Legislation

(Unofficial translation into English)¹

(Excerpts)

CITIZENSHIP ACT

Consolidated text, adopted on 11.02.2004

Passed January 19, 1995 (RT² I 1995, 12, 122), entered into force April 1, 1995, amended by the following Acts:

11.02.2004 entered into force 20.03.2004 – RT I 2004, 12, 80;

10.12.2003 entered into force 01.01.2004 – RT I 2003, 82, 550;

29.01.2003 entered into force 01.03.2003 – RT I 2003, 18, 101;

15.10.2002 entered into force 10.11.2002 – RT I 2002, 90, 518;

19.06.2002 entered into force 01.08.2002 – RT I 2002, 62, 376;

05.06.2002 entered into force 01.07.2002 – RT I 2002, 53, 336;

14.11.2001 entered into force 01.02.2002 – RT I 2001, 93, 565;

14.06.2000 entered into force 10.07.2000 – RT I 2000, 51, 323;

08.12.98 entered into force 12.07.99 – RT I 1998, 111, 1827;

18.10.95 entered into force 20.11.95 – RT I 1995, 83, 1442.

[...]

CHAPTER II

CONDITIONS FOR ACQUISITION OF ESTONIAN CITIZENSHIP

[...]

§ 6. Conditions for acquisition of Estonian citizenship by naturalization

An alien who wishes to acquire Estonian citizenship by naturalization shall:

[...]

3. have knowledge of the Estonian language in accordance with the requirements provided for in § 8 of this Act;

[...]

§ 8. Requirements for and assessment of knowledge of the Estonian language

1. For the purposes of this Act, knowledge of the Estonian language means general knowledge of basic Estonian needed in everyday life.
2. The requirements for knowledge of the Estonian language are as follows:
1. listening comprehension (official statements and announcements; danger and warning announcements, news, descriptions of events and explanations of phenomena);
2. speech (conversation and narration, use of questions, explanations, assumptions and commands; expressing one's opinion; expressing one's wishes);
3. reading comprehension (official statements and announcements; public notices, news, sample forms, journalistic articles, messages, catalogues, user manuals, traffic information, questionnaires, reports, minutes, rules);
4. writing (writing applications, authorization documents, letters of explanation, curriculum vitae; completion of forms, standard forms and tests).
3. Knowledge of the Estonian language is assessed by way of examination. The procedure for the holding of the examinations shall be established by the Government of the Republic.
4. A person who passes the examination shall be issued a corresponding certificate.
5. Persons who have acquired basic, secondary or higher education in the Estonian language are not required to pass the examination.

§ 8 (1). Compensation for language training expenses

1. Up to one hundred per cent of the fee for Estonian language training paid to a private school holding an education license by a person who has passed the Estonian language examination provided for in subsection 8 (3) of this Act and the examination on the knowledge of the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia and the Citizenship Act provided for in subsection 9 (2) of this Act shall be reimbursed to the person within the limit established by the Government of the Republic.
2. The Minister of Education and Research shall appoint an approved body to the carry out the reimbursement of language training expenses.
3. In order to have his or her language training expenses reimbursed, a person who has passed the Estonian language examination and the examination on the knowledge of the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia and the Citizenship Act shall, not later than within three months after passing both of the examinations, submit an application together with a copy of an identity document and a document certifying the payment of the language training expenses or an officially certified transcript thereof to the body approved by the Minister of Education and Research.
4. The body approved by the Minister of Education and Research shall transfer the compensation for language training expenses to the bank account indicated in the application of a person who has passed the Estonian language examination and the examination on the knowledge of the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia and the Citizenship Act not later than within two months as of the date of the submission of the application.

(10.12.2003 entered into force 01.01.2004 – RT I 2003, 82, 550)

[...]

§ 12. Documents submitted for acquisition of Estonian citizenship by naturalization

1. In order to acquire Estonian citizenship by naturalization, a person shall submit a holographic application written in Estonian which sets out the following details concerning him or her:

[...]

4. mother tongue;

[...]

2. In addition to the application, the person shall submit:

[...]

7. a certificate of his or her knowledge of the Estonian language in accordance with § 8 of this Act or documents certifying that he or she has acquired basic, secondary or higher education in Estonian;

[...]

CHAPTER VII

FINAL PROVISIONS

[...]

§ 34. Special requirements for knowledge of the Estonian language

1. Persons who apply for Estonian citizenship and who were born prior to January 1, 1930 are granted exemption from the requirements provided for in clause 8 (2) 4) of this Act upon taking the language examination.

[...]

§ 36 (1). Implementation of compensation for language training expenses

1. Until December 31, 2005, up to 50 percent of the fee for Estonian language training paid to a private school holding an education license by a person who has passed the Estonian language examination and the examination on the knowledge of the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia and the Citizenship Act shall be reimbursed to the person within the limit established by the Government of the Republic.
2. The fee for Estonian language training paid by a person who has passed the Estonian language examination and the examination on the knowledge of the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia and the Citizenship Act and who commenced the Estonian language training before 1 January 2004 shall be reimbursed to the person even if the educational and training institution conducting the training does not hold an education license. (10.12.2003 entered into force 01.01.2004 – RT I 2003, 82, 550)

Source: Mercator, Bulletin No. 60, IV Quarter 2004, http://www.ciemen.org/mercator/index-gb.htm

¹ Full text available at the Estonian Legal Language Center's website: www.legaltext.ee

² RT = Riigi Teataja = State Gazette

Top of page