Travelling abroad from Estonia

Travelling abroad

Is it advisable to travel across state borders?

Due to the spread of the coronavirus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends that international travel should be avoided unless absolutely necessary.

If travel is unavoidable, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is asking to adhere to the following principles:

Before planning your trip, check the infection ratio in your country of destination on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Check for possible travel restrictions in the country of destination – for information, please check the country information on the website Reisi Targalt, the ReOpen Portal of the European Union and, if necessary, contact the country's foreign representation for more details.
Register your trip on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website Reisi Targalt, so we could inform you about possible crises.
Follow the recommendations of the Health Board for a safe flight in order to keep yourself and other safe - if you have any symptoms of the disease postpone your trip and contact your family physician.
Purchase a travel insurance and take note of the insurance conditions (including COVID-19 related travel problems).
In the country of destination, follow the instructions of local authorities and keep yourself informed of possible new restrictions.
When returning from the trip, follow the rules in force in Estonia, monitor your health and contact your family doctor if you suspect you might have contracted the virus.
We draw your attention to the fact that any country may change the conditions of entering the country and staying in the country with a short notice. For more detailed information on the terms of the country of destination, we recommend contacting the foreign representation or the relevant authorities of the country.

I have health insurance. What do I need to know about health insurance when travelling in the European Union?

If you are going on holiday, you should take your European Health Insurance Card with you, as it is important if you have a health problem abroad. People from Estonia who have the European Health Insurance Card can get the medical help they need in the European Union and also in Liechtenstein, Norway, Iceland and Switzerland on the same terms as insured people who live in those countries.

The card can be ordered digitally from the state portal eesti.ee and is free of charge.

To get medical treatment, you should present your European Health Insurance Card or a replacement certificate for it and an identity document at a medical institution. The card only entitles you to medical assistance at public healthcare institutions.

NB! Please note that the European Health Insurance Card does not necessarily cover all the costs of the medical care you need. You must pay yourself for visitation fees, bed fees, co-payments for medicines, translation costs, etc at the prices of the country you are in. The card does not cover the cost of international transport or the costs of a private doctor. We recommend that when you travel you should sign a travel insurance contract with an insurance company to cover your costs, depending on the insurance conditions.

For more information see: https://www.haigekassa.ee/en/kontaktpunkt/healthcare-eu-and-elsewhere/european-health-insurance-card

What conditions apply to travelling between Estonia and Latvia? Am I allowed to go to Latvia without staying in self-isolation?

A 10-day self-isolation requirement applies when entering Latvia from Estonia

It is possible to enter the territory of Latvia without fulfilling the self-isolation requirement (while covering your nose and mouth in public places) in the following cases:

in connection with work, if crossing the border is necessary to carry out work or the main tasks of a profession and the person has a document proving employment;
in order to receive childcare services or obtain full-time formal education at preschool level (by presenting a certificate issued by the provider of the service or the educational institution);
in order to obtain full-time education at basic, secondary or university level, also in educational programmes with a professional orientation in the areas of art and culture (by presenting a certificate issued by the educational institution);
to accompany a student who is a minor or an adult with special needs to childcare, kindergarten, school;
to travel through the country for transit (it is allowed to stay in Latvia for 12 hours at maximum, overnight stay is not allowed);
in order to take care of relatives or organise a funeral or participate in a funeral;
in order to receive medical care in Latvia prescribed by a doctor (by presenting a certificate or referral issued by the doctor);

The residents of Valga-Valka twin town are still allowed to move freely on the condition that during the previous 14 days their only movement has been within the municipality borders of the twin town.

All those travelling to Latvia (including for transit or transportation of goods) must fill out an electronic form on the web page https://covidpass.lv up to 48 hours before crossing the border.

An emergency situation is in place in Latvia from 09.11 to 07.02 which means that stricter internal restrictions apply in the country. Wearing a mask is obligatory in public transportation and in public places.

It is not necessary to stay in self-isolation upon coming to Estonia from Latvia if:

the person has taken a negative coronavirus test no more than 72 hours before arriving in Estonia. When travelling from Estonia to Latvia and coming back to Estonia it is also possible to take the coronavirus test in Estonia and return to regular life if the result of the test is negative. Until the test results are known, the person must stay in self-isolation
the goal of the person's arrival to Estonia is working, studying, getting health care services, family events, or transit. If the arrival to Estonia is for the aforementioned reasons, there is no obligation to take a coronavirus test before arrival in Estonia.

If travelling for other reasons and not taking a test, a 10-day self-isolation in obligatory.

More information on travelling to Latvia and restrictions in Latvia can be found on the Reisi Targalt (Smart Travel) web page: https://reisitargalt.vm.ee/riigid/lati/

I wish to travel abroad. How can I get information about entry to other countries?

Information about entry conditions to other countries can be found on the website Reisi Targalt (Travel Smart): https://reisitargalt.vm.ee/

When travelling, it is advisable to observe the following:

Before planning a trip, check the information about the infection rate of the country of destination on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Find information on possible travel restrictions in the country of destination - for information check the Reisi Targalt website, ReOpen portal of the European Union, and for further information contact the representation of your country of destination.
Register your trip on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Reisi Targalt website, so we could inform you about possible travel restrictions.
Follow the recommendations of the Health Board for a safe flight (PDF) to maintain your health and the health of other people - if you have any symptoms, delay the trip and contact your family doctor.
Purchase travel insurance and familiarise yourself with all the conditions (including any travel disruptions caused by COVID-19).
Follow the instructions of local authorities in the country of stay and find out about possible new restrictions.
Follow the rules in force in Estonia when returning from your trip, monitor your health condition and contact your family doctor in case of suspicion of the virus.
We draw attention to the fact that any country may change the conditions for entry and stay in the country with a short notice. For more detailed information on the conditions of the country of destination, we recommend contacting the foreign representation or the relevant authorities of that country.

Estonia – The Nordic Countries

Will maritime traffic continue between Estonia and Finland or Estonia and Sweden?

Maritime traffic continues partially, but you should always check with the shipping line if this specific route is operational.

Estonia – Russia

Which transport connections are running between Russia – to St. Petersburg, Moscow. Are trains and buses running?

Taking into the spread of the coronavirus, the departures of the Tallinn-St.Peterburg-Moscow train have been temporarily suspended as of March 20, and tickets already purchased can be returned. The decision to stop the train traffic was taken by the Russian Railways to prevent the spread of the virus and to ensure the safety of passengers.

The Estonian Railway invites passengers who purchased the ticket to contact the customer service of the company Go Rail ticketing agency at: +372 631 0044, e-mail: traveld[at]gorail[dot]ee, www.gorail.ee/en.

According to information from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, carriers have also stopped service on long-distance lines headed to Russia.

Estonia – Latvia

Working abroad

Exceptionally, could an Estonian citizen or resident with a job in Russia cross the border for work?

No, this is not currently possible.

The Russian border is generally closed for entry to foreigners. People with a Russian residence permit or Russian citizens living in the European Union may enter Russia once.

The ban on entry does not apply to drivers of international goods vehicles, pilots, crews of sea and river boats, crew on trains travelling internationally, people issued visas because of the death of a relative, and people who reside permanently in the Russian Federation. Entry is also permitted for foreign athletes and coaches, and on one occasion only for people travelling for medical care or to care for sick relatives, and highly qualified specialists.

Further information on crossing the Russian border is available from the information line of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs +7(495) 587 8860, +7(499) 244 1977, +7 (499) 244 1988 and +7(499) 244 2847.

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