For many families, the first surprise about Estonia is how little the school system asks of you. Your municipality guarantees a free place in a state school near home once your address is registered. The second surprise is the language: the state is moving all teaching to Estonian, which is a real consideration if your children are not young.
This guide to schools in Estonia for expat children covers the state system, kindergarten and the international options.
How does the school system work in Estonia?
School is compulsory for children who are seven on 1 October. Since the reform of the obligation to learn (õpikohustus), young people who finished basic school in spring 2026 or later must continue learning until 18 or until a secondary or vocational qualification, foreign children living in Estonia included. Some state pages still say "7 to 17".
The school year starts on 1 September and ends around the second week of June, with 175 school days and holidays generally in October, at Christmas, in February and in April. Lessons run Monday to Friday, usually from 8 a.m., in 45-minute periods.
How do you enrol your child in an Estonian school?
- Register your address in the population register (residence in Estonia for EU citizens). It is the condition for the school of your area.
- Contact your municipality (education department). It proposes a suitable school, generally within 30 days of your request, taking your wishes into account if places remain. You can also contact another state or private school directly.
- Send the application with the documents: copies of the child's and the parent's identity documents, the certificate or report card from the previous school (or certified copy) and, depending on the school, a medical certificate, grades or a development report. The school decides the class by age and background.
- For a child coming from abroad, the school may prepare an individual programme, with extra Estonian lessons, a support teacher or an adaptation class, while the child stays with the class for maths, foreign languages, arts and sport.
Choosing between a state school and an international one, or unsure what documents the school will want from your country? Moovy can prepare the checklist and draft the message to the municipality in English, with an Estonian version.
How much do schools and kindergartens cost in Estonia?
State school is free under the national curriculum, textbooks and exercise books included. The school may charge for meals, hobby activities and extracurricular activities. Stationery and sports kit are yours. The school lunch is supported by state aid paid to municipalities, so ask yours what it charges.
Municipal kindergarten (lasteaed) is available for children from one and a half to seven years if you apply to your municipality. For children under four, you can also ask for childcare (lapsehoid). The municipality sets the parents' share, and by law it cannot exceed 20% of the minimum wage; in practice, municipalities charge less (Tallinn: 12.2% of the minimum wage). Meals are extra. See the cost of living in Estonia.
What about the language of teaching?
Teaching is in Estonian. The move to Estonian-language education advances every year, starting with the first and fourth years, and kindergartens have taught only in Estonian since 1 September 2024. Schools teaching in Russian are being phased out by 2030. If at least ten pupils in a school speak the same language, the school organises, where possible, two hours a week of home language and culture; otherwise the municipality helps find a solution.
For a young child, Estonian can be learned quickly. For a teenager, consider an international school, at least at the start.
What international schools exist?
- Tallinn European School prepares for the European Baccalaureate in English and French, and is fee-paying. A pupil coming from a European school joins the corresponding class.
- IB schools in English: six schools offer the International Baccalaureate, according to the Ministry of Education: in Tallinn, the International School of Estonia, Tallinn English College, Audentes International School and the International School of Tallinn; in Tartu, Miina Härma Gümnaasium and Tartu International School. Tallinn English College and Miina Härma Gümnaasium are municipal and free; the others are mostly private and fee-paying.
- German and Finnish: two free municipal German schools in Tallinn (Tallinna Saksa Gümnaasium and Kadrioru Saksa Gümnaasium) and one fee-paying Finnish school.
- The "French lycée". Despite the name, Tallinna Prantsuse Lütseum is an Estonian school; check with the school how French is used and the admission conditions. The official pages we reviewed mention no school of the French network abroad in Estonia.
How are diplomas recognised?
The ENIC/NARIC centre of the Harno agency assesses foreign qualifications free, within 30 days of a complete file. It is an opinion: the school, university or employer decides. Documents need translation into Estonian, English or Russian if they are in another language; French is not on the list.
What is the daily rhythm of schools in Estonia?
The school year begins on 1 September and has 175 school days, with the last day around the second week of June. Holidays fall in October, at Christmas, in February and in April. Lessons run Monday to Friday from about 8 a.m. in 45-minute periods. In state schools, textbooks and workbooks are lent for the year and returned at the end. You buy pens, sports kit and indoor shoes.
Which schools in Estonia suit which families?
- Young children adapt fastest to state schools and Estonian-language kindergartens. The kindergarten is available from 18 months to seven years on request.
- Teenagers often do better in an international school, at least at first, because the state system is moving to Estonian.
- Francophone families have the European School in Tallinn, in English and French.
- German and Finnish families have the two free German municipal schools and one Finnish private school in Tallinn.
- Families who want the IB have six schools in Tallinn and Tartu, two of them municipal and the rest mostly private (best places to live in Estonia).
If your child speaks a language shared by at least ten pupils at the school, ask about the two weekly hours of home language and culture. Schools in Estonia also make allowance for a newcomer's integration plan.
What mistakes should you avoid?
- Arriving without a registered address. No guaranteed local school.
- Assuming learning ends at 17.
- Underestimating the language for older children.
- Believing "lycée français" means a French school.
- Treating the ENIC/NARIC opinion as a decision.
What changes by nationality?
EU, EEA and Swiss families have the same rights as Estonian ones once their address is registered. British families need a residence permit and a registered address first (moving to Estonia from the UK). Choosing a town also shapes your options (best places to live in Estonia).
Estonia's schools are good, and their free state option is real. Just match the language to the age of the child.