Driving in Estonia

But if you’re planning a road trip, it’s important to read up on traffic laws ahead of time as rules and essential requirements in Estonia are different from the UK. 

To make your journey to Estonia as safe and stress-free as possible, we’ve put together a guide to everything you need to know before you go, from required documents to rules of the road.

Driving a rented vehicle? Jump to the advice for driving a hire car in Estonia section.

Give yourself peace of mind with RAC European Breakdown Cover (Basic and Comprehensive), giving you a wide range of benefits to keep you safe should you breakdown in Estonia, even if you're only travelling as part of a one-off trip.

RAC also offers travel insurance. Cover will include medical expenses, baggage, personal money and belongings, among many other benefits.

Need short-term insurance for your vehicle? Our temporary car cover is perfect if you're looking for flexible insurance for between 1 hour and 30 days.

• A valid, full UK driving licence (you must also be 18 or over)
• Your motor insurance certificate
• The V5 registration document for your own car or the hire car paperwork for a rental

Do I need a GB or UK sticker for driving in Estonia?

From 28th September 2021, the distinguishing mark (or national identifier) displayed on vehicles registered in the United Kingdom that are driven abroad will change from GB to UK.  

This means that vehicles registered in the UK must display the letters “UK” when driven in Estonia.   

The identifier can be incorporated in vehicle number plates (along with the Union Flag) or as a separate sticker. Note that vehicles featuring the letters GB together with the Council of Europe golden stars are no longer valid for driving abroad.

If your vehicle does not have the UK identifier within the number plate, you will require a UK sticker when driving in Estonia. GB stickers will no longer be valid from the end of September.

Do I need an insurance green card?

From 2nd August 2021, drivers will no longer require an insurance green card for taking their vehicles to Estonia.

ETIAS – 2025

ETIAS stands for the European Travel Information and Authorisation System. It is a visa program for visitors who don’t need a Schengen visa, who want to travel to the European Union and a few other European countries.

Visitors who purchase an ETIAS will be able to enter the 26 member states of the Schengen Zone as well as Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, and Romania.

This will be launching in 2025. Learn more about ETIAS here.

Aside from the documents above, there are some legally-required items you must bring with you to drive in Estonia.

Unless your headlights can be adjusted, it's a legal requirement to carry headlamp converters (stickers for your headlights when driving on the right, so your lights don't dazzle motorists coming the other way).

A warning triangle is also compulsory to carry in vehicles in case of a breakdown.

It's also recommended to have:

• Spare bulbs for your car's external lights
• A fire extinguisher 
• First aid kit (compulsory for a company car)
• A reflective jacket
• Spare bulbs for your car's external lights
• A tow rope
• Jump leads
• Two wheel chocks (if you’re driving a truck, you’ll need blocks of wood or plastic to put under your vehicle’s wheels when parked to prevent it from rolling)

You can pick up all the car kit you need from RAC Shop.

Is there anything that I shouldn’t take with me?

Be aware that you cannot take the following with you into Estonia:

• meat or products containing meat
• milk or dairy products

You cannot take the following unless you pay to have them inspected before you leave and get a ‘phytosanitary certificate’:

• fresh fruit (apart from bananas, coconuts, dates, pineapples and durians)
• vegetables
• plants
• plant products

• Between 1 December and 1 March you must use winter tyres when driving in Estonia
• Drive with headlights on during the day and at night
• Make sure everyone in the car wears a seat belt at all times
• Motorcyclists are required to wear a safety helmet at all times
• In Estonia, you drive on the right and overtake on the left. Vehicles coming from the right have priority at junctions
• It is illegal to overtake a tram that has stopped to let passengers off or on
• Horns should never be used when the vehicle is stationary, except at time of immediate danger
• Some rural roads may be unpaved
• There are three main petrol station branches in Estonia: Lukoil, Statoil and Neste. Most service stations accept Visa and Mastercard
• The police can issue on-the-spot fines and demand immediate payment even for minor traffic offences. The maximum for a cautioning fine is €190
• Seat belts must be worn in all seats where a belt is available
• Children under the age of 12 and not tall enough to use an adult seatbelt must be secured by an appropriate child restraint. Rear-facing child seats must not be used in seats fitted with an airbag
• It is forbidden for children younger than 12 to ride as a passenger on a moped or motorcycle
• The drink-drive limit for all drivers is 0.02%. Random breath tests can be carried out and drivers must always submit to a test at the request of the police, even if there are no grounds for suspicion

There are no motorways in Estonia, but there are four main expressways with a speed limit of 90km/h – although this can be increased to 110km/h during warmer summer months.

Speed limits are generally based on the type of road. However, you should always check the signs for maximum speeds. In built-up areas, the maximum speed allowed is 50km/h and on normal roads and expressways it’s 90km/h, rising to 110/km/h.

• Motorists must pay a toll to enter the city of Tallinn. There are no other tolls in Estonia
• Major towns and cities have designated parking areas with pay metres. Illegally parked cars will be clamped. Motorists must take care not to park on tram lines.
• Large animals such as wild moose can wander on to major roads. There are signs to indicate roads where animals are likely to cause an issue 

In an emergency

112 - Here's a really important bit of knowledge; you can dial 112 from anywhere in Europe and an operator will connect you to an emergency service in the country you're visiting.

Operators can answer your call in their native language, English or French.

Breaking down in Estonia

RAC offers great-value, flexible RAC European breakdown cover tailored to meet your needs. We also offer comprehensive travel insurance, including cover for medical expenses, baggage, personal money and belongings.

Not all of the information in the guide above will be relevant to those looking to rent a hire car in Estonia.

Though it might be a good idea to read through everything anyway, here are the most important things to know for drivers of rental vehicles:

Rental information

• The minimum age to hire a car is 20, although drivers under the age of 22 may face a fee
• You need a full, valid UK driving licence and usually a second proof of ID (passport)
• Car rental companies ask that you have held your licence for a minimum term of 1 year
• Some companies require you to use a credit card for deposit
• You may not be able to drive outside of Estonia unless planned in advance - check with your hire company first
• Make sure you get car hire excess insurance before your trip to protect yourself from unexpected costs. It's almost always cheaper to do this with a separate insurer and in advance

Hire car driving tips

• Estonians drive on the right and overtake on the left - the opposite to the UK
• Speed limits are generally based on the type of road. However, you should always check the signs for maximum speeds. In built-up areas, the maximum speed allowed is 50km/h and on normal roads and expressways it’s 90km/h, rising to 110/km/h.
• Dial 112 in an emergency
• It’s compulsory to wear seat belts in the front and rear seats
• The blood alcohol content limit for drivers of private vehicles is 0.02%. That's lower than the whole of the UK

UK Government travel advice

See up-to-date travel advice

Fuel

Fuel prices in Estonia can be found in our up-to-date European fuel prices page.