According to Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise, the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) has made a mistake. They have asked people for their entire bank account history. In some cases, they have even requested more than two years' worth of data.
Madise wrote a letter to the head of the PPA. She said that this is against the law. When applying for a residence permit, the entire bank account history must not be demanded. This violates people's privacy.
The PPA has stated that they need this data. They want to know whether a person lives in Estonia or if they have friends here. They also check whether a person earns money legally.
Madise said that the PPA may ask for specific transactions. For example, they can request proof of income. But they must not ask for the entire bank account history.
The PPA responded that they review each application individually. If the documents are insufficient, they ask for more data. But they promised to heed the Chancellor of Justice's recommendations.