Includes information on business customs, travel advisory, visa requirements, currency, language, health, local time, business hours and holidays, acceptable business etiquette, dress, business cards, gifts, temporary entry of materials and personal belongings, etc.
Last Published: 7/17/2019

Business Customs

Estonia is a modern country that enjoys close relations with Nordic and other Baltic countries.  Social and business protocol is similar to that in northern Europe.  More info:https://www.commisceo-global.com/resources/country-guides/estonia-guide

Travel Advisory

The climate in Tallinn is characterized by a fairly cold winter, a cool spring with little precipitation, a moderately warm summer and a long and rainy autumn.  However, some summers have weeks at a stretch of temperatures around +30° C, and a warm, sunny summer can keep autumn at bay until mid-October.

Average temperature in July +20°C
Average temperature in February -9°C
Weather forecast on the Internet
More info on travel to Estonia

Visa Requirements

Estonia is covered by the Schengen Treaty. To live and work in Estonia, foreigners from non-EU countries need both a residence permit and a work permit, both of which may be obtained from local Migration Department offices.  English-language instructions on how to apply are available from the Police and the Boarder Guard.

U.S. citizens do not need to obtain a visa for visits of less than 90 days.  More information can be found on the State Department’s Consular Information Sheet for Estonia.
For more information on American Citizen Services or visas, please visit the following websites:
U.S. Embassy Consular Section in Estonia.  

Currency

Estonian currency is the Euro. Credit and debit cards (mainly Visa and MasterCard) are widely accepted. There is a wide network of ATMs. Traveler’s checks are not accepted.

Telecommunications/Electronics

Estonia ranks 9th in the EU's Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) in 2018. Estonia topped the rankings in online public services and scored above the EU average in digital skills of the population and their usage of internet.

The market is small and the competition high. This means all providers are reasonably priced and offer high quality solutions depending on your needs. As from 15 June 2017, EU mobile users travelling to other countries in the EU are able to call, text or surf the net without paying any extra charges.

Service providers all offer numerous calling cards. A slight difference might occur between the three providers in the most remote rural locations, mainly in data speed.
Rechargeable SIMs do not differ from each other very much. Their prices are equally low (less than €10 to buy a card) and most of them include free calling time, messages and at least few hundred megabytes of data.
You can buy a prepaid calling card from supermarkets, R-kiosks, gas stations and post offices.

Electrical sockets (outlets) in Estonia usually supply electricity at between 220 and 240 volts AC. North American sockets supply electricity at between 110 and 120 volts, so an adapter is needed to use US electrical appliances in Estonia. More info.

Transportation

The Estonian transport system comprises rail, road, maritime, river, and air transport as well as the municipal electrified transport and carriage by pipeline. The infrastructure of national transport has generally been well established; due to high competition, the local logistics and transport companies have reached western standards in terms of service and quality and have great transport potential.

The major national transport enterprises include AS Tallinna Lennujaam (Tallinn Airport Ltd), AS Tallinna Sadam (Port of Tallinn Ltd), AS Elektriraudtee (Electrical Railways), which is servicing the vicinity of Tallinn, and AS Eesti Raudtee (Estonian Railways), holding the majority of the public railway infrastructures of Estonia.

The export and import of goods to the west, north, and south are mainly organized by exploiting the opportunities of maritime and road transport, to a marginal extent also by air transport.
Public transportation in major cities is efficient and reliable and Tallinn is currently the largest city in the world offering free public transportation to residents. While there are five passenger-serving airports in Estonia, most international flights occur through Tallinn Airport. More info:

Language

The official language in Estonia is Estonian. English is widely spoken, especially in the capital city.  Russian is still the most-widely spoken second language, although less so among younger Estonians.

Health

Estonia has vigorously and quite successfully reformed its health care system over recent decades.  The current system is built on solidarity-based health financing; a modern provider network based on family medicine-centered primary healthcare, modern hospital services, and more concentration on public health.  This has resulted in a steadily increasing life expectancy and continuously high rates of satisfaction with access and quality.  Estonian hospitals are generally well equipped with modern x-ray sets, computed tomography systems, magnetic resonance tomography systems etc.  However, English language skills are often limited in Estonian hospitals which can complicate getting care.

More info.
Cases of resistant strains of tuberculosis have been reported in Estonia.  Visitors to forested areas in warm weather should also guard against tick-borne encephalitis.  Information on vaccinations and other health precautions, such as safe food and water precautions and insect bite protection, may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Internet site.
 For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad consult the World Health Organization's website at http://www.who.int/en

Local Time, Business Hours and Holidays

Time Zone: GMT + 2 hours

Business hours are between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Supermarkets and shopping centers are generally open between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. every day.
The national holidays in Estonia for 2018.

Temporary Entry of Materials or Personal Belongings

Detailed information on entry with household goods and personal effects.
Travelling from non-EU country
Temporary exemption from duty is granted for samples.

Travel-Related Web Resources

Estonian Customs
Travel info
Weather forecast in Internet
Living in Estonia
U.S. Embassy Consular Section
World Health Organization's website
 

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