I was a student when this whole thing started, juggling part-time jobs and lectures, so stress levels were already high 😅. The lawyer from UnionCitizenship understood that right away and made the process feel less like a burden and more like a plan. I sent documents between exams and part-time shifts ☕📚 and they never once made me feel like I was slowing things down. I didn’t even meet anyone in person, all online. Fourteen months later, I got my brand-new German passport.
Tallinn grew on me slowly. At first, I counted months till my next flight home, now I catch myself missing it when I’m away The decision to apply came after renewing my lease, when I realised that if I was signing for another year, I should probably stop pretending I’m just passing through. Good thing we started when we did because the documents took longer than I expected. Most of the process was done online, which made things easier, and I only had to travel for the oath at the end. The translations and notarisation were handled quickly and I could focus on work instead of chasing papers. The real challenge wasn’t the paperwork, it was accepting that I’d actually settled down here.
