Estonia Travel Information

About Estonia

Estonia lies along the Baltic Sea, just below Finland. Tallinn, Estonia's capital city is only about 40 miles south of Helsinki, across the Gulf of Finland. Sweden is Estonia's western neighbor across the Baltic. Russia is to the east, with St. Petersburg just across the northeastern border. To the south is Latvia with its capital city Riga. You can depart from Tallinn's international airport and in less than two hours be in Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Riga, Moscow, St. Petersburg, or Vilnius.

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Area

Area: 17,413 square miles (about twice the size of New Hampshire).

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Population

Population: 1,437,000 (Tallinn, 443,000; Tartu, 106,000).

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Climate

The climate in Estonia is temperate, characterized by warm summers and fairly severe winters. The weather is often breezy and humid due to the proximity of the Baltic Sea. Average temperatures range from 20.9° C in summer (usually July is the hottest month) to - 8°C in winter. Although occasionally the temperature may rise to 30°C and above in summer or sink below - 23°C in winter, it is very usual at our latitude. Bring your umbrella and a light raincoat in case of occasional showers.

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Entry

Estonia is less than two hours away by plane from the following countries: Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Riga, Moscow, St. Petersburg, or Vilnius.

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Visa

Visitors entering the country must have a valid passport. A visa is not required of citizens from: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Costa Rica, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Malta, Monaco, New Zealand, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Swiss Confederation, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, USA and Vatican City

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Customs

A maximum of EUR ~5,100 (EEK 80,000) in cash, or its equivalent in other foreign currency, may be brought into or taken out of the country without declaration. There are no limits on the import of bonds, personal items or personal goods. In addition to personal items a traveler entering Estonia may bring in goods within the following duty free limits per calendar day.

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Language

Language: Estonian (official), Russian, Ukrainian, Finnish, other...

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Time

Time: Estonia is in the Eastern European Time Zone. Eastern European Standard Time (EET) is 2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+2). Like most states in Europe, Summer (Daylight-Saving) Time is observed in Estonia, where the time is shifted forward by 1 hour; 3 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+3). After the Summer months the time is shifted back by 1 hour to Eastern European Time (EET) or (GMT+2)

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Currency

The national currency of Estonia is called the Kroon and was introduced on 20 June 1992. The Kroon is abbreviated as EEK. The smaller unit is called the Sent, 1 kroon = 100 sents. The kroon is pegged to the EURO at 1 EUR = appr. 15.65 EEK. Foreign currencies can be easily exchanged in banks and exchange offices. There are exchange offices in several hotels, in the port of Tallinn, at the airport, the railway station and many other places.

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Credit Cards

Credit cards such as Visa, Mastercard/Eurocard, Diner's Club, American Express etc. are accepted in most of the major hotels, restaurants and shops, but ask first. Most banks will give cash advances on credit cards supported by a valid passport. Check with the credit card company for further details before travelling.

Traveller's Cheques

The most widely accepted traveller's cheques in Estonia are Amex, Thomas Cook and Eurocheque.

Banks

The main banks in Estonia, which serve tourists, are: Hansapank, Ühispank, Sampo Pank. Banks are open from Monday to Friday between 9.00 and 16.00. Most banks are closed on Saturdays and Sundays. Currency exchange offices are open from Monday to Friday from 09.00 to 18.00 hours; on Saturdays from 09.00 to 15.00 hours. Some are also open on Sundays.