After 2008, it was problematic to find a job in Estonia due to the global financial crisis. However, Western investments and loans have allowed the Estonian economy to develop in a positive direction. The unemployment rate has decreased, in 2018 it is no more than 5%. Moreover, in some industries there is a shortage of employees, so work in Estonia in 2018 is available to both highly qualified employees and those without qualifications.
Despite the large proportion of Russian speakers in the country (more than 30%), in order to quickly adapt to new conditions, we recommend preparing and learning either national or English language. As in other EU countries, you can legally get a job in Estonia and from direct employers only if not a single Estonian applies for it, so you can count on a good place with education, knowledge and experience.
It is logical that the country is interested in the employment of its citizens. However, the economy is developing, and young professionals tend to go to other countries where they pay more. Therefore, it is not problematic for Ukrainians, Russians and Belarusians to find work in Estonia. The main thing is to start with the official "path", especially since after 5 years of permanent residence there is every chance of obtaining citizenship of one of the EU countries.
Average salary - from 1,000 euros monthly. This is higher than in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece. Since 2013, there has been an increase in this indicator. Mandatory condition for obtaining a residence permit - after employment in Estonia, the salary must not be lower than the average level.
The largest number of places is in Tallinn. In other cities, it all depends on the season and population. Jobs in Estonia in the tourism sector are in demand. Here, employees need to know English and Russian. V agriculture available seasonal work in Estonia for women, men and students.
The Republic of Estonia is now one of the most successful countries on the territory of the former USSR. The leadership of the state maintains a normal level of the economy, the living conditions of its inhabitants and creates a good financial climate for foreign investment. Many foreigners have good business in Estonia.
Citizens with a Blue Card are more likely to find a job in the country
The time period within which residence permit applications are usually processed is two months.
How to look for a job in Tallinn?
- In the search process, you do not need to rely on quick result.
- Look for an employer or company directly.
- Make a good, as complete resume as possible, which will reveal the main skills and achievements.
- Take letters of recommendation employers.
- Take a trip to Estonia, look around and study the peculiarities of the Tallinn mentality.
- Find Russian-speaking labor migrants who already have work experience in Tallinn.
- Information about vacancies in Tallinn usually spreads through personal contacts, from person to person, therefore, the more contacts with local population- the more likely you are to find a job.
- Read reviews on the Internet, register in in social networks, study special sites.
- Focus on your professional skills and qualities. Employers in Tallinn will be primarily interested in what kind of education a potential employee has and how many languages he knows.
- The best employment option in Tallinn is contract work. This gives confidence that the place will not be lost in the middle of the season and guarantees a stable income. Foreigners who do not have a certain specialization cannot count on a contract.
The Importance of Education Level for Finding a Job
To find a decent job in Tallinn, you must have an education and relevant qualifications. Most the best way- this is the presence of a diploma from one of the Estonian universities, for example, you can graduate from the Tallinn Technical University, which is one of the best in the Baltic region.
To find a decent job in Tallinn, you can graduate from the Tallinn University of Technology
To understand whether a diploma is recognized higher education issued abroad in Estonia, you need to visit the website https://www.eesti.ee/en/index.htm. Here you can get acquainted with the list of professions that foreigners cannot get without special education and experience.
Most often, these are technicians of various directions, drivers of various categories, doctors and cultural figures. Studying this information will help you understand how great the chances of finding a job in Tallinn in 2020 are.
Salary levels in different regions of Estonia
If the employer is individual, then the salary of a foreigner will depend on the specific type of activity. Similarly, they usually pay in such cases:
- Babysitters or nurses.
- Individuals who provide advice on various issues.
- Working for the season.
In 2020, the personnel issue is still acute for citizens of the European Union - a good, stable job is worth its weight in gold, the situation in Estonia is no exception: according to statistics, in February, about 6% of the population were not employed. Therefore, for a foreigner to find a decent position in this country is something out of the realm of fantasy. Nevertheless, this is a rather popular destination for Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians who dream of a change of scenery and moving to a more developed state.
Estonian kroon, replaced by Euro in 2010
The easiest way to find a place for yourself is to seek help from special agencies. All possible difficulties will be taken care of by professionals. A positive feature of Estonian intermediaries is the fact that in most cases the costs are covered by the employer. Thus, the applicant is spared from additional financial expenses.
