Ideally, the digital nomad visa is a permit making the traveling professionals stay in a country into legal status. It supposed to be easy to obtain legal status, allowing longer stay than a regular tourism purpose yet does not require long paperwork or a work contract (sponsor) in the respective country.

Aim

From August 1st, 2020 Estonia is, on paper, welcoming digital nomads (location independent professional) to a remote work visa to stay in Estonia for up to 12 months. A perfect way to promote that work does not need to be what it has always been. Once again, Estonia is trying to demolish borders to help the world to work together. I, as a young professional, can't think of anything more exciting than having Estonia to become a hotspot for professionals, from all over the world, with who to create awesome projects or network for professional growth purposes and collaboration. 

Target groups

The Estonian digital nomad visa covers the following target groups:

1. freelancers and consultants who offer their services mostly to clients who have establishments in a foreign country and with who they have contracts; 

2. teleworking for a foreign employer with who you have a work contract;

3. teleworking while having your company registered abroad (being a partner

   /shareholder)

This visa option is supposed to not discriminate on nationality or restrict based on the sector you work in. In addition, there is no yearly limit to how many visas are given, therefore it offers flexibility on applying for it on a need-to-have basis. 

Tweaks I would make

Understandable no policy is ever perfect from the start, the same with the Estonian digital nomad visa. Good first step towards upgrade is to have an understanding on what are the shortcomings.

✨ The Estonian digital nomad visa is equalized with a tourism visa, meaning in the COVID-19 situation, having a digital nomad visa, it does not allow border crossing or entry to Estonia. For example, in September 2021, the only countries allowed travel to Estonia are EU member countries; Schengen countries; United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Australia, Japan, Canada, South-Korea, Rwanda, Thai, Tunisia, Uruguay, and New-Zealand. This makes it a very unattractive option compared to the digital nomad visas that other countries have released after the Estonian announcement. Bermuda on the contrary is allowing everyone in, meaning they do attract a wider audience for the digital nomad program. The same with Georgia, who is not allowing any tourism except Germany, France, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, yet have decided that all approved digital nomads are also allowed entry to the country no matter their nationality. 

✨ The visa can be applied only in Estonia or at an Estonian Representation that handles visa applications. That can be counted as a very restrictive solution, as Estonia only has 22 Embassies that take in visa applications (and 5 of those are inside the Schengen area). This also pumps up the costs for obtaining the visa, as the applicant has the additional expenses of flights and accommodations, to make their way to an Estonian Representation. Overall, this might be even more expensive than the one-time fee (around 1700 euros) Barbados is implementing for its online application system. And hold on to your chair, as the digital nomad visa application fee for Bermuda is only 223 euros! 

✨ A in-person visit to the Estonian Embassy is a must. Once again, that means the applicant has to have a way to visit one of the 22 embassies in-person. Not a very attractive solution for a so-called digital country Estonia claims to be! For example, the Bermuda digital nomad visa application process is fully online and takes around 30 minutes to fill. The same goes for the online application for the Georgian digital nomad visa, which also does not need an in-person visit.

✨ The application processing time first depends on when you get a visa appointment in the embassy, and then secondly it will take at least 15 to 30 days after you have submitted the application. Not a quick process at all. For comparison, the Bermuda digital nomad visa takes around 5 business days to get approved and the Georgian one up to 10 business days. 

✨ The minimum monthly income threshold is set 2,5 times higher than the average monthly income in Estonia. Compared to the threshold some other countries are placing, 3504 euros does seem a bit too much. For example, the threshold (that you do not have to prove, but just have to confirm by submitting the application) for Barbados is a 3500-euro gross monthly income. I mean, it is Barbados! The minimum monthly income for the Georgian digital nomad visa is 1700 euros. 

The competition

All in all, comparing the different digital nomads and freelance visa programs, Estonia is competing with around 8 countries altogether. From those, the toughest competition for sure is Georgia with their very quick and flexibly online visa application system, super good flight connections, very manageable cost of living, easy to fill visa requirements, and an overall good score for a life of a digital nomad. It is good to be first at coming out with a digital nomad visa, but I would any day choose to come out with my solution later and at least be the best option. Luckily, regulations are not supposed to be set in stone, so Estonia still has a chance to quickly adapt the visa requirements and come out with fast and user-friendly digital (visa application) solution we are supposedly known for!

Better than others?

Nevertheless, if a person is already located in a country with an Estonian Embassy or has an option to go to the embassy in-person, then obtaining the visa is not expensive nor difficult. And having a digital nomad visa from Estonia offers so many options perfect for a digital nomad.

Read more about why visit Estonia, why choose Estonia and what is e-Estonia. Don't forget to have a look at what is e-residency in Estonia!