The first immigration step for AISS is the Estonia D-visa. This page keeps visa documents, embassy appointment timing, and Nepal / South Asia-specific notes separate from the application guide.
Begin immediately after you receive the admission and scholarship letters.
Estonia D-visaFor the first semester in Tallinn, you apply for an Estonia D-visa. For South Asian applicants, this usually means visiting an Estonian embassy in person for biometrics.
Book as soon as admission documents arrive
At most 15 days after biometrics
Keep flights refundable until the visa is stamped
Fill the D-visa application form at eelviisataotlus.vm.ee with the exact information asked there, then print and sign it. Carry it to the embassy with the rest of your documents.
Book your visa appointment within 3 days of receiving the admission letter. Slots in May–June fill up faster than most applicants expect.
Estonia D-visa applications are not handled through VFS. If there is no Estonian embassy in your country, apply through another country where Estonia has an embassy that accepts D-visa applications. From Nepal and many South Asian countries, you need to visit the Embassy of Estonia in New Delhi for the appointment and biometrics.
At most 15 daysafter biometrics. Don't book a non-refundable flight before the visa is in your hand.
Most Erasmus Mundus material is written for EU citizens. These are the visa-specific things I had to learn as a Nepali applicant.
Get your degree, transcripts, and birth certificate apostilled at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kathmandu. Takes 2–5 working days. Embassies will reject un-apostilled originals.Though it is mentioned, they didn't ask for any of this from me.
If any document is in Nepali, get it translated by a registered translator and notarised. Always carry the original + translation together.
Even if you get the scholarship, it is still good to show funds for your initial expenses such as flights, housing, and the first few weeks after arrival. I showed 6 months of bank statements, though that was not strictly required in my case.
For many South Asian applicants, the closest Estonian embassy is in New Delhi. Estonia D-visa applications are handled at the embassy, so build the India travel into your timeline.
Though it was not asked from me, I thought it was a good idea to take this too, so I did. Get the Central Police Clearance from Nagarik App, and keep it ready with the rest of your documents.
Though this is not mentioned on the official website, I confirmed with the visa officer that this document is required. If your dorm is confirmed, great. Otherwise, for visa processing, I suggest making a fully refundable booking on Booking.com or another website. Try to find one where you do not have to pay at booking time but only on arrival, so you can cancel it easily later.
I wrote up the full sequence: acceptance dates, how I found a D-visa slot, what I printed, what the visa officer asked for, and what turned out not to matter.
Once the visa is approved, the next work is travel, housing, arrival timing, and keeping hard copies ready for the first few weeks in Tallinn.
