Everyday practical information for Estonia

Power

• 230 V, 50 Hz, sockets type F (Schuko). The same round two-pin plugs as Germany and most of continental Europe.
• UK, US, Irish and Australian plugs need an adapter.

Language

• Estonian is the language and it is Finno-Ugric - related to Finnish, unrelated to Latvian, Lithuanian, Russian or anything Germanic. Do not expect to guess a single word.
• English is very widely spoken, especially by anyone under fifty, and Tallinn functions in it entirely.
• Russian is widely spoken too, particularly in the northeast, though it carries political weight - English is the neutral choice for a visitor.
• "Tere" is hello, "aitah" is thank you. Both are appreciated and neither is expected.

The digital state

• Estonia runs on digital identity and much of it assumes you have an Estonian ID code. Some apps, parking systems and ticket machines simply will not work for a visitor.
• Contactless bank cards are the workaround for almost everything, including transport.
• Do not assume an app will accept a foreign phone number. It often will not.

Manners

• Estonians are quiet and reserved with strangers and this is not unfriendliness. Small talk is not a social obligation and silence in a lift is normal.
• Take your shoes off indoors in someone's home.
• Punctuality matters. Turning up late without warning is read as rude.
• The sauna is a serious institution, taken naked, quietly, and not as a party.