Work & Business

Yes, with the right permit. The Digital Nomad Visa allows you to freelance for non-Estonian clients during your 12-month stay. For a longer-term freelance operation, you need the residence permit for enterprise (minimum €16,000 investment as a sole proprietor) or register an Estonian OÜ company.

Visit e-resident.gov.ee, apply for your e-Residency kit (€100–€120, ~4 weeks), collect it at the nearest Estonian embassy. Then register your OÜ (private limited company) online via the Business Register portal in under an hour. The minimum share capital is €0.01, making it essentially a no-cost setup.

The national average salary is approximately €1,800/month net (2025). In Tallinn's tech sector, senior developers earn €3,000–€5,000/month net. International companies often pay above-average Estonian rates to attract talent. Salaries are lower than Western Europe but living costs are proportionally lower.

Yes - English is the working language at most Tallinn tech startups and international companies. Bolt, Wise, Pipedrive, and Veriff all hire internationally and operate primarily in English. Networking events, startup meetups, and hack events are numerous in Tallinn's thriving tech community.

Key 2026 changes: employers must now prove 6+ months of economic activity to sponsor non-EU workers; business registration is increasingly required even for short-term arrangements; non-EU workers seeking permanent residency must now demonstrate A2-level Estonian language proficiency.