| Estonian passport | |
The front cover of a contemporary Estonian biometric passport
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| Date first issued | May 22, 2007 |
| Issued by | Estonia |
| Type of document | Passport |
| Purpose | Identification |
| Eligibility requirements | Estonian citizenship |
| Expiration | 5 years after issuance |
An Estonian Passport is an identity document as well as a travel document of an Estonian citizen issued by the Citizenship and Migration Board of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Estonia and by Estonian foreign representations abroad.
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In conformity with the standard European Union design, Estonian passports are burgundy, with the Estonian Coat of arms emblazoned in the centre of the front cover. The words "EUROOPA LIIT" (English: European Union) and "EESTI" (English: Estonia) are inscribed above the coat of arms and the word "PASS" (English: Passport) is inscribed below the coat of arms. Estonian passports have the standard biometric symbol at the bottom.
The biodata page of an Estonian passport includes the following information:
The information page ends with the Machine Readable Zone starting with P<EST.
Estonian passports issued between February 2002 and May 2007 contain a note from the issuing state that is addressed to the authorities of all other states, identifying the bearer as a citizen of that state and requesting that he or she be allowed to pass and be treated according to international norms. The note inside Estonian passports states:
The data page/information page is printed in Estonian, English and French.
For Estonian citizens, apart from ordinary passports, diplomatic and service passports are also issued for those who qualify for possession of such documents.
Gemalto won the contract to supply biometric passports for the Citizenship and Migration Board, delivering the first new passports in early 2007.[1]
Possession of a biometric passport is a pre-requisite for Estonians who want to qualify for the Visa Waiver Program for travel to the United States by registering via the Electronic System for Travel Authorization.
Starting from June 2009, all applicants for an Estonian passport are required to provide their fingerprints to be stored on the biometric chip in their passports.[2]
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