The citizenship exam is electronic and can only be taken on a computer at the examination point! The exam can be conducted in the examination centers located in different cities of Estonia (Tallinn, Jõhvi, Narva, Tartu). At the exam, 24 multiple choice questions in Estonian must be answered. An exam is deemed to have been completed if the examinee has responded correctly to at least 18 questions. All the questions are in Estonian. You have 45 minutes to take the examination.
The Estonian text of the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia and the Citizenship Act, as well as the dictionary may be referred to at the examination. These materials are available in the examination room.
Questions involve the following areas:
- The fundamental principles of the Estonian form of government, stipulated in Chapters I and III of the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia.
- The fundamental rights, freedoms and duties of each person, stipulated in Chapter II of the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia.
- The jurisdiction of the Riigikogu, the President of the Republic, the Government of the Republic and the courts according to the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia.
- The conditions and procedure for the acquisition, resumption and loss of Estonian citizenship according to the Citizenship Act.
Times of examinations for knowledge of the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia and the Citizenship Act, i.e., the citizenship examination in 2024
Citizenship examinations take place once a month (except in July) at examination points In Tallinn, Tartu, Narva and Jõhvi.
The examinations occur twice a year in Pärnu, Valga, and Rakvere if at least five people have registered for the examination.
You can register for the examinations throughout the year. Registration for the citizenship exam ends fifteen days before the examination date. We will send a notice of the location of the examination no later than ten days before the examination date that includes the address of the location of the examination point, the date and time of the examination, and information about the consultation (place, date, and time of the examination). The consultation lasts up to 1.5 hours.
January 20, 2024 Tallinn, Tartu, Narva, Jõhvi
February 17, 2024 Tallinn, Tartu, Narva, Jõhvi
March 9, 2024 Tallinn, Tartu, Narva, Jõhvi
March 23, 2024 Pärnu, Rakvere - examination takes place if at least five persons have registered for the examination
April 13, 2024 Tallinn, Tartu, Narva, Jõhvi
May 11, 2024 Tallinn, Tartu, Narva, Jõhvi, Valga (Valga- the examination takes place if at least five people have registered for the examination)
June 15, 2024 Tallinn, Tartu, Narva, Jõhvi
August 31, 2024 Tallinn, Tartu, Narva, Jõhvi
September 28, 2024 Tallinn, Tartu, Narva, Jõhvi
October 19, 2024 Valga - the examination takes place if at least five people have registered for the examination
October 26, 2024 Tallinn, Tartu, Narva, Jõhvi, Pärnu, Rakvere (Pärnu, Rakvere -examination takes place if at least five persons have registered for the examination)
November 23, 2024 Tallinn, Tartu, Narva, Jõhvi
December 14, 2024 Tallinn, Tartu, Narva, Jõhvi
Pre-examination consultations take place:
In Jõhvi on Monday of the week of the examination, it starts at 15.30
In Narva on Monday of the week of the examination, it starts at 16.00
In Tartu on Friday of the week before the examination, it starts at 16.00
Information with a notice of the location will be sent to those who have registered for a consultation in Tallinn.
Regional Information Points
The examinations on the knowledge of the Constitution and the Citizenship Act of the Republic of Estonia can only be taken electronically, on a computer, at the following examination points. Additional information about the citizenship examinations and application forms for registering are also available at these information points.
- Tallinn: Haridus- ja Noorteamet Lõõtsa 4, 11415 Tallinn. Mon-Fri 9.00–17.00. Phone: +372 735 0500.
- Rajaleidja in Narva: Kerese 3, 20309 Narva. Mon–Thu 9.00–17.00.
- Rajaleidja in Jõhvi: Keskväljak 4, 41531 Jõhvi. Mon–Thu 9.00–17.00, Fri 9.00–15.00.
- Rajaleidja in Tartu: Tähe 4, 51010 Tartu. Mon–Thu 9.00–17.00, Fri9.00–15.00.
- Rajaleidja in Pärnu: Metsa 1, 80010 Pärnu. Mon–Thu 9.00–17.00, Fri 9.00–15.00.
Examinations and Pre-examination consultations are held at:
- Tallinn: Examinations: Pae Gymnasium, Pae 5; Consultations Haridus- ja Noorteamet Lõõtsa 4, Tallinn;
- Tartu: Examination Point, Jakobi 2;
- Jõhvi: Examination Point, Jaama 10;
- Narva: Narva Eesti Gümnaasium (Narva Eesti Põhikool), Kraavi 1;
- Pärnu: Pärnu Tammsaare Kool, A. H . Tammsaare pst 30.
- Free courses: www.kodanik.net
- Booklet “6 Steps to Acquiring Estonian Citizenship” in Estonian and English or in Estonian and Russian
- The examination on the knowledge of the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia and the Citizenship Act
- What you need to know if you are applying for Estonian citizenship
- Sample video of the electronic examination
- Sample questions of the electronic examination
- Estonian-English dictionary for applicants for the Estonian citizenship
- The Constitution of the Republic of Estonia
- Citizenship Act
- Integration Foundation
You can register for the examination throughout the year. Registration for the citizenship exam ends 15 days before the exam date.
