International Protection

International protection encompasses all measures taken by the international community to ensure that persons forced to flee their home countries are not exposed to persecution, danger or serious harm, and that their fundamental rights are respected.

In Estonia, the Police and Border Guard Board (PBA) deals with asylum seekers and also cooperates with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The Ministry of Social Affairs also deals with asylum seekers.Since 2006, the field of asylum in Estonia has been regulated by the Act on the Granting of International Protection to Aliens.

An applicant for international protection is a foreign national who has submitted an application for international protection and whose case has not yet received a final decision.
A beneficiary of international protection is a person who has been granted refugee status or subsidiary protection status and a residence permit.
Refugee status is granted to a person for whom, under the 1951 Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, a well-founded fear of persecution has been established on the grounds of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.
Temporary protection is an exceptional measure provided for a foreign national who has fled armed conflicts or ongoing violence and whose life or well-being is at risk due to systematic or large-scale human rights violations, making it impossible to live safely and permanently in their home country.
Subsidiary protection: if a person does not meet the criteria for refugee status but faces a serious risk in the country of origin, such as the death penalty, torture or other inhuman or degrading treatment, they may receive subsidiary protection.
An internally displaced person is someone who is forced or obliged to flee their home or usual place of residence due to armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, human rights violations or natural disasters, and who has not crossed an internationally recognized state border.

In Estonia, the Police and Border Guard Board is responsible for receiving and processing applications for international protection.

The Asylum and Migration Management Reform entered into force on 11 June 2024, setting out comprehensive rules to reform and strengthen the EU's migration management and asylum system. The legal framework, which will apply from June 2026, reflects a commitment to balancing responsibility and solidarity between EU Member States and strengthens the EU's capacity to manage migration flows more fairly and effectively.

What is temporary protection?

Temporary protection is a residence permit that gives Ukrainian citizens and their family members similar rights as Estonian residents.

What is the duration of the residence permit if you receive temporary protection?

The duration of the residence permit is 1 year and the one-year residence permit is extended until the end of the protection period (3 years) or until a new EU Council decision.