You can do without intermediaries if you constantly browse the Internet sites dedicated to employment. It makes sense to place your resume on one of them. Perhaps you will interest a potential boss with your personal and professional qualities. Job advertisements are placed in Estonian newspapers. The most famous are EestiEkspress, EestiPaevaleht and Postimees.
Searching for ads in newspapers is an up-to-date way to find a job in Estonia
Finally, you can purposefully look for a place in one of the companies that attracts you personally. Firms often publish information about the specialists they need. It is better not only to send a resume, but even call back in person, demonstrating your interest.
Requirements for applicants
Work in Estonia for Russians is available only for those who speak Estonian. Although the majority of the population is still fluent in Russian, especially older people, all documentation and business conversation principally conducted in the national language. In this Baltic country, they are very reverent about the issue of Soviet occupation (as they call the period from 1940 to 1990, when Estonia was part of the USSR), so they defend their national identity with all their might. However, there is no negative attitude towards foreigners, even visitors from Russia, despite widespread rumors about the hostility of Estonians towards Russian-speaking citizens.
In order to get a job in the specialty, you need a diploma that meets European standards. Ideally, the applicant should have graduated from one of the higher education institutions of the European Union, the USA or Canada. Residents of the post-Soviet space still have the opportunity to confirm their diploma by passing certification from a special commission. For most positions, a master's degree is preferred, but bachelors also have good chances.
The next important nuance is the presence of experience, at least two or three years. Without it, it is impossible to even start building a career, since top managers are not interested in training employees. Currently, the competition is such that there are enough applicants with a sufficient level of qualifications and skills, so spending time explaining responsibilities and educating staff does not make sense.
Paperwork
Migrants can do without permission if they plan to spend no more than 6 months on the territory of the state. Another feature that allows this is . In all other situations, you will definitely need to issue a document. You can carry out this procedure both outside the country and being on its territory. In the first case, you need to apply to the consulate, and in the second, to the state structure called the Police and Border Guard Department.
Before you start labor activity, the foreigner must immediately register his permit with the police upon entry. In addition, it is forbidden to change jobs. This paper is valid for 1 year, after which it is possible to extend it for a longer period by presenting a work contract and a passport.
As in the entire European Union, the employer has the right to invite a foreigner to a position only when none of the local citizens meets the requirements. These measures are the fight against mass migration of residents of less prosperous countries, as well as the protection of their own population from the loss of jobs and unfair competition from visitors.
For the same reason, based on numerous reviews, obtaining a work visa (category D) is not an easy task. It is practically impossible to obtain this document without first signing a contract with an Estonian company. You will need to fill out and print out a questionnaire on the embassy website, pay a fee and a consular fee, and provide information about the availability of funds in a bank account.
An Estonian work visa looks like a tourist visa, but the category says D instead of C
Jobs for Russians
Estonia is the first state in the post-Soviet space that has introduced a system e-democracy. Currently, voting, as well as most of the bureaucratic procedures, is carried out via the Internet. That is why specialists in the IT field are in great demand: programmers, system administrators, website developers. Salaries are very decent: from 1000 to 2000 euros and even more in some cases. Along with IT specialists, finance specialists are in demand: bank employees, insurance agents, and so on. Mostly this work in Tallinn.
Statistics of average salaries in Estonia, Euro per month
Seasonal work in agriculture involves short-term employment in Estonia. Here willingly take couples, mainly harvesting in the fields. Without experience, you can also get a job as a nurse or nanny in a family with a child or an elderly relative.
picking cranberries
There are available vacancies for metallurgists, shipbuilders, equipment and machine tool operators. Highly skilled workers will also not sit idle. However, all this is possible only in a situation where Estonians do not apply for these positions, otherwise a foreigner will not be able to take a vacant position.
And finally, a high-quality motivational video about working in Estonia (in English):
If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.
Today, in most cases, work in Estonia is provided to highly qualified specialists who have graduated from higher schools countries and having the corresponding diploma. As a result, unemployment is kept at a very high level, which reduces the chances of emigrants for employment in this country. But even with the necessary education, finding a job is not so easy.
