Healthcare

Registering, the European Health Insurance Card, the S1 form.

In Estonia

Checked on 23 October 2026

How to be covered by public health insurance (Tervisekassa) when you settle in Estonia?

In Estonia, public health insurance is run by the Tervisekassa (Health Insurance Fund): you are covered if you live legally in Estonia and work with social tax paid for you, if you are one of the persons equivalent to insured persons (for example under-19s, students or pensioners) or one of those for whom the State pays social tax (for example the unemployed registered with the Töötukassa), or if you take out voluntary insurance. An employee is covered 14 days after the work start date entered in the employment register. During the first weeks, your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) covers necessary care as long as you remain insured in your country of origin.

Costs: Employees: funded by the social tax paid by the employer. Voluntary insurance: €3,264 a year (2026). Family doctor consultation free; specialist or emergency department: up to €20
Timeframes: Employees: cover 14 days after the work start date entered in the employment register. Voluntary insurance: one month after signing the contract

Steps

Before you leave, ask for your EHIC from your health insurance fund. It entitles you to medically necessary care during a temporary stay, on the same terms as Estonian insured persons (with the same co-payment of €5 or €20).
Register your residence and obtain your personal identification code (sheets EE-SEJOUR-TOUS-001 and EE-NIF-TOUS-001): insurance relies on the population register.
If you are an employee (contract of more than one month or indefinite-term): your employer registers you in the tax authority's employment register, which passes the data to the Tervisekassa. Your cover starts 14 days after the work start date entered.
If you are self-employed or in another situation: check whether you fall into an insured group (social tax paid by yourself as a self-employed person, unemployed person registered with the unemployment insurance fund, recipient of certain benefits…). Otherwise, you can take out voluntary insurance online, on the health portal (Terviseportaal), if you reside in Estonia according to the population register and have no insurance or have less than 30 days of it left. The contract lasts one year.
If you have an S1 form (retiree, posted worker…): register it with the Tervisekassa. Until it is registered, it gives you no rights.
Choose a family doctor (perearst): submit a written (or digitally signed) application to the practice of your choice. They reply within 7 working days and may refuse if their list is full or if your address in the register is outside their area.
Check your cover on the State portal (service "Account number and personal data in the Health Insurance Fund") or on +372 669 6630.

Documents

EHIC from your country of origin (transition period).
Estonian personal identification code and registered residence.
Employment contract (your employer makes the declaration).
Where applicable: S1 form to register.
Application for registration with the family doctor.

Costs and timelines

Employees: the health contribution is part of the social tax (sotsiaalmaks) paid by the employer.
Voluntary insurance (amounts displayed by the Tervisekassa on 23/10/2026): €3,264 a year, payable in one go, quarterly (€816) or monthly (€272); the amount is recalculated every year and the payment frequency does not change during the contract. The insurance takes effect one month after the contract is concluded. It gives access to reimbursed care, but not to sick leave benefits, and does not reimburse co-payments for care.
Co-payments for care (since 1 April 2025): family doctor consultation free; home visit €5 at most; specialist (dentist included) or emergency department up to €20 (€5 for certain groups: pregnant women, pensioners, the unemployed…); hospitalisation up to €50 per episode (10 days at most).
Life-threatening emergencies: emergency care free for anyone present in Estonia (ambulance, emergency department). For an insured person, the €20 (or €5) co-payment at the emergency department is not due if the visit is directly followed by hospital admission.

Common pitfalls

The 14-day gap. An employee who was not insured in Estonia waits 14 days after the work start entered in the register. Keep your EHIC and check with your home fund until when you remain insured there.
Arriving without a job. A person who does not work is not covered, unless they fall into an equivalent group or pay for voluntary insurance. A person on a temporary stay (not settled) is only insured if they work with social tax paid.
End of contract. An employee's cover stops two months after the end-of-work date entered in the register.
The unregistered S1. The S1 (formerly E106, E121) is not a right to care in itself: it must first be registered with the Tervisekassa.
Only one country of insurance. You cannot be insured in Estonia and in another EU country at the same time.
Residence registered abroad. If the register shows that you no longer live in Estonia, the Tervisekassa may end your insurance.

What changes by country of origin

EU and EEA citizens: EHIC during the transition; Estonian affiliation through work, an equivalent group, voluntary insurance or a registered S1.
Swiss citizens: same rules; the Swiss EHIC is accepted in Estonia for necessary care.
British citizens: new arrivals must first obtain a residence permit; the Tervisekassa covers people who reside in Estonia with a residence permit under the same rules (work with social tax, equivalent group, voluntary insurance). For use of your British GHIC, ask the Tervisekassa.
Children up to 19: treated as insured persons, whatever the parents' employment situation (Tervisekassa, "Persons equivalent to insured persons"), if they reside in Estonia on the basis of a right or permit of residence.

