Estonian Consulate SFO, San Francisco- 5 Easy Steps to Apply for Estonia Schengen Visa
The Baltic State of Estonia is certainly one of the most interesting of the Schengen countries. There is plenty to keep you amused during your time there. Spend time in Tallinn, one of Europe’s most beautiful capital cities or get out into nature at one of the many national parks. Whether it’s culture, nightlife, or exploring its beauty, one thing is for sure – you’ll love everything about Estonia! In this article learn more about how to apply for Estonia visa at the Estonian consulate in San Francisco, California, Estonia visa appointment booking, Processing time at the Estonia visa application center, flight itinerary for Estonia visa, hotel bookings for Estonia visa, Schengen travel insurance for Estonia visa application, and Estonia Visa Application Process at the San Francisco embassy.
Estonia Schengen Visa
In 2017, 138,249 Schengen visa applications were received for Estonia. 1,671 of these applications were rejected. There were no figures for the number of Estonia visa applications received by the consulate of Italy in San Francisco.
Applying for a Schengen Visa from the United States
If you were born in the US, you do NOT need a visa to visit Estonia. However, if you were not born in the US, but you live in the United States on a permanent basis, you DO need a visa for Estonia.
You have to make sure you apply at the right Estonian embassy and consulate. None of the Estonian representative offices in the US issue visa applications. Instead, you must apply to the relevant country who represents Estonia in the United States. Therefore, if you live in San Francisco, you will submit your application to the Consulate General of Italy in San Francisco.
If you live in any other area, check the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia for further information.
The Consulate General of Italy in San Francisco deals with visa applications from residents of the following areas:
- California (except the following counties, which are under the jurisdiction of the Italian Consulate in Los Angeles: Imperial Valley, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Ventura), Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, American Territories of Samoa, American Territory of Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Johnston Atoll, Wake Island, Midways Islands
So, if you live in any of the above areas, you may submit your visa application for Estonia to the office in San Francisco.
Types of Schengen Visas Offered at the Consulate General of Italy in San Francisco
There are 2 types of visas for Estonia available at the Consulate General of Italy in San Francisco:
- Schengen/ Short-stay visa – up to 90 days for the purposes of Tourism, business (including academic conferences), study, and airport transit
- National visa/Long-stay visa – over 90 days for the purposes of work, religious activities, mission purposes, family reasons, study, residency, and research
The visa you apply for will depend on the duration of your trip and your reason for wanting to go to Estonia.
Visas are usually issued as:
- Single entry – 1 entry
- Double entry – Up to 2 entries
- Multiple entry – Unlimited entries
Schengen Visa Application Process at the Consulate General of Italy in San Francisco
The Consulate of Italy in San Francisco processes visa applications in 7-15 days, but your application could take longer depending on the type of visa you are applying for and your nationality. You can apply UP TO 90 days ahead, so apply well in advance of your departure date.
Here are a few steps to help you apply for your Estonia visa:
Step 1: Book your appointment
Making appointments with the embassy or visa application center is generally free and can be done yourself. However, If you are running short of time or not sure which consulate to apply to or have no idea on how to get this done yourself then not to worry, we will make the appointment for you for a small service fee!
Booking a visa appointment using our services is pretty simple! All you have to do is follow the 3 simple steps below:
- Visit the link to schedule the visa appointment
- Submit the appointment details, visa you are applying for, consulate you need the appointment for, the country you need the appointment IN and make the payment
- Receive appointment confirmation in email
You can also make appointments on your own by following the below steps.
- Book an appointment in order to submit your application to the consulate in San Francisco. Go to the consulate’s website and click on: “Visas”:
- On the next page, click on: “Click here to book an appointment”:
- You will be directed to the consulate’s online booking system – Prenota Online:
- You will need to register as a new user:
- Then, login:
If you have trouble finding a suitable appointment, you must keep checking the online booking system for cancellations.
Please note, if your departure date is less than 20 days from when you book an appointment, you can book under the “Emergency” category. If no “Emergency” appointment is available, send an email to visti.sanfrancisco@esteri.it with the subject line as “Appointment request for the flight leaving in less than 20 days”. You need to include the following information in the email:
- Your full first and last name (as it appears on your passport)
- Your nationality
- Your departure date within the next 20 days (your tickets must have already been purchased)
- Your email address (which will be the same one used when you registered on the Prenota Online booking system)
Your request will be added to a waiting list, however, the consulate CANNOT guarantee that you will receive an appointment before your departure date, so you should continue to check the online system for available appointments. If you are successful in finding an appointment, you must email the consulate, so they can remove you from the waiting list.
Step 2: Complete your Estonia Schengen visa application form
Step 2 is to complete your visa application form. Go to the visa page and scroll down to “Forms”:
To save time, you also have the option of complete an e-application for Schengen visas only. If you are applying for a National visa, you must use the above application form. Click here to be directed to the e-application:
Then, you’ll be able to complete your application. Don’t forget to print the form with the 2D barcode and the application form and take them to the Italian consulate in San Francisco:
Step 3: Get your documents ready
Before you begin step 3, take a look at the document requirements for your type of visa. If you submit an incomplete application, the consulate may reject your application. There are checklists on the consulate’s website which you can print off and refer to as you process through this step.
In addition, you must provide photocopies as well as original documents, so don’t forget to do this.
Any foreign documents should be translated into English and/or Italian and legalized.
