid to initiate the application process. The rates differ based on the method of application submission and the place of issuance of the documents. The reference number shall be added while making the bank transfer for the payment to be accepted.

Applying at the self-service portal

Applying documents from the self-service portal is possible if a person has a valid ID card, Mobile-ID or Smart-ID. Fingerprints have to be valid in order to file an application and this information can be checked from here.

Applying by post

Fingerprint images of the applicant need to be valid in order to submit the application by mail. Check the validity of the fingerprints here before submitting the application.

Application and accompanying documents shall be sent directly to the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board:

Politsei- ja Piirivalveamet
Pärnu mnt 139
15060 Tallinn
Estonia

A notification by e-mail will be sent to inform the applicant after the passport, ID card or both have reached the issuing location.

Applying at the Consulate

Before attending the Consulate book an appointment through online calendar.

A person should apply at the Consulate General if:

  • they are submitting the application of an initial passport/ID card
  • fingerprint images have lost their validity or haven’t been previously collected
  • it is not possible to apply via self-service
  • a third party is going to be authorized to collect the documents on behalf of the applicant
  • the applicant wishes to submit the application at the Consulate General.

Following documents shall be presented for an initial passport/ID card:

  • standard application form; the application form shall be filled in with a black pen or ink pen and in capital Latin letters. The application form shall not have any corrections. Please see additional instructions here
  • additional form
  • birth certificate
  • valid photo ID (passport, in the absence of a passport any other photo ID)
  • proof of Estonian citizenship
    • parents’ or grandparents’ Estonian passport or ID card
    • original documents regarding the citizenship; some statements can be retrieved from the Estonian National Archives. Estonian birth, marriage, death and other vital statistics documents can be ordered through the Consulate
  • confirmation of the paid state fee if the fee is paid in advance via bank transfer.

Following documents shall be presented to apply for a renewal of a passport/ID card:

  • standard application form; the application form should be filled in with a black pen or ink pen and in capital Latin letters. The application form should not have any corrections. Please see additional instructions here
  • valid photo ID (passport, in the absence of a passport any other Photo ID)
  • document certifying the change of personal information, if applicable
  • confirmation of the paid state fee, if the fee is paid in advance via bank transfer

One colored digital document photo should be sent to [email protected]. Subject line of the email should contain applicant’s name and personal ID code/date of birth. Photo taken with a smart phone is accepted if it meets the requirements, please see video clip made by Police and Border Guard Board. There is no photobooth at the Consulate General.

All documents issued in the United States (e.g. birth & marriage certificates, etc.) should be authenticated with an Apostille by the State Secretary of the state where they were issued. The Apostille is a document certifying the authenticity of the official signature on the document, the capacity in which the person signing the document acted, and the identity of any stamp or seal affixed to the document. Information on obtaining the Apostille is available here. Documents issued by other countries might need legalization. More information is available here.

Options to receive documents

  • at the Estonian foreign representation. In the Unites States, the Estonian foreign representations are located in San Francisco, New York and Washington D.C.
  • at the Service Office of the Police and Border Guard Board in Estonia
  • from the Honorary Consuls. There are 14 Estonian Honorary Consuls in the US located all over the country. NB! Documents cannot be issued in Kentucky and Ohio.
  • by postal services if the passport issuing place was chosen to be San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Seattle or Phoenix. It is not possible to mail the passport if the application was submitted by mail. ID cards cannot be sent by mail.

A written consent should be presented at the Consulate during the application submission process if the applicant wants to authorize a third party to pick up the documents. This information cannot be added or changed later in the process.

Passport without fingerprints and 1 year validity

This passport can only be applied if

  • a person has been previously issued Estonian citizen’s passport or ID card
  • a person is staying in a foreign country where there is no foreign representation of the Republic of Estonia, or where it is disproportionately burdensome to contact a foreign representation of the Republic of Estonia.

This passport can only be ordered by post or at the self-service portal. The applicant has to submit a written explanation or other evidence concerning the reason for the necessity to issue a passport without fingerprint images, together with an explanation of why it is not possible to apply for a passport according to ordinary procedures.