Obtaining permits and licenses for Estonian companies

According to the Estonian Commercial Code, business entities have the right to carry out any type of activity not prohibited by law.

The state controls certain types of activities in two ways:

licensing;
notification of activities.

There is no unified licensing act in Estonia. Therefore, there is no unified procedure for obtaining activity licences or registering activity notifications.

Each ministry or agency that controls the activity that requires a licence determines its own procedure and procedure for obtaining an activity licence or activity notification.

An application for a licence or notification of activities must be made after the registration of a company and before the commencement of activities in the area where such requirements are required.

Watch the video with the expert (1:34 min)

For detailed information about obtaining licenses and permits for specific business activities in Estonia, as well as application procedures, please follow these links:

Below is a table listing activities requiring either a license or simple activity notification.

Activities Subject to Licensing

No.	Activity Description
1	Organization of air, maritime (excluding small watercraft operations), railway (excluding internal enterprise transport), and international road transportation
2	Geological and hydrogeological works. Mineral extraction
3	Manufacture, purchase and sale of products containing precious metals and stones
4	Manufacture, use and sale of weapons, their parts, ammunition, explosives and pyrotechnics. Pyrotechnic works. Weapon repair
5	Cultivation of plants containing narcotic, potent or toxic substances. Manufacture and sale of narcotic, potent, radioactive or toxic substances. Acquisition and storage of radioactive substances
6	All types of medical practice
7	Pharmaceutical manufacturing and sales
8	Alcohol and tobacco import/export, production and wholesale, as well as retail alcohol sales
9	Minting or printing of money, securities and postage stamps
10	Establishment and operation of public communication networks
11	Establishment of higher education institutions, schools, and vocational training centers
12	Security services
13	Private detective agencies and investigative services
14	Calibration of measuring instruments
15	Production and sale of genetically modified microorganisms, plants and animals
16	Insurance activities
17	Construction design, expertise and supervision. Contract construction work
18	Geodetic and cartographic works
19	Environmental impact assessments
20	Toxic waste management
21	Stock exchange operations
22	Radio and television broadcasting. Satellite TV services. Temporary radio/TV services
23	Gambling operations
24	Reproduction of National Flag or Coat of Arms (in whole or part)
25	Tourism services
26	Ship agency services
27	Lottery organization
28	Land surveying for restitution, sale/purchase or contractual purposes
29	Land valuation
30	Securities market activities
31	Municipal veterinary services
32	Private veterinary practice
33	Fuel import/export and sales. Fuel storage services. Fuel and lubricant trade intermediation (import, mandatory export, wholesale/retail, storage)
34	Construction-geological and geological surveys
35	Animal testing
36	Classification of personal protective equipment and quality assessment, classification of machinery and equipment
37	Speech therapy practice
38	Conservation of cultural monuments (archaeological, architectural, ecclesiastical, technical and historical) and their restoration, preparation of restoration projects and execution
39	Goods classification and volume measurement for customs declaration
40	Financial services: Currency exchange Alternative payment methods Trust fund services Pawnbroking Loan issuance Leasing operations Credit institution services, guarantees Securities issuance and trading Stock market financial consulting Currency brokerage Currency storage Retail/wholesale of precious metals and stones
41	Social care services: rehabilitation, temporary housing, childcare and special care
42	Railway services: Railway construction Public railway infrastructure maintenance Railway passenger transport Rail freight transport Railway rolling stock repair and maintenance Railway vehicle manufacturing
43	Postal and communication services
44	Transportation: Passenger transport (EU-wide license) Freight transport (EU-wide license) Taxi services
45	Energy: Electricity generation Electricity distribution Electricity transmission Cross-border electricity transmission via HVDC Direct line electricity supply Electricity sales Electricity import Producer line electricity supply
46	Natural gas: Gas import Gas transmission Gas distribution Gas sales LNG terminal operation Gas storage
47	Heating: Heat production Heat distribution Heat sales
48	Road maintenance works
49	Mink and raccoon farming
50	Zoo operation
51	Forest improvement works
52	Packaging recycling organization
53	Agriculture: Production of cultivation materials Plant micro-fertilization Plant seed packaging

Types of Activities Subject to Simple Notification

No.	Description
1	Repair and related services: electrical work; gas work; construction of gas installations; machinery work; personnel certification; measurement laboratory activities; elevator installation; high-altitude work; technical inspection of gas installations; technical inspection of machinery; technical inspection of lifting equipment.
2	Fire safety: design, installation, and maintenance of automatic fire extinguishing systems; monitoring and general maintenance of fire protection systems; fire extinguisher inspection.
3	Labor market: providing services in the labor market; mediation in labor leasing.
4	Wholesale of biocides and repair/restoration work involving biocides. Organization of repair and restoration work.
5	Public information services (media services). Provision of media services involving audiovisual content.
6	Postal and communication services not requiring a license.
7	Commercial lottery organization.
8	Trade of caviar.
9	Cultivation of forest tree species.
10	Marine activities.
11	Port security organization.
12	Protection of landmarks.
13	Services for the protection of underwater landmarks through scuba diving.
14	Activities involving weapons according to the Weapons Act.