Your first weeks working abroad – registration, tax, insurance

1. Personal identification code (isikukood): get it in person at a local government service office (e.g. in Tallinn or Tartu) or at the International House of Estonia (appointment needed). It takes about 30 minutes and you get the code straight away.
2. Register your address in the population register at your local government no later than 3 months after arriving. This gives you a temporary right of residence for 5 years, extended automatically – but it is revoked if you no longer have a registered address in Estonia.
3. ID card: within 1 month of getting the right of residence, apply for an Estonian ID card in person at a Police and Border Guard Board service office. State fee: €45. The card is your key to Estonian e-services.
4. Health insurance: your employer registers you in the employment register. If your contract is for more than one month or for an unspecified term, you are insured with the Estonian Health Insurance Fund (Tervisekassa) after a 14-day waiting period. Then register with a family doctor near your home.
5. Tax: income tax is 22%. In 2026 the basic exemption is €700 a month (up to €8,400 a year) whatever you earn – give your employer a short signed application to apply it (only one employer can apply it). You also pay 1.6% unemployment insurance and, usually, 2% into the funded pension.
6. Bank account: wages are paid into the bank account you name; opening an account as a newcomer can take about a week.

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