Estonia: applying European law will force employers to better pay third-country employees

In Estonia, citizens from the European Union (EU) and Switzerland don’t need a work permit to perform paid employment. All they have to do is declare their place of residence within three months after they arrive to get a temporary residence permit for five years. On the other hand, third-country nationals are subject to the Aliens Act and have to get a work permit to perform paid employment in Estonia. These permits can only be awarded to aliens who have a contract with a company registered in Estonia. Beforehand, the employer has to ensure that he couldn’t find among Estonia’s active population (including foreign residents) a person matching his needs in terms of qualifications or skills via a job offer published at national level for at least three weeks.
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contract with a company registered in Estonia. Beforehand, the employer has to ensure that he couldn’t find among Estonia’s active population (including foreign residents) a person matching his needs in terms of qualifications or skills via a job offer published at national level for at least three weeks.

However, the law provides that third-country citizens may, in some cases, work for shorter periods – up to six months – without a work permit. For this, the employer simply has to notify it to

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