The Republic of Estonia has been part of the eurozone since 2011 and can be visited with an ETIAS visa. Those who were previously able to travel without a visa must now take a few minutes to increase their security in Europe.
Estonia in a nutshell
First, a few facts about Estonia that every traveller should know. Estonia is a parliamentary republic with the capital city of Tallinn. There are 1.3 million people living in an area of 45339 square kilometres. The nominal gross domestic product is 37 billion euros.
Estonia is the northernmost of the Baltic States, bordering Latvia, Russia and the Baltic Sea. The country is shaped by two cultural influences: Finland and Germany.
History of Estonia in brief
From the 13th century until after the second half of the 16th century, Estonia was ruled by vassals of the Teutonic Order, who joined together to form an autonomous national administration. From 1561, the Hanseatic cities and knighthoods took over the sovereignty of the country. This autonomous status was confirmed by the Swedish government. It lasted until the Russian conquest in 1710 during the Great Northern War.
Estonia remained under Russian rule until the October Revolution. It became independent on 24 February 1918. An electoral law was then drafted, guaranteeing both men and women the right to vote. In 1920 the parliament adopted a constitution.
In 1921 Estonia became a member of the League of Nations.
In 1939 and 1940, the Baltic Germans were resettled in Germany by the Nazis, as the Hitler-Stalin Pact annexed the Baltic states to the Soviet Union.
In 1940, the Soviet Union annexed Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. According to the Soviet view of history, Estonia joined the Soviet Union voluntarily, although there was an Estonian government in exile throughout Soviet rule. Other states did not recognise the annexation either.
In the years that followed, many Estonians were deported to the Gulag. Germany occupied Estonia from 1941 to 1944. After it was recaptured by Russia, Estonia was reincorporated into the Soviet Union.
In 1991, Estonia gained independence from the Soviet Union.
The Estonian political system
Estonia has been a parliamentary republic since independence. The parliament consists of 101 members and is called the Riigikogu. All citizens over the age of 18 have the right to vote, and those over 21 have the right to stand for election.
The Head of State is the President. He must be Estonian and not younger than 40. The President appoints ambassadors, awards medals and decorations and represents the country abroad. He has no governmental powers.
The prime minister is appointed by the president and parliament.
Voting takes place not only at polling stations but also via the Internet.
Entering ESTONIA with ETIAS
Currently, travellers can enter Estonia without an ETIAS. A valid passport is sufficient. However, as this goes against the European sense of security, the European authorities will introduce ETIAS by the end of the year.
Exactly what it will look like is of course not yet known, but you can take a look at the US ESTA.
It can be filled in on a computer or a mobile phone. The page should be easy to read, even on a small screen. When filling it in, it is important to enter all the information correctly. You may be asked to upload a picture from your passport. The data will then be transferred automatically. On the one hand, this minimises the source of errors, but on the other hand, the system is not exact, so errors can always occur. Therefore, it is important to check all data carefully.
The security questions must be answered correctly. An error may result in the application being rejected.
The traveller must then pay the fee and submit the application. In most cases, you will receive a response within a few hours. In exceptional cases it may take a little longer.
In the event of a rejection, it is possible to appeal and have the information checked again by a member of staff.
ETIAS makes travelling to Estonia safer
Time and again, terrorists carry out attacks on European soil. Sometimes they enter the Schengen area from abroad. To prevent this in the future, ETIAS is being introduced. The US has had a similar system - ESTA - for several years and has had good experience with it.
Some travellers will initially be annoyed that they now have to spend half an hour applying. But this is only a small amount of time because ETIAS is valid for three years. This means that the traveller can enter the country for 90 days within a 180-day period. So it is good value for money, and the traveller also benefits from the increased security.
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The Republic of Estonia has been part of the eurozone since 2011 and can be visited with an ETIAS visa. Those who were previously able to travel without a visa must now take a few minutes to increase their security in Europe.
Estonia in a nutshell
First, a few facts about Estonia that every traveller should know. Estonia is a parliamentary republic with the capital city of Tallinn. There are 1.3 million people living in an area of 45339 square kilometres. The nominal gross domestic product is 37 billion euros.
Estonia is the northernmost of the Baltic States, bordering Latvia, Russia and the Baltic Sea. The country is shaped by two cultural influences: Finland and Germany.
History of Estonia in brief
From the 13th century until after the second half of the 16th century, Estonia was ruled by vassals of the Teutonic Order, who joined together to form an autonomous national administration. From 1561, the Hanseatic cities and knighthoods took over the sovereignty of the country. This autonomous status was confirmed by the Swedish government. It lasted until the Russian conquest in 1710 during the Great Northern War.
Estonia remained under Russian rule until the October Revolution. It became independent on 24 February 1918. An electoral law was then drafted, guaranteeing both men and women the right to vote. In 1920 the parliament adopted a constitution.
In 1921 Estonia became a member of the League of Nations.
In 1939 and 1940, the Baltic Germans were resettled in Germany by the Nazis, as the Hitler-Stalin Pact annexed the Baltic states to the Soviet Union.
In 1940, the Soviet Union annexed Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. According to the Soviet view of history, Estonia joined the Soviet Union voluntarily, although there was an Estonian government in exile throughout Soviet rule. Other states did not recognise the annexation either.
In the years that followed, many Estonians were deported to the Gulag. Germany occupied Estonia from 1941 to 1944. After it was recaptured by Russia, Estonia was reincorporated into the Soviet Union.
In 1991, Estonia gained independence from the Soviet Union.
The Estonian political system
Estonia has been a parliamentary republic since independence. The parliament consists of 101 members and is called the Riigikogu. All citizens over the age of 18 have the right to vote, and those over 21 have the right to stand for election.
The Head of State is the President. He must be Estonian and not younger than 40. The President appoints ambassadors, awards medals and decorations and represents the country abroad. He has no governmental powers.
The prime minister is appointed by the president and parliament.
Voting takes place not only at polling stations but also via the Internet.
Entering ESTONIA with ETIAS
Currently, travellers can enter Estonia without an ETIAS. A valid passport is sufficient. However, as this goes against the European sense of security, the European authorities will introduce ETIAS by the end of the year.
Exactly what it will look like is of course not yet known, but you can take a look at the US ESTA.
It can be filled in on a computer or a mobile phone. The page should be easy to read, even on a small screen. When filling it in, it is important to enter all the information correctly. You may be asked to upload a picture from your passport. The data will then be transferred automatically. On the one hand, this minimises the source of errors, but on the other hand, the system is not exact, so errors can always occur. Therefore, it is important to check all data carefully.
The security questions must be answered correctly. An error may result in the application being rejected.
The traveller must then pay the fee and submit the application. In most cases, you will receive a response within a few hours. In exceptional cases it may take a little longer.
In the event of a rejection, it is possible to appeal and have the information checked again by a member of staff.
ETIAS makes travelling to Estonia safer
Time and again, terrorists carry out attacks on European soil. Sometimes they enter the Schengen area from abroad. To prevent this in the future, ETIAS is being introduced. The US has had a similar system - ESTA - for several years and has had good experience with it.
Some travellers will initially be annoyed that they now have to spend half an hour applying. But this is only a small amount of time because ETIAS is valid for three years. This means that the traveller can enter the country for 90 days within a 180-day period. So it is good value for money, and the traveller also benefits from the increased security.