On 21 June 2019, the Supreme Court of Estonia ruled in two cases that the refusal to grant a residence permit to a foreign same-sex partner of an Estonian citizen was unconstitutional. The court ruled that the section preventing the granting of temporary residence permits to same-sex partners registered in Estonia was unconstitutional and invalid in respect of the "Aliens Act" (). In accordance with the principles of human dignity and equal treatment guaranteed by the Constitution of Estonia, the Supreme Court found that family law also protected the right of people of the same sex to live in Estonia as a family. As a result of the ruling, registered partners from abroad are now entitled to apply for residence permits.