Tooipea Castle in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia
In order to find a job in Estonia, foreigners need Work Visa and special permission. The second document is issued if the emigrant has found an employer from this country. The owner of the enterprise should present a certificate of consent to the employment of a foreigner in his company.
An Estonian employer is allowed to hire Ukrainians, Belarusians, and Russian emigrants only after he provides full information to the authorities that not a single native of Estonia meets the requirements for the position. In most cases, entrepreneurs rarely engage in such activities. This applies to all EU countries without exception in 2020.
Those wishing to find a job in Estonia need to learn the state language, despite the fact that most of the population knows and speaks Russian. 
It turns out that without knowing the Estonian language, employment is almost impossible. But for those who do not care about this fact and have a desire to get a job in Estonia, you should first find an interesting and suitable field of activity.
You can start searching on Estonian sites on the Internet, where entrepreneurs post vacancies of their enterprises. You should also look at job advertisements on the Internet resources of Estonian newspapers. You can increase the likelihood of finding a job by browsing the official websites of some companies that are looking for professionals for a specific position. It is worth sending your resume or calling the company. Perhaps the entrepreneur will be interested and invite you for an interview.
Programmers are in high demand. This is because the IT field has received good development in Estonia, while knowledge of the state language is not necessary. 
Specialists in this field can earn 500 - 2500 euros per month, depending on seniority and work experience.
In addition to programmers, jobs in Estonia are provided to employees in the financial sector. Jobs for bank clerks, insurance agents and others are offered here. But for employment in this area, you need to know a few foreign languages and have a higher education diploma that is listed in the European Union.
If you manage to find a job in Estonia, you can apply for a permit to live freely in the country for the duration employment contract.
But this period is limited to two years. After this time, it will be necessary to renew the permit.
Also important point is that having arrived in this state, it is necessary to register within 30 days at the place of actual residence.
form for registration of residence in Estonia
In addition, to find a suitable vacancy, you can resort to the services of agencies specializing in the employment of citizens. With a positive outcome, the entrepreneur pays all the costs of the office.
Required documents
For employment of Russian emigrants and Ukrainians, you must have with you:
- Long-term Estonian visa category D;
- Work permit. It is issued regardless of the visa;
- The consent of the entrepreneur in writing on the employment of an emigrant.
Work Permit
Such a document allows emigrants to obtain employment in Estonia for the duration of this permit. Without it, foreigners can work in this country for no more than six months. In this case, before the start of employment, it is necessary to register it. Based on this, citizens of other states who have a residence permit are prohibited from changing their place of work on the territory of Estonia. 
Registration of short-term work is not required if the emigrant already has a residence permit in Estonia and stays on its territory legally and legally on this basis. He needs to apply for a work permit or for employment.
Citizens of another state are allowed to apply for registration of work for a short period in two cases:
- If residents of other countries, and without it;
- For EU citizens who are allowed to work for three months from the date of arrival in the country when obtaining the right of residence.
In some cases, a work permit is not required:
- The emigrant has a residence permit for a long-term resident;
- A foreign citizen has a residence permit for work;
- A resident of another state who applied for a residence permit before 07/12/95 and received it.
An application for a work permit must be submitted to the Estonian Police and Border Guard Department.
Jobs required in Estonia
In Estonia, there are vacancies that are in particular demand:
- Service specialists.
- Sales Representatives.
- Equipment and machine operators.
- Highly skilled workers.
- Shipbuilders.
- Metallurgy workers.
In Estonia, IT specialists are highly valued, who can earn up to 2,000 euros per month. Along with programmers, professionals in the financial sector are also required, which include bank employees, insurance agents and others. As a rule, knowledge of the state language is not so important for IT specialists, while for the second category it is one of the important criteria for employment.
In addition, it is important to have sufficient experience in this field. Also, when hiring, Estonian entrepreneurs pay attention to a diploma of higher education.
Estonian higher education diploma
Specialists who have been trained in European universities are highly valued. The smallest salary in Estonia is 320 euros per month.
After employment, a foreign worker is issued a residence permit for a period not exceeding 2 years. In the event that the employer, at the end of the employment contract, provides the emigrant with work in the future, then the employee's permit to stay in Estonia is extended for five years. After crossing the borders of the state, a foreign worker must receive registration at the place of residence within a month.
