Due to the spread of the coronavirus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises against any non-essential international travel.
Before arriving in Estonia, you must fill out a traveller’s questionnaire.
The questionnaire can be completed within three days of your arrival in Estonia. This makes border-crossing smoother and you can avoid queueing for filling out the questionnaire on paper.
The border guard or airline can ask people crossing the border to present an electronic or printed border crossing confirmation sent via email.
When returning from a trip, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends taking a COVID-19 test even when you are not taking two tests to shorten the period of restriction on the freedom of movement and prefer to restrict your freedom of movement for 10 days. We also recommend restricting your movement and monitor your health for a few days after travelling even if you have recovered from COVID-19 and have completed a vaccination programme.
The spread of new coronavirus variants has caused the situation to change rapidly, and accordingly, states are imposing measures to control the spread of the illness at short notice (including restrictions on movement, changes to conditions for border crossing, mandatory tests and testing). The rapid introduction of these measures means that the options for travelling abroad as well as for returning to Estonia can change suddenly. We strongly advise you to assess whether travelling is absolutely essential, look up travel advice for your destination and transit countries, and in addition to other vital information, make sure you know the conditions for entering and leaving the country in question.
Arriving from the European Union, the European Economic Area, the Schengen area or from the United Kingdom
A 10-day restriction on the freedom of movement applies on entering Estonia from a country in the European Union, European Economic Area and the Schengen area with an infection rate above 150 persons per 100 000 inhabitants in the past 14 days.
From 10 to 16 May, the restriction on the freedom of movement applies to passengers arriving from the following countries: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland. The infection rate of the Vatican is 0 but anyone travelling to Estonia from there through Italy is subject to the 10-day restriction on the freedom of movement.
The restriction on the freedom of movement does not apply to passengers arriving from a country with an infection rate below 150 per 100 000 inhabitants in the past 14 days: Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom.
Arriving from outside the European Union, the European Economic Area, the Schengen area or the United Kingdom
According to the list of third countries included in Annex 1 of the recommendation of the Council of the European Union on the gradual lifting of the temporary restrictions on non-essential travel into the EU, it is possible to travel to Estonia from Australia, Israel, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand. A 10-day period of restrictions on movement is mandatory for passengers arriving from countries with an infection rate above 16 people per 100 000 inhabitants in the past 14 days, i.e. passengers arriving from South Korea, and Thailand.
When arriving in Estonia from a country not included in Annex 1 of the recommendation of the Council of the European Union, the 10-day restriction on the freedom of movement applies to those who are allowed to enter Estonia. The restriction on the freedom of movement can be shortened by two tests. If a citizen of these countries, who has a legal basis to stay in Estonia, repeatedly crosses the state border, he or she must take both tests in Estonia.
The following rules apply to reducing the period of restrictions on movement (both when arriving from Europe and other regions, except for third country nationals arriving in Estonia for work or studies).
(1) Anyone unwilling to self-isolate for 10 days after their arrival in Estonia can take a PCR test abroad no earlier than 72 hours before their arrival in Estonia. While in Estonia, a second test can be taken no earlier than on the sixth day after the first test. The 10-day restrictions on movement period can be concluded earlier if both tests are negative.
(2) Anyone who has not taken a test up to 72 hours before their arrival in Estonia can take one immediately after their arrival and the second test no earlier than six days after their first test. The 10-day restrictions on movement period can be concluded earlier if both tests are negative.
Information about the conditions that apply to the test certificate is available HERE. For booking a second test, passengers can contact the call centre for public testing (678 0000).
Details about testing are available on the website https://koroonatestimine.ee/en/for-patients/testing-after-a-trip-abroad/.
After the first negative test, the individual can:
• perform urgent and inevitable duties;
• attend an urgent family occasion;
• return to the country from where they entered Estonia if the reason for travelling is inevitable duties, studies or family occasion.
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Details about the conditions of restriction of freedom of movement are available on the website of the Health Board.
The 10-days restrictions on movement and COVID-19 testing are not mandatory for individuals (both when arriving from Europe and other regions), who:
(1) have suffered from COVID-19 and no more than six months have passed since they have been declared cured;
(2) have undergone COVID-19 vaccination and no more than six months have passed since its completion.
Information about the required certificates is available HERE.
(3) who are employees of a diplomatic mission or a consular post of a foreign country or the Republic of Estonia or their family members or holders of an Estonian diplomatic passport;
(4) who arrive in the Republic of Estonia in the framework of international military cooperation;
(5) who are members of foreign delegations arriving in the Republic of Estonia for the performance of duties on the invitation of a state or local authority;
(6) who are directly involved in transporting goods and raw products, including loading of goods or raw products, and who arrive in Estonia for the performance of duties;
(7) who arrive in Estonia for the purpose of providing health services or other services necessary for responding to an emergency;
(8) who are directly involved in international carriage of goods and passengers, including a crew member and a ship’s crew member servicing an international means of transport and a person performing repairs or warranty or maintenance work on such a means of transport, and who arrive in Estonia for the performance of duties;
(9) whose purpose for arriving in the Republic of Estonia is directly related to the provision of passenger transport services and who are servicing travel groups;
(10) whose purpose for arriving in the Republic of Estonia is related to ensuring the continuity of a vital service;
(11) who are using the territory of the Republic of Estonia for immediate transit.
The 10-days restrictions on movement does not apply to asymptomatic individuals who cross the national border between Estonia and Latvia at least twice a week for unavoidable work or studies, if they have taken at least one test for COVID-19 in the past seven days and the result is negative, or if they have recovered from COVID-19 in the past six months or if they have completed a vaccination programme. At the border, they must present proof of employment (such as a letter from their employer) and a certificate proving a negative test result or vaccination/recovery.
Information about countries and restrictions on movement is reviewed on a weekly basis and published on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In cases where travelling is essential, the Foreign Ministry advises keeping the following in mind:
• before planning your trip, please consult the Foreign Ministry’s website for the infection rate in your planned country of destination;
• for information about restrictions in your destination, please consult the Reisi Targalt website (in Estonian), the ReOpen portal of the European Union, or contact the representation of the country for more details;
• register your trip at the Foreign Ministry’s Reisi Targalt website (in Estonian) to allow us to notify you of possible travel restrictions;
• follow the recommendations of the Estonian Health Board for a safe flight; if you show symptoms, please postpone your trip and contact your GP;
• take out travel insurance and carefully read the conditions of your insurance (including for travel interruptions caused by COVID-19);
• when crossing the border, you must fill out a questionnaire, which can be done electronically. The questionnaire can be completed within three days of your arrival in Estonia here. Make sure to keep the confirmation email you will receive after you have completed the form. The questionnaire can still be filled out on paper; it is available here (DOCX);
• at your destination, follow the instructions of local authorities and keep up to date with possible new restrictions;
• on your return, follow the rules introduced in Estonia, and if you suspect you have been infected with the virus, contact your GP.
Please call the national helpline 1247 (+372 600 1247 when calling from abroad) for additional information on the coronavirus and restriction on the freedom of movement.
Additional information:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia
Communication Department
[email protected]