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About Estonia
Health clinics and hospitals in Estonia can offer patients quality diagnostic and healthcare services, combining the experience of doctors with the latest technologies and high standards.
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Situated in the north of Baltic states, just across from Finland, Estonia is the most distinct of the three Baltic nations. While Estonia shares a similar history with Latvia and Lithuania, its culture and linguistics is different from the other two Baltic countries. Ethnically, Estonia is closest to its northern neighbour across the sea, Finland.
Since regaining its independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Estonia has become one of the most economically successful of the European Union's newer eastern European members. Forward-thinking approach has made Estonia one of the fastest developing member states of the EU and one of the most advanced digital nations. Estonia provides free wifi hotspots everywhere across the country and is also a birthplace of great companies like Skype and Hotmail. From e-residency to e-healthcare, Estonia applies modern digital solutions to everyday life, which stands as a leading example of organisation, accessibility and quality.
While Estonia is the smallest of the Baltic States with a total population of only 1.3 million people, it has over 2,000 islands of various size. In fact, Estonia's largest island Saaremaa is bigger than Luxembourg. On the islands of Saaremaa, Hiiumaa, Muhu and Kihnu, visitors can relax on tranquil beaches, enjoy an excellent meal of fresh seafood and cycle through traditional coastal fishing villages. Saaremaa is also the most famous wellness hotspot in Estonia popular for healing mud treatments and bountiful spas, earning the nickname "Spaaremaa".
Estonia has some of the cleanest air and is ranked as one of the greenest countries in the world. The landscape is covered with mires and bogs, fields and forests, covering about half of the country. Nature lovers can explore Estonia's untouched wild beauty and try the freshest, clean and organic food. Forests are full with edible delicacies like blueberries, cloudberries, and mushrooms, while rivers, lakes and the sea are filled with delicious seafood.
Like in all of Baltics, medical tourism is a rapidly growing industry in Estonia. This is made possible by the high professionalism of doctors, the high standards of medical institutions, openness to innovative solutions, large-scale investments, and transparent pricing policy. Estonia provides highest quality medical treatments at a significantly lower price than in Scandinavia and Western Europe.
Estonia attracts millions of tourists with its diverse culture, unique nature and rich historical heritage. Estonia's UNESCO world heritage capital city Tallinn was granted city rights in the 13th century by the King of Denmark. Since then, the streets of Tallinn have seen many world's powers, from the Danes and Swedes to Germans, and tsarist and Soviet Russia. Estonia's capital Tallinn is the best-preserved medieval city in Northern Europe and offers it's visitors to experience the spirit of the Medieval Ages with it's many omnipresent in the cobblestone streets and buildings of medieval Tallinn.
Currency
Euro (EUR)
Population
1.3 million inhabitants
Capital
Tallinn
Local Time
2 hours ahead of GMT/UK time
Flight Time
1-5 hours from anywhere in Europe
Airports
Tallinn International Airport, transfer
time to Tallinn is just 15 minutes
Languages
Estonian is a national language but English and Russian is fluently spoken in many medical institutions
Memberships
EU, Nato, Schengen Zone,
United Nations
Weather
Estonia has four distinct seasons, semi-continental climate, with very cold winters and mild, moderately rainy summers
Medical tourism in Estonia
After gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Estonia embarked on comprehensive reforms to modernise healthcare system and rapidly adopted the latest technological advancements. This was made possible by the international experience of Estonian doctors, the high standards of medical institutions and innovative technologies.
Like the Baltic neighbours, Estonia is gradually emerging as a popular destination for medical tourism, providing quick access to high quality medical services and European healthcare standards at a considerably lower price than in Scandinavian countries or Western Europe. Medical tourism in Estonia is getting an additional boost from the proximity to Scandinavian countries, where the cost of living and medical services is much higher than in the Baltic states. It also helps that many Estonian doctors often speak fluent Finish in addition to Estonian, English and Russian. More and more medical tourists chose Baltic region where quality of medical services meets the price.
There are two main health hubs in Estonia: Tallinn and Tartu, which is the second largest city and home to Estonia's national university of Tartu. The university of Tartu is known for its high reputation of medical faculty, the quality of medical studies and the university hospital. However, the majority of clinics for medical tourists is in Tallinn, providing all types of medical procedures from diagnostics, surgery, dental, orthopaedics and many more.
