Estonian alien's passport
An Estonian Alien's Passport (Estonian: välismaalase pass) is a travel document that may be issued to a person who is stateless or of undefined citizenship residing in Estonia by the Police and Border Guard Board of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It can also be used as an identity document. Estonia has about 80,000 to 90,000 alien's passports.
| Estonian alien's passport | |
|---|---|
 The front cover of an Estonian alien's passport | |
 Identity page of the Estonian alien's passport | |
| Type | Passport |
| Issued by |  |
| Purpose | Identification |
| Eligibility | Undefined citizenship residing in Estonia |
History
After independence in 1991, the Estonian government automatically granted Estonian citizenship to the persons who resided in the country before its annexation by the Soviet Union in 1940, as well as to their descendants. Those who could not prove that or arrived after 1940 and their children born in Estonia or elsewhere could acquire Estonian citizenship on condition that they be proficient in the Estonian language and know the country's history. But about 125,000 people (most but not all of whom were Russian speakers) who failed the tests or refused to take them have become stateless, or “non-citizens”, who hold a grey passport. Tens of thousands have opted for the red Russian passports proposed by Moscow. After a change in the law in 1995, all children born in Estonia after 1992 may obtain Estonian citizenship unconditionally.
Identity information page
The Estonia Passport includes the following data:
- Photo of passport holder
- Type (P for ordinary passports)
- Code of Issuing State (EST)
- Passport No.
- Surname
- Given Names
- Date of Birth
- Personal No.
- Sex
- Place of Birth
- Date of Issue
- Authority
- Date of Expiry
- Holder's Signature
The information page ends with the Machine Readable Zone.
Visa requirements
The vast majority of nations which provide visa-free entry to Estonian citizens with an Estonian passport do not allow visa-free entry to holders of the Estonian alien's passport, who are not Estonian citizens.
Unlike Estonian citizens, holders of an Estonian alien's passport do not enjoy the Freedom of movement within the EU and the Schengen area. They are only allowed to stay in other Schengen area countries for up to 90 days in a 6-month period.
Moreover, holders of an Estonian alien's passport cannot legally work in other EU countries without a work permit.[1]
See also
- Estonian passport
- Russians in Estonia
- Non-citizens (Latvia)
- E-residency of Estonia is a concept independent of nationality giving non-Estonian residents access to Estonian financial services.