Buying a home in Estonia is a notarial affair: the notary writes the contract, checks your identity, asks where the money came from and files the entry in the land register. It is a rare system where nearly everything is online and the key step still happens before a person with a stamp. For a foreign buyer, the legal restrictions are few; the practical ones are about money and paperwork.
This guide to buying property in Estonia as a foreigner explains the process step by step.
Can foreigners buy property in Estonia?
Yes. A citizen of the EEA or of an OECD country, which includes the UK and Switzerland, can buy a flat, house or plot like an Estonian. An apartment (korteriomand) in an apartment building escapes the restrictions entirely, for everyone.
The limits are narrow, according to the Restrictions on Acquisition of Immovables Act:
- Companies from the EEA or OECD buying 10 hectares or more of agricultural or forest land must show three years of agricultural or forest activity, or get the municipal council's agreement.
- Border zones and small islands. Islands other than Saaremaa, Hiiumaa, Muhu and Vormsi, and several eastern municipalities (Narva, Narva-Jõesuu, Sillamäe, and some in Ida-Virumaa, Tartumaa, Põlvamaa and Võrumaa) are closed to people who are neither EEA citizens nor British, unless the government authorises.
- A sale in breach is void. The register can be corrected.
For Swiss readers, the law reads as follows: Switzerland is in the OECD, so there is no restriction on farm and forest land, but it is neither in the EEA nor the UK, so the listed islands and border zones apply. Have this confirmed.
How does buying a property in Estonia work, step by step?
- Check the property in the land register (kinnistusraamat): owner, mortgages, easements and restrictions. The notary does it too, but look before you commit.
- Prepare financing if you borrow (bank account in Estonia).
- Choose a notary freely. You need no draft contract; the notary writes it.
- Prove where your money comes from. The notary has you complete an anti-money-laundering questionnaire and may ask for bank statements.
- Read the draft deed and negotiate open points before signing.
- Sign at the notary's office, or remotely by video (kaugtõestamine) if the office accepts; tell them in advance.
- The notary files with the land register department of the court. You are notified by email, and that is when you become the owner.
- Afterwards, register your address if you live there (residence in Estonia for EU citizens) and watch for the land tax.
Looking at a flat and unsure about the contract, the questionnaire or the remote signature? Moovy can prepare the questions for the notary and list the documents to bring, in plain English.
What does buying a property in Estonia cost?
Notary fee (2026). Set by law and identical for every notary, calculated on the transaction value. The notary chamber gives an example: €83.70 for a €50,000 transaction, doubled for a sale (a two-party contract) to €167.40, plus VAT. A mortgage created or deleted counts for two thirds of its amount. Use the calculator on notar.ee.
State fee for the land register. Payable in addition, depending on the value (taxable land value plus building). Examples: €235 for values up to €204,520, €1,030 up to €639,120, then 0.16% of the value with a maximum of €2,560; half for a spouse, ascendant or descendant, 75% for a brother, a sister or their ascendants or descendants.
No transfer tax on the buyer. The notary and tax board pages we reviewed mention no transfer tax payable by the buyer: only the state registration fee and the notary's fees apply. Who pays what is negotiated.
Land tax. Paid each year by the owner, with possible relief for a main residence (see below).
How much can you borrow?
The Bank of Estonia limits a loan to 85% of the value (90% with a state guarantee), repayments to 50% of income and the term to 30 years. A bank can depart from these for up to 15% of its new loans per quarter. These limits apply to whoever you are, and each bank will ask for proof of income, tax notices and a deposit of your own.
What does the notary actually do when you buy property in Estonia?
The notary is more than a witness. The notary chamber describes the notary as the author of the contract: you give the parties, the property and the terms, and the notary drafts the deed. The notary also checks your identity and capacity, asks for the anti-money-laundering questionnaire and sends the application to the land register.
You can sign in person, or remotely by video if the office offers it. Tell the office in advance, especially if you have no Estonian digital identity, because it will tell you how to sign. If your spouse, a co-owner or the bank must consent, the notary will ask for their agreement.
Documents to bring: a valid identity document; the money-origin questionnaire and any proof the notary asks for; the loan contract or the bank's agreement in principle if you borrow; and a digital signing method if you sign remotely. See Estonian digital ID.
How long does buying property in Estonia take, and what happens after?
The deed is the start, not the end. The notary sends the transfer to the land register department of the court, which enters it and informs you by email. The sources do not give a fixed delay for the entry; ask the notary when you sign.
After that, if you live in the home, register your address, and keep an eye on the land tax notices that appear in e-MTA from mid-February. A main-residence relief of €0 to €1,000 can apply, depending on the municipality's decision, if your address is registered in a building on the land on 1 January. The tax board's land tax page sets out the rules.
If you buy an apartment, a share in a building's common parts and the building's management are part of the deal, so read the association's documents with the notary. The sources we reviewed do not detail those rules, so ask for them.
What mistakes should you avoid?
- Paying the seller before the deed. A transfer or a private agreement does not make you owner; only the land register entry does.
- Underdeclaring the price. If the declared value is below market value, the notary calculates fees on a reference value.
- Buying through a company without checking. Rules differ for companies and farm or forest land.
- Overlooking borders and islands. Check the location against the list.
- Not budgeting for fees. The notary's fee and the state fee are separate.
What changes by nationality?
EU and EEA citizens have no restriction as individuals, including on farm and forest land and in border zones. British citizens are named expressly in the border-zone provision, so there is no restriction for an individual. Swiss citizens: see above. A flat is open to all.
Buying in Estonia is not difficult. It is just formal, and the notary makes sure you notice every formality.