Frequently asked questions

Please visit the Scholarships section on our website to see an overview of scholarships and grants offered by the Estonian government for international students, researchers and academic staff. 

We recommend also going through the websites of Estonian universities, as the universities themselves have several scholarship opportunities available (for example: tuition fee waivers, performance scholarships, etc).

If you are applying through the national admissions portal DreamApply then you can apply for up to two programmes in one university and up to 5 different universities (so 10 programmes all together) with one application.
Please note, that a few Estonian universities do not use DreamApply and have their own admission's process. 

Some Estonian universities require an application fee. If the university, where you are applying to requires an application fee, then yes, it should be covered in order for your application to be processed. An application fee is a fixed price which is paid per application and only once per university. So if you apply for two programmes taught by the same university, you only pay the application fee once. If you apply for programmes in different universities, which require an application fee, then you have to cover the application fees of all those universities. Application fees vary between 0-120€.

For studying in Estonia, Non-EU citizens will need a temporary residence permit for study (TRP). You can apply for it at your nearest Estonian Embassy after your have been accepted to the university and received confirmation documents for that purpose. Check out more detailed info on the Visa and Residence Permit section of our website.  You can read more about the application process of the temporary residence permit for studying from the Police and Border Guard website. 

You will have to travel to the Estonian Embassy closest to you in order to present your visa/TRP application documents. You can check the location of the nearest Estonian representations that handle visa applications.

Application deadlines in Estonian universities are slightly different. Deadlines for non-EU/EEA students are usually earlier than for EU students. The earliest deadlines are usually either the beginning or middle of March. We recommend checking the deadlines for specific programmes from estonia.dreamapply.com or from the universities' websites. 

If the admission's deadline is earlier than your graduation date then you can still apply. However, when you fill out your application online, please add a note when is the earliest that you are able to send the necessary documents. Then the university is aware that additional documents are on their way. In this case though, the university will probably ask to see the latest copy of your grades (interim results), which you can upload to the online application.

There is also one exception for students applying to Tallinn University, who are not able to submit their educational documents by the requested deadline, they are asked to contact the International Student Adviser (admissions@tlu.ee) directly on this issue.

The grade point average is dependent on the programme/university, where the student is applying to. Usually at least 51% of the possible maximum result is expected to be eligible to submit an application.

Whether a previous diploma in a specific field is required depends on the programme. Please check the university website for details or contact the university directly. Each programme might have very specific requirement(s), therefore we kindly recommend to check all this information before presenting an application.

On this condition, most universities require a proof of English. There are some exceptions. For example the Estonian University of Life Sciences accepts a previous education diploma, when a student can present a transcript of records or an individual certificate that includes information that studies were conducted fully in English. In the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre,  MA programme for Cultural Management does not require English proficiency certification as they individually assess English skills of candidates in the interview and essay. Always check the specific application requirements of a programme from estonia.dreamapply.com.

Monthly living costs are around 300-600€, not including housing.

Student accommodation prices in Estonia vary from €200-400 per month in student dormitories. Some universities have student dormitories with single, double and triple rooms. Housing costs largely depend on the location and size of the flat. On average, the prices range from about €150 for a place in a double room in the hall of residence to €400–€750 or more for a private flat.

Yes, you can. International students in Estonia do not need an additional working permit to work while studying full time and they are allowed to work on the condition that it does not interfere with their studies. Students have to receive passing grades for a full load of courses and finish studies within the nominal time.

All non-EU students can also stay in Estonia for an additional 9 months after their graduation (with the permission of the university) to look for a job in Estonia. Upon finding a job after graduation, they can use this time to apply for a temporary residence permit for work.

Finding work depends foremost on your own abilities, previous experience, language knowledge and motivation. So it is very difficult to say how easy it is to find a job.

That said, in many fields (like computing, engineering, hotel management), the working language is often English, so finding jobs in that area is easier.

The best way to start looking for job opportunities is by looking at the site: www.cv.ee/english. You can upload your own CV or find a job offer on your own there. A good resource to find positions offered in English is the Work in Estonia website. 

Most of the Estonian universities offer intake only once a year with studies starting in autumn. As a result, most of the education institutions start their school year in September (or at the end of August). There are a few exceptions. We recommend also going through the websites of Estonian universities

If you want to transfer credits, then you have to contact a specific university. Universities decide on transferring credits case-by-case as subject transfer is an individual process but usually you have to start by applying for a programme you are interested in like all other applicants and then apply for transfer of your previous credit after you have been accepted to university and finalised all admission issues.

No. If you are studying in an English programme, then learning Estonian, the native language of Estonia, is not mandatory. But we highly recommend taking Estonian language classes (various universities offer an Estonian class as an elective subject part of your studies) so you can better integrate with other students and take part in more activities. There are also free language training modules offered for newly arrived internationals through the Settle in Estonia programme. 

It is very difficult to say. Competition for one spot in a programme varies greatly between programmes and even between years.

Yes, if you have been accepted to study for a master or doctoral programme. In this case your partner can apply for a residence permit for settling with a spouse. Please see more info from the Police and Border Guard website.

Most Estonian universities have good quality student housing facilities, however not all of them can guarantee accommodation for all students but they will try to help and support as much as possible. Accepted students should apply for housing as soon as possible.