Official sources (10) ›

The European framework

These European rules also apply in Estonia.

Checked on 23 October 2026

Health insurance required for visas and permits: what EU rules ask (short and long stays)

For a Schengen short-stay visa, you must show travel medical insurance covering urgent medical care, emergency hospital treatment and repatriation (including in case of death), valid in all Schengen countries, with at least €30,000 of cover (Visa Code, Article 15). For long stays, the EU directives ask for sickness insurance covering the risks normally covered for nationals of the destination, for example for students, family members, Blue Card holders and long-term residents. The exact proof, and whether you must buy private insurance or can join the public system, depend on the destination.

Who decides: Consulates (Schengen visas); the immigration authority of the destination (long stays)
Costs: Set by insurers; Schengen visa insurance must cover at least €30,000 (Visa Code, Article 15)

Before you act

No promise. The consulate or immigration authority decides whether your insurance is acceptable. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Scams. Buy insurance only from a real, identifiable insurer, and check the policy before paying. A fake or inadequate insurance certificate can lead to refusal of your application.
Ask a professional (the insurer, the consulate or a lawyer) if you have a chronic illness, are pregnant, or are over the age limits of standard policies.
Be honest in insurance forms about your health and your plans.

Steps

Short stay with a visa: buy travel medical insurance that meets Article 15 of the Visa Code (below) for the whole trip; for a multiple-entry visa, it must cover the first trip, and you sign a statement that you know you need insurance for later trips. Exceptions: the requirement may be considered met where adequate cover can be presumed from the applicant's professional situation (for example seafarers, Article 15(6)), and holders of diplomatic passports are exempt (Article 15(7)).
Visa-exempt short stay: insurance is not among the entry conditions listed in the Schengen Borders Code (Article 6), but medical care abroad can be expensive: travel insurance is your choice.
Long stay: read the destination's list for your route. Denmark and Ireland did not take part in the five directives below and are not bound by them (see the recitals of each text), so their rules are purely national. In the other EU countries, the directives ask for insurance "for all risks normally covered for nationals" for:
- students and researchers, valid for the whole planned stay (Directive (EU) 2016/801, Article 7(1)(c));
- family reunification, for the sponsor and the family, if the country requires it (Directive 2003/86/EC, Article 7(1)(b));
- Blue Card and seasonal workers, for periods not already covered through the job (Directive (EU) 2021/1883, Article 5(1)(e); Directive 2014/36/EU, Article 5(1)(b) for stays up to 90 days and Article 6(1)(b) for stays over 90 days);
- EU long-term residents, for themselves and for dependent family members (Directive 2003/109/EC, Article 5(1)(b)).
After arrival: ask whether your permit gives access to the public health system, and from when (see the destination's health fiche).

Documents

An insurance certificate in the name of each person, with dates, cover, amount and territory.
For a Schengen visa: proof that the cover is valid in all Schengen countries and is at least €30,000 (Article 15(3)); for a visa with limited territorial validity covering several Member States, the cover must be valid at least in the Member States concerned.

Costs and timelines

Price: set by insurers. The Visa Code asks you to take insurance, in principle, in your country of residence, or in another country if that is not possible (Article 15(4)).
Check: consulates verify that claims against the insurer can be recovered in an EU country (Article 15(5)).

Common pitfalls

Cover too low or not valid everywhere. For a Schengen visa: at least €30,000 and valid in all Schengen countries.
Wrong dates. The insurance must cover the whole stay or transit (Article 15(3)).
Travel insurance for a long stay. A short-trip policy may not meet the "all risks normally covered for nationals" standard required for long-stay permits, and what each country actually accepts varies: ask the immigration authority directly before you buy.
Gaps between the visa and the permit. Keep cover until you are registered in the public system or have the insurance the permit requires.

What changes by profile

Workers may be covered through their job; the Blue Card and seasonal directives ask for insurance only for periods not covered by, or resulting from, the work contract.
Retirees and people living on passive income follow national rules for national visas (for Portugal, see PT-VISA-TIERS-050).

Official links

Visa Code (consolidated), Article 15: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02009R0810-20240628
Commission, applying for a Schengen visa: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen/visa-policy/applying-schengen-visa_en

Official sources (9) ›

These guides give the general rules. Your situation can change the answer: Moovy looks at it with you and tells you when you need a professional.

