Estonia

You will not lose temporary protection If you leave Estonia temporarily, you are allowed to travel temporarily to Ukraine, even repeatedly for as long as your temporary protection status is valid.

Social benefits are paid to you during the period of temporary protection. After the temporary protection and residence permit expires or is invalidated, you will not be paid the allowances provided for in Estonia.

Yes, it’s necessary to inform the authorities if you choose to return to Ukraine. If circumstances change and you decide to re-enter Estonia again, you may reapply for temporary protection after its initial termination.

If you leave Estonia permanently for Ukraine or another country:

• inform the local authority where you lived via email or phone call;
• notify the Police and Border Guard Board of your departure by writing to [email protected];
• If you have previously been designated as a tax resident in Estonia, submit the application for designation of residence to the Estonian Tax and Customs Board
• if you are registered as unemployed inform your consultant at the Unemployment Fund via email or phone;
• if your child/children are attending school in Estonia and you are leaving Estonia permanently, you must also inform the school where your child/children are studying. To do this, submit a signed application to the school to withdraw your child/children from school. The application must be signed by the parent or legal representative of the child.

Be cautious of people who offer you help but cannot provide you with official documentation to identify themselves and their organization. Keep your personal information and documents safe and confidential. If you feel that you are in danger, call emergency number 112.  

To report a suspected case of human trafficking you also reach out to call the Social Insurance Board’s victim assistance crisis phone number 116 006, which works 24/7.

Documents that can be used to enter Ukraine:

• Biometric passport (passport for traveling abroad)
• Diplomatic or service passport
• Valid child’s travel document
• Crew member ID card/seaman ID card
• Certificate for return to Ukraine

If your biometric passport has expired, you can extend it at the Ukrainian embassy in Estonia. 

Please note that Ukrainian men aged 18-60 years of age may not be able to obtain a passport or certain consular services abroad without an updated military booklet. For information on the latest procedures for men to renew or obtain their identity documentation while abroad, please check the clarification from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

If you left Ukraine with an internal passport (book-shaped) or ID card, you can still return to Ukraine. To do so, obtain a certificate for return to Ukraine from the Ukrainian embassy in Estonia (the certificate is issued on the same day).

In principle, citizens of Ukraine cannot be denied entry to Ukraine.

If your child/children are attending school in Estonia and you leave Estonia permanently, you must inform the school where your child/children are attending. To do this, submit a signed application to the school to withdraw your child/children from school. The application must be signed by the parent or the child’s legal representative. It is recommended to ask the school for an official document acknowledging your child’s studies and educational achievements, which will facilitate the recognition of your child’s education back in Ukraine.

More information on what information the documents should include can be found on the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science’s webpage.

Children under the age of 18 cannot be left alone and a guardian responsible for their well-being and representing them in necessary matters must be assigned. Please contact Estonian Social Insurance Board or a social worker in your municipality for more information and guidance.

Citizens of Ukraine cannot be denied entry to Ukraine under no circumstances. Children are subject to the same entry and exit control as adults. Please refer to State Border Guard Service of Ukraine for detailed information (under section “Виїзд дітей”). Those crossing the border should have a passport or other document confirming their identity or at least a birth certificate. Children can cross the border with a birth certificate issued abroad.

In case there are no documents, in all countries apart from those where consular relations are ceased (i.e. Russian Federation), children would need to be assisted in obtaining a return certificate based on any documents that can confirm connection to Ukraine (and possessing its citizenship). Consulates may issue a return certificate based on copies of documents.

If a child is entering alone or with a non-parent adult, State Border Guard Service of Ukraine shall contact local child protection services, unless they have information about parents awaiting the child. It is advised to inform the Border Guard post that the parent is expecting the child on the Ukrainian side of the border in advance.

Please note that a child should also meet the exit requirements of the host country – please contact your local Ukrainian consulate to ask for information and get the required documents for return. In some cases, a birth certificate cannot be used as a travel document.

You have the option to obtain information from the state health portal at or acquire copies of your medical records from your family doctor. The issuance of medical records copies follows the protocols of the healthcare service provider and may incur a fee.

You will need to obtain a disability certificate issued in Ukraine. It can be done on arrival or remotely – please check the instructions on the governmental portal. 

Please note that even if your disability certificate obtained in Ukraine has expired, the document is automatically extended and is considered valid until 6 months after the end of martial law in Ukraine.

Please reach out to the Estonian Tax and Customs Board for personalized advice.

If you decide to relocate back to Ukraine and will no longer use your bank account in Estonia, it is advisable to inform the bank accordingly. If there is no activity on the account for a period of time, the bank may choose to close it.

But please note that each bank prepares its own general terms and conditions of the contract, with which the client must be introduced before signing the contract. It is in accordance with the provisions of this contract that legal relations between the payment service provider and the client are concluded, executed, and terminated.