Rent allowance

Rent allowance is paid once to those who arrived in Estonia after 24th of February and have received temporary protection. Once you have found accommodation, the costs (up to 1200eur) will be reimbursed.

In order to receive compensation, an application must be submitted to the local government: 

• Compensation is paid to the refugee, the landlord or someone else (for example, a volunteer who helped the refugee) who has incurred expenses related to the refugee's housing (e.g. purchase of furniture or household appliances, repair work). The decision to whom the costs are reimbursed is made by the local government.
• To apply for compensation, the refugee must have received temporary protection and registered his place of residence in the local government.
• A recipient of international protection can apply for a rent subsidy at the Vao Refugee Center

Pension

Pensioners who have received temporary protection have the same social guarantees as all residents of Estonia who have reached retirement age, i.e. the right to pension and health insurance. The Pension Board of Ukraine continues to pay pensions to refugees who have received temporary protection. If you are of retirement age (born in 1958 or earlier) and your pension is lower than the Estonian national pension rate (295 euros), you can request the Social Security Administration to cover the difference.

Unemployment benefits

During the job search, the unemployed are paid, if the refugee has worked for 180 days during the 12 months prior to registration as unemployed (including working in Ukraine), raised a child under 8 years old, worked full-time or supported in-patient education, or at least was busy with other similar activities. The amount of unemployment benefit is 327,05 euros per month and it can be received for up to 9 months. Support is not paid if there is other income that is greater than 327,05 euros per month.

Subsistence allowance

From June 1, 2022, the subsistence limit for a person living alone or the first member of a family is 200 euros per month and 160 euros for the second and each subsequent member of the family. The subsistence limit for each minor member of the family is 240 euros per month. The recipient of subsistence allowance, whose family members are all minors, has the right to receive an additional social allowance of 15 euros together with the subsistence allowance.

Disability support

In order to determine the degree of disability and apply for social support for a disabled person, children (up to 15 years old) and old-age pensioners (64 and older) must submit an application and, if possible, health data to the Social Insurance Board. If there is no health data, you must first go to a doctor's office in Estonia to clarify your condition. If the health condition meets the conditions for identifying the severity of a disability, the type and severity of disability and social support are determined (between 12.79 and 241.64 euros). The severity of the disability is determined from the day the application is submitted.

People of working age (ages 16 – 64) can submit a request for assessment of work capacity and identification of the severity of disability to the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund.

Support with people with dissabilities

Only emergency care is provided to disabled refugees before receiving temporary protection. Once a disabled person has received temporary protection and a temporary residence permit, they can apply to determine the severity of the disability, the related social benefits and services for the disabled person. To determine the severity of a disability, a refugee must apply to either the Social Insurance Board or a person of working age, preferably to the Unemployment Insurance Fund.

Family support

A person with children who have received temporary protection has the right to apply for and receive family benefits regardless of whether they are working or not. Both Estonian and Ukrainian bank accounts are suitable for receiving family allowances. The amount of the child allowance is 80 euros for the first and second child in the family, and 100 euros for the third child. From three children onwards, the allowance for a large family is 650 euros per month, and from seven children onwards, 850 euros per month.

To apply for family allowances, you need to contact the Social Insurance Board office.

Parental benefit

A parent who arrived in Estonia with a child under one and a half years of age is paid parental allowance of 654 euros per month for up to 545 days. The exact number of days of parental allowance depends on the age of the child and the start of the parent's residence permit. The payment of the parental benefit is accompanied by health insurance.

Compensation for translation services

Within 2 years a refugee can apply for compensation for translation services in the amount of up to 3,200 euros per family or 1,600 euros per individual person. Translation costs are considered administrative situations in local governments, state institutions, educational institutions and elsewhere that require translation.

Employer benefits

From June 1 2022, employers can apply for a service supporting the employment of recipients of international protection. The employer can request:

• a one-time mentor fee, the amount of which is 75% of the minimum wage, i.e. 543,75 euros in 2023. The mentoring fee can be applied for within four months of hiring the employee.
• reimbursement of the costs of professional training for up to 2,500 euros per employee up to one year after the employee is hired.
• reimbursement of expenses related to translation service and qualification for 500 euros per employee. Support can be applied for employees who have been employed for at least four months or for an indefinite period.

The mentoring fee is paid and the costs are reimbursed for recipients of international protection, whose first Estonian residence permit as a recipient of international protection or temporary protection or the certificate of an applicant for international protection allowing work in Estonia has not passed more than five years. More information about the application and conditions can be found at tootukassa.ee.

Refugees are provided with the necessary clothing and toiletries at the local governments, where they are registered.

Tallinn:

The charity shop Aarete Laegas at Madala 3, Tallinn offers free clothes, shoes and equipment (prams, aids for the elderly, bed linen, etc.) to refugees on the basis of showing the document, Mon-Wed 11-19, Thu-Fri 10-18, Sat 10-16.

Tartu:

Taaskasutuskeskus Lehola 7, Tartu, MON-FRI 10-18:00, SAT 10-16:00

Uuskasutuskeskus, Riia 11 / Kalda tee 24, Tartu, MON-FRI kell 10–18, SAT 10–16.

Sõbralt Sõbrale, Sõbra 58 / Kalda tee 41, Tartu, MON-FRI 10–19, SAT 10–16