In Estonia

Checked on 23 October 2026

How to be covered by public health insurance (Tervisekassa) when you settle in Estonia?

Costs: Employees: funded by the social tax paid by the employer. Voluntary insurance: €3,264 a year (2026). Family doctor consultation free; specialist or emergency department: up to €20
Timeframes: Employees: cover 14 days after the work start date entered in the employment register. Voluntary insurance: one month after signing the contract

Steps

Before you leave, ask for your EHIC from your health insurance fund. It entitles you to medically necessary care during a temporary stay, on the same terms as Estonian insured persons (with the same co-payment of €5 or €20).
Register your residence and obtain your personal identification code (sheets EE-SEJOUR-TOUS-001 and EE-NIF-TOUS-001): insurance relies on the population register.
If you are an employee (contract of more than one month or indefinite-term): your employer registers you in the tax authority's employment register, which passes the data to the Tervisekassa. Your cover starts 14 days after the work start date entered.
If you are self-employed or in another situation: check whether you fall into an insured group (social tax paid by yourself as a self-employed person, unemployed person registered with the unemployment insurance fund, recipient of certain benefits…). Otherwise, you can take out voluntary insurance online, on the health portal (Terviseportaal), if you reside in Estonia according to the population register and have no insurance or have less than 30 days of it left. The contract lasts one year.
If you have an S1 form (retiree, posted worker…): register it with the Tervisekassa. Until it is registered, it gives you no rights.
Choose a family doctor (perearst): submit a written (or digitally signed) application to the practice of your choice. They reply within 7 working days and may refuse if their list is full or if your address in the register is outside their area.
Check your cover on the State portal (service "Account number and personal data in the Health Insurance Fund") or on +372 669 6630.

Documents

EHIC from your country of origin (transition period).
Estonian personal identification code and registered residence.
Employment contract (your employer makes the declaration).
Where applicable: S1 form to register.
Application for registration with the family doctor.

Costs and timelines

Employees: the health contribution is part of the social tax (sotsiaalmaks) paid by the employer.
Voluntary insurance (amounts displayed by the Tervisekassa on 23/10/2026): €3,264 a year, payable in one go, quarterly (€816) or monthly (€272); the amount is recalculated every year and the payment frequency does not change during the contract. The insurance takes effect one month after the contract is concluded. It gives access to reimbursed care, but not to sick leave benefits, and does not reimburse co-payments for care.
Co-payments for care (since 1 April 2025): family doctor consultation free; home visit €5 at most; specialist (dentist included) or emergency department up to €20 (€5 for certain groups: pregnant women, pensioners, the unemployed…); hospitalisation up to €50 per episode (10 days at most).
Life-threatening emergencies: emergency care free for anyone present in Estonia (ambulance, emergency department). For an insured person, the €20 (or €5) co-payment at the emergency department is not due if the visit is directly followed by hospital admission.

Common pitfalls

The 14-day gap. An employee who was not insured in Estonia waits 14 days after the work start entered in the register. Keep your EHIC and check with your home fund until when you remain insured there.
Arriving without a job. A person who does not work is not covered, unless they fall into an equivalent group or pay for voluntary insurance. A person on a temporary stay (not settled) is only insured if they work with social tax paid.
End of contract. An employee's cover stops two months after the end-of-work date entered in the register.
The unregistered S1. The S1 (formerly E106, E121) is not a right to care in itself: it must first be registered with the Tervisekassa.
Only one country of insurance. You cannot be insured in Estonia and in another EU country at the same time.
Residence registered abroad. If the register shows that you no longer live in Estonia, the Tervisekassa may end your insurance.

What changes by country of origin

EU and EEA citizens: EHIC during the transition; Estonian affiliation through work, an equivalent group, voluntary insurance or a registered S1.
Swiss citizens: same rules; the Swiss EHIC is accepted in Estonia for necessary care.
British citizens: new arrivals must first obtain a residence permit; the Tervisekassa covers people who reside in Estonia with a residence permit under the same rules (work with social tax, equivalent group, voluntary insurance). For use of your British GHIC, ask the Tervisekassa.
Children up to 19: treated as insured persons, whatever the parents' employment situation (Tervisekassa, "Persons equivalent to insured persons"), if they reside in Estonia on the basis of a right or permit of residence.

Official sources (10) ›

The European framework

These European rules also apply in Estonia.