You can register for one exam at a time.
There are several ways to register for the citizenship examination:
- By logging in electronically to the Exam Information System (EIS).
- Send a digitally signed application with a copy of the document via [email protected].
- Submit a paper application with a copy of the document directly to Education and Youth Board (by mail or to arrive in person)
Enter the Exams Information System (EIS) with your ID-card, mobile-ID, Smart-ID: Exam Information System (EIS)
Instructions for registering for the exam in the Exam Information System (EIS) can be found here.
To register on the state portal www.eesti.ee, enter with your ID-card or Mobile-ID here.
A copy of the digitally signed application and the document can be sent to: [email protected].
An application for registration for the citizenship examination can be sent with a copy of your ID to Education and Youth Board at Lõõtsa 4, Tallinn 11415.
The application can also be completed at the reception of the Education and Youth Board (present an identity document when submitting the application).
If the application is filed by an authorized person, he or she must submit with the application the power of attorney of the applicant as well as his or her own identity document.
The application form can be downloaded here, the forms are also available at all our regional information points.
The exam notice, listing the time and place of the exam and consultation and all other necessary information, will be sent to the postal address or e-mail address stated on the application form.
The citizenship examination notice is generally sent 10 days before the exam date.
This page contains the necessary information for applicants who are not able to take the exam on knowledge of the Constitution and Citizenship Act of the Republic of Estonia according to the standard procedure for health reasons. Applicants with special needs can take the examination within the scope and according to the procedure appropriate for their health condition or can be exempted from taking the examination.
In order to apply for special conditions at or exemption from the examination, the person or their representative holding a notarized power of attorney is to file a relevant application with Education and Youth Board.
In addition to the application, the following are to be provided:
- a note from the person’s treating physician or medical specialist;
- if available, the resolution of the medical expert examination on the designation of the status of disability or incapacity for work in accordance with Appendix 1 to regulation no. 144 of the Minister of Social Affairs “Medical expert examination resolution form” dated 13 December 2002;
- a copy of the ID;
- in case of the representative filing the application, the document proving the right of representation;
- other documents describing the person’s health condition may be submitted.
The originals of all medical certificates, notices and medical examination reports on pre-printed forms of the relevant health care facilities are to be provided, signed by the issuer and bearing the stamp of the issuing facility. The resolution of the medical expert committee on the designation of the status of disability or incapacity for work is to be provided as one of the following:
- the original document that we are going to return by registered mail after the meeting of the committee;
- a notarized copy;
- an officially certified copy of the original document;
- a copy certified by Education and Youth Board and made at our information desk.
An expert committee shall make a decision on the scope and method of the examination in Estonian language proficiency as well as on the knowledge of the Constitution and the Citizenship Act of the Republic of Estonia or exemption from the examinations. The members of the committee shall be appointed by the Minister of Education and Research. By its resolution, the expert committee can dismiss the application or satisfy it partially or in full.
Grounds for full exemption from the examination:
- severe or profound intellectual disability;
- complete deafness and third grade hearing loss in both ears;
- people with severe or profound visual impairment, suffering from the following conditions (on the basis of the WHO classification):
- severe visual impairment: OD-OS 0,12 – 0,05 in the corrected better-seeing eye;
- blindness: OD-OS 0,05-0.
- People with multiple disabilities, suffering from several conditions at the same time:
- hearing impairment and visual impairment = deaf-blindness; including people with moderate or severe visual impairment and hearing loss (40 dB or more);
- hearing, visual or mobility impairment accompanied by mental retardation.
- People with hearing impairment and hearing loss of 50–60 dB or more (corrected):
- mute people whose first language (mother tongue) is sign language;
- oral deaf people with severe speech impairment in the first language (speech) (hearing impairment – in the middle speech range at the frequency of 500-4000 Hz, 50-100 dB, and the consequent speech impairment);
- people with cochlear implants.
E-Sertificate
Citizenship examination certificates are issued in the electronic format. Certificates are not issued in hard copy.
Electronic certificates are available on the state portal www.eesti.ee and can be downloaded. It must be noted though that downloading the Estonian language proficiency examination certificate or citizenship examination certificate is not mandatory. The person who has taken the examination will receive the notice, stating the results and the unique number of the certificate issued to him or her, in hard copy by post or by e-mail. For example, knowing one’s certificate number and personal ID number is sufficient for proving one’s language proficiency to the employer. The employer can use the above data to check whether the certificate is valid through the state portal.
Opportunities for fast and easy checking of e-certificates have also been created for officials (language inspectors, notaries, relevant employees of the citizenship and migration divisions of the Police and Border Guard Board).
The state portal eesti.ee is already used extensively for registering for the Estonian language proficiency examinations and examinations on the knowledge of the Constitution and the Citizenship Act of the Republic of Estonia, with approximately 60% of examinees registering on the internet. This is what fostered the transition to e-certificates. The e-certificate is much more convenient for the user than the paper certificate, saving both time and money. Previously, the person who had passed the Estonian language proficiency examination or examination on the knowledge of the Constitution and the Citizenship Act of the Republic of Estonia had to collect the certificate in person at the examination point in Tallinn, Narva, Tartu or Jõhvi. For people from other locations it implied travelling the same route twice as well as double costs and time: first to take the examination, and then to collect the certificate.
