A Brief Introduction to Estonia
Estonia is dynamic. Public services in here are easy and efficient. Our paperless society is so simple and straightforward that the entire country has been renamed e-Estonia. As Estonia is one of the most wireless countries on Earth, you can carry out a lot of business online and on the move.
Some facts:
Estonian Aviation Academy is located next to Tartu, which is the second largest city in Estonia. The first written records of Tartu date from 1030, making it the oldest city in the Baltic States.
Tartu has all the best of the globally new but with the local advantage – the costs are lower, security is higher and the air is cleaner than in Tallinn, Helsinki or New York. The city successfully combines modern infrastructure and facilities with a green and friendly environment.
At every corner in Tartu, there are concert venues, exhibition halls, theatres, churches, museums and charming little cafés as well as various pubs and restaurants. Tartu is the European Capital of Culture in 2024.
An inseparable part of the city is its students who comprise around a quarter of the population and generate a lot of fun and energy. Tartu awaits you and your good thoughts, and as a bonus, always gives back its fair share of new ones!
Planes arrive to Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. The distance between Tallinn and Tartu is 200 km. The easisest way to arrive to Tartu is taking a bus that drives between Tallinn and Tartu almost every half an hour during the day. The bus ticket costs approx 12 euros.
There are several banks between
which you can choose to open your bank account or use any other
bank-related services. Current account can be opened
in Euros or in foreign currency.
Opening a personal current account is for FREE. Most times you can open an account without any initial deposit. To open a bank account, go to any branch of a bank. Mostly it is required to submit:
All students entering Estonia are strongly recommended to arrange their own health insurance for the period of their study abroad before leaving their home country. Health insurance should cover health, accidents and hospital care.
Health insurance is necessary if the Non-EU/EEA citizen is applying
for the D (long-term) Visa.
All insured residents have the right to choose their
family practitioner, who is the first contact point in case of any
illness. The
family practitioner treats minor illnesses, can make home visits and gives
referrals to visit a medical specialist.
English speaking family practitioners in Tartu:
Family Physicians of the
City centre of Tartu
Address: Gildi 8
Phone: +372
744 1288
Address:
Puusepa 1a (rooms 3008, 3009, 3010 and 3011)
Phone: +372
731 9262 or +372 58 865 560)
E-mail:
perearst.runkorg@gmail.com
Address: Puusepa 1a, 3rd
floor, rooms 3046 (nurse 3044)
Phone: +372 745 5187
E-mail:
info@perearsttiiutootsi.ee
For planning a visit:
Tartu University Hospital
Address: Puusepa 8, tel. 7319 100 or by e-mail: kliinikum@kliinikum.ee
If you have EU insurance, you get sick in Estonia and you have referral letter you have to pay only visit fee (5 EUR)
Private clinics (ask family practitioner's advice). Visit fee 20-80 EUR + fee for investigations (ask in advance)
Pharmacies (apteek) - Pharmacists can assist with simple medical
problems. Even though, most of the drugs are issued upon a medical
prescription written by a doctor, some of the painkillers, antacids, ointments,
and other simple drugs could be obtained without one. There are several
pharmacies around town, but you will most likely find one in any of the big
shopping centres.
Dentists (hambaarst) - For adults, dental care is not free. Usual visit may cost from 30 EUR upwards depending on the given problem.
Dentists:
Citizens of the member states of the European Union and the European
Economic Area and the Swiss Confederation (hereinafter “EU citizens”)
have the right to stay in Estonia on the basis of a valid travel
document or identity card for the period of up to 3 months. As
international students stay longer, then the following 2 steps are
compulsory:
1) Register the place of residence
To obtain the right of temporary residence, EU citizens must register themselves as citizens of Tartu within 3 months from the date of entering Estonia. That can be done at the Population Register Office.
Required documents for the registration:
identity document of an applicant;
tenancy contract.
See more information about Population Register Office in Tartu.
Once you have registered yourself as a citizen of Tartu, you receive the Estonian ID code (isikukood).
2) Apply for an ID-card
Within the period of one month from the acquisition of the right of temporary residence, you must personally contact the Migration Bureau to apply for an identity card which certifies your right of temporary residence. Required documents for the identity card:
See more information about Citizenship and Migration Bureau Tartu Service Point (Kodakondsus- ja Migratsioonibüroo Tartu teenindus).
EU citizens must pay the state fee of 25 EUR. After registration the right of permanent residence is granted for a period of five years.
NB! Officers in the Migration Bureau mostly speak Estonian, some Russian and only few of them English. It is recommended to take your tutor or someone who speaks Estonian with you.
Other Nationals must apply for a visa to the Schengen area.
All students, whose study period in Estonia is up to 6 months, can use D-visa to enter and study in Estonia. Students who study in Estonia for up to 6 months
can apply for the long-stay (D) visa instead of the temporary residence
permit (TRP) for study.
NB! It is not possible to extend D-visa. Students
who stay for longer than 6 months must apply for the Estonian TRP.
For more information, please see section "The list of documents to be
submitted for TRP".
D-visa
may be issued for single or multiple entries into Estonia. If you plan
to travel during your study period, you should apply for the visa with multiple entries. D-visa enables to travel in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in a 6-months period.
D-visa holders do not need to register themselves in the Population Register Office in Tartu or apply for the residence permit! D-visa can be applied in person only at the Estonian embassies.
Documents to be submitted upon application for visa:
valid travel document which is issued within previous 10 years, contains at least two blank pages for visa and is valid at least 3 months after the expiration date of the visa;
application form (provided by the embassy or from the following webpage: Ministry of Foreign Affairs);
one photo (size 35x45 mm);
an insurance policy valid for Estonia or for the Schengen area with coverage of at least 30 000 EUR for the entire duration of stay;
documents indicating the purpose of journey: Acceptance;
any information which supports the applicant's intention to leave the Schengen area before the expiry of the visa;
documents proving the sufficient means of subsistence for the duration of the intended stay and for the return to the country of origin or residence (86 € for each day in Estonia): i.e. your scholarship proof or bank statement;
a visa fee 80 €
More information about long-stay (D) visa
NB! Please pay attention when filling in the application that the duration of your intended stay (counted in days) would cover your whole study period. After you have received the visa, you should check if the duration of stay (number of days you are allowed to be in Schengen area) covers your study period. If not, you will later need to apply for the temporary residence permit for study.
If you should have any problems concerning your rights as a D-visa holder, please contact the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs orPolice and Border Guard Board immediately. Additional information from the web-page of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
D-visa holders are not required to have an Estonian ID code. However, it is highly recommend that you get one, as without it you will not be able to receive transportation discounts, register with a family doctor, or use a variety of other e-services.
To get an ID code, you must visit Tartu City Government department on address: Tiigi 12, room 7 (
office hours are 9.00-12.00 and 13.00-16.00
)
Please bring your Acceptance Letter or proof of studies with you (you can get this from Erasmus Coordinator).
Once you get an Estonian identification code, please send it to your Erasmus Coordinator. It will then be inserted into the Study Information System. Within 4 working days, the information will be added to the national education infosystem (EHIS) and then you will be able to receive public transportation discounts and other services.
Erasmus Student Network organizes the visiting students’ cultural and social life. There are students from all Tartu’s universities and colleges. You can contact them by yourself or through Erasmus coordinator.
In the beginning of semester they usually organize a welcome party and after that, during the semester, different get-togethers, movie nights, sport activities etc. More information: http://www.esn.ee/tartu/