Checked on 23 October 2026

Health insurance required for visas and permits: what EU rules ask (short and long stays)

Who decides: Consulates (Schengen visas); the immigration authority of the destination (long stays)
Costs: Set by insurers; Schengen visa insurance must cover at least €30,000 (Visa Code, Article 15)

Before you act

No promise. The consulate or immigration authority decides whether your insurance is acceptable. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Scams. Buy insurance only from a real, identifiable insurer, and check the policy before paying. A fake or inadequate insurance certificate can lead to refusal of your application.
Ask a professional (the insurer, the consulate or a lawyer) if you have a chronic illness, are pregnant, or are over the age limits of standard policies.
Be honest in insurance forms about your health and your plans.

Steps

Short stay with a visa: buy travel medical insurance that meets Article 15 of the Visa Code (below) for the whole trip; for a multiple-entry visa, it must cover the first trip, and you sign a statement that you know you need insurance for later trips. Exceptions: the requirement may be considered met where adequate cover can be presumed from the applicant's professional situation (for example seafarers, Article 15(6)), and holders of diplomatic passports are exempt (Article 15(7)).
Visa-exempt short stay: insurance is not among the entry conditions listed in the Schengen Borders Code (Article 6), but medical care abroad can be expensive: travel insurance is your choice.
Long stay: read the destination's list for your route. Denmark and Ireland did not take part in the five directives below and are not bound by them (see the recitals of each text), so their rules are purely national. In the other EU countries, the directives ask for insurance "for all risks normally covered for nationals" for:
- students and researchers, valid for the whole planned stay (Directive (EU) 2016/801, Article 7(1)(c));
- family reunification, for the sponsor and the family, if the country requires it (Directive 2003/86/EC, Article 7(1)(b));
- Blue Card and seasonal workers, for periods not already covered through the job (Directive (EU) 2021/1883, Article 5(1)(e); Directive 2014/36/EU, Article 5(1)(b) for stays up to 90 days and Article 6(1)(b) for stays over 90 days);
- EU long-term residents, for themselves and for dependent family members (Directive 2003/109/EC, Article 5(1)(b)).
After arrival: ask whether your permit gives access to the public health system, and from when (see the destination's health fiche).

Documents

An insurance certificate in the name of each person, with dates, cover, amount and territory.
For a Schengen visa: proof that the cover is valid in all Schengen countries and is at least €30,000 (Article 15(3)); for a visa with limited territorial validity covering several Member States, the cover must be valid at least in the Member States concerned.

Costs and timelines

Price: set by insurers. The Visa Code asks you to take insurance, in principle, in your country of residence, or in another country if that is not possible (Article 15(4)).
Check: consulates verify that claims against the insurer can be recovered in an EU country (Article 15(5)).

Common pitfalls

Cover too low or not valid everywhere. For a Schengen visa: at least €30,000 and valid in all Schengen countries.
Wrong dates. The insurance must cover the whole stay or transit (Article 15(3)).
Travel insurance for a long stay. A short-trip policy may not meet the "all risks normally covered for nationals" standard required for long-stay permits, and what each country actually accepts varies: ask the immigration authority directly before you buy.
Gaps between the visa and the permit. Keep cover until you are registered in the public system or have the insurance the permit requires.

What changes by profile

Workers may be covered through their job; the Blue Card and seasonal directives ask for insurance only for periods not covered by, or resulting from, the work contract.
Retirees and people living on passive income follow national rules for national visas (for Portugal, see PT-VISA-TIERS-050).

Official links

Visa Code (consolidated), Article 15: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02009R0810-20240628
Commission, applying for a Schengen visa: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen/visa-policy/applying-schengen-visa_en

Official sources (9) ›

These guides give the general rules. Your situation can change the answer: Moovy looks at it with you and tells you when you need a professional.

Healthcare

In Estonia

How to be covered by public health insurance (Tervisekassa) when you settle in Estonia?

Steps

Documents

Costs and timelines

Common pitfalls

What changes by country of origin

The European framework

Health insurance required for visas and permits: what EU rules ask (short and long stays)

Steps

Documents

Costs and timelines

Common pitfalls

What changes by profile

Other topics

Healthcare

In Estonia

How to be covered by public health insurance (Tervisekassa) when you settle in Estonia?

Steps

Documents

Costs and timelines

Common pitfalls

What changes by country of origin

The European framework

Health insurance required for visas and permits: what EU rules ask (short and long stays)

Steps

Documents

Costs and timelines

Common pitfalls

What changes by profile

Other topics