Estonian Embassy Washington DC – 5 Easy Steps to Apply for Estonia Schengen Visa

People love Estonia from the first moment they see it. Its cities are full of history and the medieval parts are a joy to wander around. The nightlife is buzzing and you’ll find some delicious food and refreshing drinks in the restaurants, cafes, and bars. Nature lovers will delight in a number of national parks with beautiful forests, or the Baltic Sea coastline will splendid beaches and resorts to kick back and relax in this Schengen country. In this article learn more about how to apply for Estonia visa at the Estonian embassy in Washington, DC, 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 Washington DC embassy.

Estonia Schengen Visa

During 2017, there were 138,249 Estonia Schengen visas dealt with by consulates around the world. 1.21% of these were not approved. There was no data for how many applications were received by the Embassy of Latvia in Washington DC.

 Applying for Estonia Schengen Visa from the United States

There are many nationalities that do NOT need a visa for Estonia. Check the list here.

All other nationalities DO need a visa and that includes non-US citizens who are currently living in the US on a permanent basis. If that applies to you, all you need to do is find the correct visa authority located in your area.

 You have to make sure you apply at the right Estonian embassy and consulate. The embassy in Washington DC has limited consular services, so if you wish to make an application for a visa to go to Estonia, you have to do so at the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia in Washington DC.

If you live in any other area, check the website of the consulate of Estonia in New York and it will tell you which of the other member states represent Estonia in the US. Then, you can apply to the respective visa office in Washington DC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, or Miami.

Types of Schengen Visas Offered at the Latvian Embassy in Washington DC

There are 3 types of visas for Estonia offered at the Embassy of Latvia in Washington DC.

1. Short-stay or Schengen visa (C) – for stays up to 90 days
2. Long-term visa or National visa (D) – for stays over 90 days. If you are applying for a long-stay visa, you may also need a residence permit. Click here for further information
3. Airport Transit visa (A) – for transiting through the international area of the airport

Schengen visa purposes

1. Tourist, business, study etc.

National visa purposes

1. Work, study, residence etc.

The type of visa you apply for will depend on 2 things:

1. The duration of your trip
2. The reason for your trip

It’s a good idea to spend time getting to know the visa types before you apply because if you apply for the wrong visa, it could end up with your application being rejected.

Visas are usually issued as: 

1. Single entry – Maximum of 1 entry
2. Double entry – Maximum of 2 entries
3. Multiple entry – Unlimited entries

Schengen Visa Application Process at the Latvian Embassy in Washington DC

The Embassy of Latvia in Washington processes Estonia visa applications within 15 days. You can apply up to 90 days in advance, so the earlier the better.

To help you apply for your Estonia visa, here are a few simple steps to follow.

Step 1: Complete your application form

The first step is to complete your application form. Go to the Embassy of Latvia’s website and click on: “Consular services” and then “Obtaining visas”:

On the next page, scroll down to where it says: “Visa application form online” and click on the link:

You will be directed to the embassy’s “Electronic Visa Application” system. Click on: “Visa application”:

Read the instructions and click on: “Fill the visa application form”:

Enter the requested information:

Then, you’ll be able to complete the application form. You can submit it electronically, but you’ll need to print it off and sign it:

Step 2: Book an appointment

In order to submit your application to the Embassy of Latvia in Washington, you need to book an appointment. All you need to do is contact them on 202-328-2883, 202-328-2882 or 202-328-2881.

Step 3: Prepare the required documents

Before you start this step, take a look at the documents that are required for your Estonia visa application. If you submit an incomplete application, it will be rejected.

Please note, you also need to submit photocopies as well are original documents, so remember to do this.

Required documents for your visa application include:

1. Valid travel document – issued within the previous 10 years, contains at least 2 blank pages for visas and is valid at least 3 months after the expiration of the visa
2. Completed and signed ONLINE APPLICATION FORM
3. 1 passport-size recent (not older than 6 months) color photo (35mm x 45mm) with a light background, including the full face, without hats/head coverings
4. Insurance policy valid in Schengen countries with a coverage of at least $50.000 for the entire duration of stay in Schengen area, including cover for an additional 15 days. The policy should cover medical, hospital and repatriation costs
5. Proof of legal residence in the USA – valid US permanent residence permit/green card or valid US resident visa. Should be valid for at least 3 months beyond the intended departure from Estonia
6. Purpose of entry – an invitation letter or document proving an organized trip (In English)
7. Proof of accommodation – hotel reservation or an invitation approved by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs if staying with the inviting party
8. Round trip ticket or ticket reservation
9. Sufficient means of subsistence for the duration of your stay in Estonia – bank account transactions for the past 3 months; credit card; letter from your employer regarding salary
10. Information which confirms your intention to leave the Schengen area – letter from the employer or an educational institution
11. Pre-paid, self-addressed secure mail envelope – FedEx, UPS, DHL to return the passport

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:

1. Visit the Visa Reservation website to choose the right package
2. Submit the travel details and make the payment online
3. Receive flight itinerary in email

Step 4: Submit your application 

There are a few things to remember when you attend your appointment at the Embassy of Latvia in Washington:

1. Remember ALL the required documents
2. Sign the documents where relevant
3. Don’t arrive late
4. Dress smartly

If the embassy wishes to know anything else about you or what you have stated in your application, they may ask you additional interview questions like:

1. Why are you going to Estonia?
2. Do you know anyone in Estonia or any of the other Schengen countries?
3. Are you married?
4. Why do you wish to go to Estonia at this particular time?
5. How much do you earn?

Don’t get worried or annoyed if this happens. The embassy is simply trying to get all the facts from you in order to make a decision about your visa application. 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 bank card or money order payable to the “Embassy of Latvia”. Visa fees will NOT be refunded even if your application is rejected.

Estonia visa fees

If you have applied for a Schengen visa within the last 5 years, it may be possible to reuse this data. The embassy will advise you when you attend your appointment.

Step 5: Receive your visa

When the embassy in Washington DC has reached a decision, you will be notified about the outcome. The decision will be either:

1. Approved – you will find your visa inside your passport. You can either collect it from the embassy or have it mailed back to you. If you have your passport mailed there will be a fee of $30
2. Rejected – this means your visa application has been rejected. You have the right to appeal within 30 days

Visa applications get rejected for a variety of reasons, such as:

1. The wrong category of visa has been applied for
2. Lack of funds
3. Invitation letter has not been translated/provided in English
4. Missing paperwork

The category of visa you need to apply for must match your reason for traveling to Estonia. For example, if you wish to go sightseeing etc., then you would choose the category for “tourism”. You must be able to afford your trip and the documents you provide must prove this. You must provide all the required documents. The embassy cannot make a decision about your application if there is anything missing. This includes getting certain foreign documents, like invitation letters, translated into English.

Contact details for the Embassy of Latvia in Washington DC

Address: 2306 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington DC 20008 

Email: consulate.usa@mfa.gov.lv

Tel: (202) 328 2883, (202) 328 2882, (202) 328 2881

Fax: (202) 328-2860

Hours:

2:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Monday)

10:00 AM – 12:00 PM (Tuesday, Thursday)

Closed on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Conclusion

Overall, 5 easy steps to obtaining your Estonia Schengen visa:

1. Complete your application form
2. Make an appointment
3. Prepare the required documents
4. Submit your application
5. Receive your visa

Then, there’s nothing to stop you and before you know it you’ll be touching down 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 Consulate in Los Angeles, California
How To Apply for Estonia Schengen Visa at Estonian Consulate in NYC, New York

Worldwide Visa Requirements