Estonia is known for its many wellness resorts, providing a wide variety of rejuvenation and medical treatments from mud baths to sauna, luxurious wellness and authentic treatments based on centuries old Estonian tradition of using medicinal herbs. Saaremaa is the most spa-dense island in Estonia, and is part of UNESCO’s biosphere reserve, making it a perfect destination for relaxation and nature explorations. Parnu is another popular wellness destination with a long history of spa tourism dating back to 1838, when the first mud bath was open. In Parnu, you can enjoy an authentic architecture with is many wooden villas, beautiful sand beaches and many wellness treatments. Other popular wellness destinations in Estonia are Haapsalu, Narva, and Setomaa.
Healthcare system in Estonia
Estonia has free public healthcare provided by the Health Insurance Fund (EHIF). State insurance is primarily public-funded through mandatory health insurance contributions made through a social payroll tax, covering about 95% of the population. State insurance is guaranteed for children, students, adults whose social taxes are paid by their employer, pregnant women, unemployed persons, dependent spouses, and pensioners. To receive state health insurance, all entitled citizens and legal residents in Estonia must have an Estonian ID number and an address registered in Estonia. Foreign nationals are required to have an ID number, residence permit for employment and a registered address in Estonia.
There is also available private healthcare insurance in Estonia for those who are not covered by EHIF or would like quicker access to healthcare services or better facilities. Private healthcare is very popular with expats and international students, who need access to English-speaking medical professionals.
Estonia has one of the most advanced e-health systems in the world. E-Health, known as Electronic Health Record, was introduced in 2008 and is a system that provides patients and medical personnel with a universal access to medical health records. The system integrates data from different healthcare providers, and doctors can have an instant access to health data and, in an emergency situation, doctors can use a patient’s ID card to read time-critical information, such as blood type, history of medical treatments or allergies. Patients have access to their own records by logging into a patient portal with an electronic ID Card and they can control which doctors have access to their data. The e-health system is based on blockchain technology making Estonia the first country to use blockchain for healthcare on a national scale.
Professional knowledge
Estonian doctors and medical personnel are highly professional, the education of Estonian specialists corresponds to the highest international standards. Medical students have to study for six years to obtain medical degree and then continue studying to become a specialist in their particular field of medicine such as surgery or orthopaedics. The Estonian medical system requires its medical personnel to continually educate themselves to stay abreast of the latest developments and research in their field. Many healthcare professionals undertake training overseas in the EU, US or Scandinavia.
Can European Union citizens use EHIC in Estonia?
Estonia is a member of the European Union and thus European citizens are entitled to receive medical treatments that become necessary in Estonia, provided they hold a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and their passport. However, the EHIC only covers public healthcare so you should ensure that you’re treated by a state healthcare provider.
Where do medical tourists come from?
Due to Estonia's proximity to Scandinavia, a growing number of medical tourists coming from nearby countries such as Finland, Sweden and Norway. A lot of medical tourists also coming from the United Kingdom and other countries in Europe.
Most popular healthcare services
The most popular healthcare services consumed by medical tourists in Estonia are:
• Orthopaedics
• Plastic surgery
• Weight surgeries
• Dental
• Wellness tourism
Price Comparison
Compare prices of medical procedures across the world
Compare prices for medical procedures in Estonia with other medical destination. It's worth noting that these prices are the starting prices and are not fixed or guaranteed. Prices may change from patient to patient, depending on a variety of different factors. Please get in touch for a personalised treatment quote.
All prices quoted in 2022, GBP
Travel Advice
EU Directive on Cross Border Healthcare
EU Directive gives all EU patients the right to receive planned, emergency and unplanned healthcare services in Estonia and apply for reimbursement from the NHS. For more information please check https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/healthcare-abroad/going-abroad-for-treatment/what-is-the-eu-directive-route/
Health & Safety
You should take comprehensive medical insurance to cover you during your stay. If you are from the EU, it is recommended to get a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Though it’s not a substitute for travel insurance, it entitles you to emergency medical treatment on the same terms as Estonian nationals. It won’t, however, cover you for medical repatriation, ongoing medical treatment or non-urgent treatment.
Visa
Estonia is a member of the EU and Schengen zone. EU citizens don’t need a visa. U.S. citizens may enter Estonia for up to 90 days. Russian visitors will need to apply for a Schengen visa.
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