Documents include:
- Visa application form – the form must be signed and dated at the consulate. If you wish, you can complete your application form online: https://e-applicationvisa.esteri.it/
- Recent passport-size photograph
- Valid passport plus 1 copy of the page with photograph and dates. It must be valid at least 3-6 months after the end of your trip. Also, your passport must not be older than 10 years and it must have at least two blank pages
- Permanent Residence Card OR other US immigration document allowing re-entry into the US. Valid for at least 3 months past trip
- Student F-1 visa and valid I-20
- Proof of residence – driver’s License or State ID
- Copies of previous Schengen Visas including entry/exit stamps (if applicable) AND copies of all the visas for your current trip
- Letter of employment – to include job role, time in employment, salary and approval of time off
- If you are self-employed – business papers or license plus most recent tax return
- If you are a student – letter from your school/university stating full-time enrollment
- If you are retired – proof of pension income
- Proof of financial means – 3 x bank statements
- Affidavit of Support (if you are financially dependent)
- Schengen Travel insurance to cover the entire period of travel with a minimum coverage of €30,000 ($50,000) for hospitalization, emergencies, evacuation, and repatriation
- Proof of lodging for the entire trip – confirmed hotel reservation or official itinerary OR rental agreement OR Host declaration
- Confirmed flight reservation for a round trip showing complete itinerary
- Proof of participation in any type of event
- Proof of family ties
- Nulla Osta (Entry clearance)
- Marriage/birth certificate
- Letter of invitation from individual, business etc.
- Parental consent form (minors)
- Pre-paid, self-addressed envelope required in the event that you cannot collect the visa in person (USPS Express mail or Priority Mail only) including a tracking number
- Declaration for mailing passports
If you’re planning to obtain your flight reservation for visa without paying for the ticket, all you have to do is follow the 3 simple steps below:
- Visit the Visa Reservation website to choose the right package
- Submit the travel details and make the payment online
- Receive flight itinerary in email
Step 4: Submit your Estonia visa application to the Italian Consulate General in San Francisco
On the day of your appointment, you must arrive at least 25 minutes before your scheduled appointment time. If you are late, you will have to reschedule your appointment. Also, remember to take your application and all your supporting documents, and don’t dress too casually.
When the visa staff starts to review your application, they may ask you further questions in order to obtain all the facts to make a decision about your visa.
Typical visa interview questions include:
- How will you pay for your trip to Estonia?
- Are you meeting anyone in Estonia?
- What is your job in the US?
- How much do you earn?
- Have you ever been to a Schengen country before?
If they do this, simply answer honestly and politely. Don’t jeopardize your Schengen visa interview at the last minute. Use this comprehensive and thorough visa interview guide to crack the visa interview!
You will also pay the fee for your visa. You can pay by money order payable to the Consulate General of Italy – San Francisco. Please note, this fee is non-refundable even if your application gets rejected.
Estonia visa fees
Type of Visa | Fee |
Schengen visa up to 90 days | $68.50 |
Schengen visa (minor ages 6-12) up to 90 days | $40.00 |
National visa | $132.40 |
National (Study) visa | $57.10 |
If this is your first time applying for a Schengen visa, you will have to provide biometric data which includes a scan of your fingerprints and a photograph.
Step 5: Receiving your visa
Once a decision has been reached about your visa application you will receive your passport back by mail. The decision will be either:
- Approved – you will find your Estonia visa in your passport
- Rejected – your visa application has been rejected for a reason
Common rejection reasons include:
- Missing invitation letter – if your reason for traveling to Estonia requires you to provide an invitation letter, such as attending a conference or visiting family etc., you must include this document
- Your passport is not valid – if your passport is not valid in any way (see above requirements), you must obtain a new one before applying for your visa
- Lack of funds – you must be able to afford your trip and the documents you provide, such as bank statements, must prove this
- You have applied for the incorrect visa – you must apply for the correct visa depending on the length of your trip, i.e. up to or over 90 days, and your reason for traveling to Estonia, i.e. tourism, business etc. Check the consulate’s website BEFORE you start the application procedure
Contact details for the Consulate General of Italy in San Francisco
Address: 2590 Webster Street, San Francisco, CA 94115
Email: visti.sanfrancisco@esteri.it
Tel: +1 (415) 292-9200
Fax: +1 (415) 931-7205
Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: 9:00 am – 12:30 pm; Tuesdays, 9.00 am – 12.30 pm and 2.30 pm – 4.30 pm
Conclusion
There are just 5 easy steps to apply for your Estonia visa:
- Book your appointment
- Complete your Estonia Schengen visa application form
- Get your documents ready
- Submit your application to the Italian consulate in San Francisco
- Receive your visa
Then, once you have your visa, you can prepare for your awesome adventure in Estonia!
At Visa Reservation, we strive to simplify the visa process by providing free visa consultations, cover letter templates and no objection letter templates for our clients from US, UK, Canada, Philippines, India, China, UAE, Europe, Nigeria and globally. We also offer flight itinerary for visa, travel medical insurance, hotel reservations for visa , Book Visa Appointment, Travel Guides, Visa Interview Guides and many more. To learn more about how we can help you with our visa services, please feel free to contact us today.
See Also
How To Apply for Estonia Schengen Visa at Estonian Embassy in Miami, Florida
How To Apply for Estonia Schengen Visa at Estonian Embassy in Chicago, Illinois
How To Apply for Estonia Schengen Visa at Estonian Embassy in Washington, DC
How To Apply for Estonia Schengen Visa at Estonian Consulate in Los Angeles, California
How To Apply for Estonia Schengen Visa at Estonian Consulate in NYC, New York