What to check before you drive away
Estonia recognises the licences of people who are visiting. The Transport Administration's page on foreign licences says a tourist's licence is valid for the whole of their legal stay. That applies to licences from the EU, EEA and Switzerland, and from countries that signed the 1968 Vienna or 1949 Geneva conventions. The licence must be in Latin letters and show the vehicle category clearly. If it does not, you also need an International Driving Permit or an official translation.
Rental companies add their own conditions. Avis Estonia's terms set these limits:
- a minimum age of 21, or 19 for the two smallest car groups, and 25 for larger groups
- at least one year of driving experience
- EUR 10 a day for drivers under 25
- an IDP for licences not in Latin letters or from countries outside the 1968 convention
| Item at the counter | What the Avis Estonia terms say | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Winter surcharge | EUR 3.60 a day, 1 November to 15 April; every car group gets winter tyres | On a 7-day January rental this adds EUR 25.20 |
| Fine handling fee | EUR 35 per traffic or parking fine | Added to every fine that reaches the company |
| Latvia and Lithuania | Allowed | A Baltic loop is possible on one contract |
| Outside the Baltic states | On request only; EUR 0.19 per km | Finland by ferry needs Avis's approval first |
| Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, CIS | Not allowed | No exceptions are listed |
Other companies price these items differently, so ask for the fine fee and the winter charge in writing before signing. Look for a warning triangle, fire extinguisher, wheel chock and reflective vest in the car. The EU's Estonia road rules page lists all four as compulsory.
When are winter tyres mandatory in Estonia?
The Transport Administration sets these dates:
- Winter tyres may go on from 15 October and are mandatory from 1 December.
- Studded tyres may be used from 15 October to 31 March. In winter road conditions, that stretches to 1 October to 30 April.
- Studless winter tyres are allowed all year.
- Winter tyres need at least 3 mm of tread left.
The EU summary gives the mandatory period as 1 December to 1 March.
Since the 2019 regulation, a winter tyre used in the mandatory period must carry the three-peak mountain and snowflake symbol, according to a 2022 Transport Administration notice. A tyre marked only "M+S" no longer counts.
For renters, the question is timing. From 1 November Avis fits winter tyres to every car. A car picked up in early October may still be on summer tyres, and October mornings can already be icy. If you rent across the changeover, ask whether the car can be swapped, and check the sidewall for the snowflake symbol.
Headlights, limits and alcohol
Lights must be on at all times, day and night, according to Visit Estonia and the EU rules page. The default limits are 90 km/h outside towns and 50 km/h in towns. Some dual carriageways allow 110 km/h in summer, and signs override these defaults. The EU page gives a blood alcohol limit of 0.2 mg/ml for every driver. In practice that means not drinking at all before driving.
How much is an Estonian speed camera fine in a rental car?
The Transport Administration's camera page listed 68 camera cabinets on state roads as of 14 September 2026. About 34 measuring units rotate between them, so an empty cabinet may still be live next week. The Tallinn–Narva road has 15 booths, Tallinn–Tartu–Võru–Luhamaa has 12 and Tallinn–Pärnu–Ikla has 9. There are also cameras inside Tallinn.
The fine is a cautionary fine: the number of km/h over the limit multiplied by EUR 5, up to EUR 300. It is sent to the person authorised to use the car. For a rental car that is the rental company, which passes on the cost or your details: Avis Estonia's terms say it gives the police the driver's details when asked.
The rules around mobile cameras changed in 2026. The Ministry of the Interior says the Riigikogu amended the Traffic Act on 17 June 2026 so that drivers must be warned by a separate sign where a mobile speed camera is in use, and in July it sent draft rules on the size, visibility and placement of those signs out for consultation. ERR reported in June that the Police and Border Guard Board also planned to raise its enforcement threshold from 3 to 6 km/h over the limit. The Transport Administration's own table of trigger speeds, which starts 3 km/h over, had not been updated to match when checked. Treat any margin as unofficial and drive to the posted limit.
Worked example: a camera on the Tartu road
You pass a camera in a 90 km/h zone and the excess on the notice is 14 km/h.
| Step | Amount |
|---|---|
| Fine: 14 x EUR 5 | EUR 70 |
| Avis Estonia handling fee | EUR 35 |
| Total if the notice goes through Avis | EUR 105 |
The same rate means 40 km/h over costs EUR 200, and the EUR 300 cap is reached at 60 km/h over. The handling fee is the same whatever the size of the fine. A EUR 30 fine for 6 km/h over becomes EUR 65 once it passes through the rental company.
The Police and Border Guard Board runs an online cautionary fine portal, in Estonian, for checking unpaid fines. The notice itself goes to the rental company, so keep your rental agreement number. You will need it to match a later card charge to a notice.
How much does parking cost in Tallinn?
Tallinn's public street parking is split into four paid zones, set out on the city's parking page. Three matter for most visitors; the fourth, Pirita, charges only in summer. Prices are charged per minute.
| Zone | Price | When you pay |
|---|---|---|
| Old Town (Vanalinn) | EUR 0.10 a minute (EUR 6 an hour) | 24 hours, every day |
| Downtown (Südalinn) | EUR 0.08 a minute (EUR 4.80 an hour) | 24 hours, every day |
| City Centre (Kesklinn) | EUR 0.025 a minute (EUR 1.50 an hour) | Mon–Fri 7:00–19:00, Sat 8:00–15:00; free on Sundays; public holidays follow the weekday rate |
The first 15 minutes are free in the city's street zones if you show a parking clock or a written note of your arrival time. The city stresses that this does not apply in private car parks. Since September 2025 the zones have been run for the city by EuroPark Estonia, with the same prices and rules.
Parking without paying costs EUR 31 for each day; if you paid a cheaper zone's rate than the one you are in, the fine is EUR 15. The fine is due within 14 days, and you can appeal to the Tallinn Transport Department within 30 days.
You can pay by text message to 1902, with the Pargi.ee app, which takes Visa and Mastercard and is meant for people without an Estonian phone contract, or at a meter, which takes coins only. A notice for unpaid parking is a parking fine too, so the rental company's handling fee can apply.
Ice roads: only on the days they open
In a cold winter, the Transport Administration opens official ice roads across frozen sea and lakes. Its ice roads page names seven routes, including Heltermaa–Rohuküla (Hiiumaa), Kuivastu–Virtsu (Muhu) and Rohuküla–Sviby (Vormsi). Staff check the ice every morning and the Traffic Management Centre announces which routes are open.
They do not open every year, and a season can be short. In 2026 the 17 km Saaremaa–Hiiumaa ice road was open from 8 to 27 February. Kihnu opened on 14 February for only 8 days, and the Vormsi and Kihnu roads closed for good on 2 March as the ice melted.
Planning a Baltic loop
Because the three Baltic states set their winter tyre periods differently, a January loop is covered everywhere. A November or March trip is not, because Lithuania's winter tyre period starts on 10 November and Latvia's ends on 1 March. For the next legs, see renting a car in Riga and Latvia's speed cameras and renting a car in Vilnius and Lithuanian road rules.