The electronic certificate has the same legal force as the certificate in hard copy. The e-certificate is supplemented with a digital stamp, which guarantees that the document is authentic.
All the certificates issued in hard copy remain valid; if the certificate has been lost or destroyed, the examination centre will issue a new e-certificates as a replacement.
More detailed information about using the e-certificate is available on the examination centre’s web page and the state portal eesti.ee in the section concerning the service. Explanations and the necessary instructions are also attached to each examination notice and performance notice.
NB! Harno customer service office (Tallinn, Lõõtsa 4) provides certified printouts of e-certificates upon request.
Recommendations on downloading the e-certificate from the state portal eesti.ee
1. Make sure that the “DigiDoc klient” software and PDF viewing software are installed on your computer. You will need it for viewing or downloading your e-certificate.
2. “DigiDoc klient” can be downloaded for free at https://installer.id.ee
3. A PDF document viewer can be downloaded for free here: http://get.adobe.com/reader/
4. Set up your web browser. We recommend using the Mozilla Firefox web browser. If you are using Internet Explorer, you will need to download the software twice, which results from software peculiarities.
5. Enter the state portal www.eesti.ee using your ID card or online banking passwords.
6. Choose the “For a Citizen” section, and then go to “Education and Science” or “The State and the Citizen” to view the data of the Estonian language proficiency examination.
7. Follow the instructions on the screen accurately. Each step of the downloading process will require some time.
8. The certificate is signed by Education and Youth Board and downloaded in the “digidoc” container.
9. Please remember that downloading or printing out the electronic certificate is not mandatory. It will suffice if you provide the employer or official with your personal ID code and the certificate number to prove your language proficiency.
10. Downloading or printing out the electronic certificate is not mandatory for applying for the Estonian citizenship.
Recommendations for third persons (incl. employers) on checking e-certificates on the state portal eesti.ee
The service allows third persons (incl. employers) to check the validity of the data in the certificate. The service allows checking the e-certificates of the Estonian language proficiency examinations and examinations on the knowledge of the Constitution and the Citizenship Act of the Republic of Estonia that have been issued after 1 October 2010.
1. Make sure that the “DigiDoc klient” software and PDF viewing software are installed on your computer. You will need it for checking the validity of the e-certificate.
2. “DigiDoc klient” can be downloaded for free at https://installer.id.ee
3. A PDF document viewer can be downloaded for free here: http://get.adobe.com/reader/
4. Enter the state portal www.eesti.ee using your ID card or online banking passwords.
5. Choose the “For a Citizen” section, and then go to “Education and Science” or “The State and the Citizen” to view the data of the Estonian language proficiency examination.
6. Follow the instructions on the screen accurately. The certificate holder will need to have provided you with his or her personal ID code and the certificate number for you to check the certificate validity. When you have entered the above numbers, the person’s name and the certificate data status will be displayed.
Duplicate
In case your certificate of the examination on the knowledge of the Constitution and the Citizenship Act of the Republic of Estonia has been lost, stolen or destroyed, you do not have to take the examination again: there is an option of requesting a duplicate. The duplicate has the same legal force as the original.
A duplicate may be requested in the following cases
- the text of the initial document has become barely legible;
- discrepancies or misrepresentation of the data entered in the initial document have been discovered;
- the initial document has been destroyed, lost or stolen.
The person wishing to request a duplicate is to file an application with Education and Youth Board for the duplicate to be issued, stating the following information:
- the applicant’s first name and surname
- personal ID code
- address, contact telephone number
- which examination certificate duplicate is requested (examination on the knowledge of the Constitution and the Citizenship Act of the Republic of Estonia)
- the date of filing the application and signature
If the text of the initial document has become barely legible or discrepancies or misrepresentation of the data entered in the initial document have been discovered, the initial document is to be attached to the application.
Education and Youth Board will issue the duplicate within 30 days after the application has been filed. Education and Youth Board will contact the applicant when the duplicate is ready.
Duplicates have been issued in the form of e-certificates since 1 October 2010. The electronic certificate can be downloaded from the state portal www.eesti.ee.
The issuing of a duplicate shall be denied in case one of the following is identified:
1. the applicant has submitted false data;
2. there is no data about the issuing of the initial document;
3. there are no grounds for issuing the duplicate.
The completed tests of the examination on the knowledge of the Constitution and the Citizenship Act of the Republic of Estonia are to be provided for reviewing to the examinee and other persons upon reasonable request within five years after the examination has been taken.
For reviewing the completed tests of the examination on the knowledge of the Constitution and the Citizenship Act of the Republic of Estonia, one needs to submit the following application:
- Examinee’s application for reviewing their own examination test
- Third person’s application for reviewing an examination test
The written application may be left at Education and Youth Board's information desk (Monday through Friday 9:00–17:00), sent by post to Education and Youth Board, Lõõtsa 4, 11415 Tallinn or digitally signed by e-mail [email protected].
The applications received will be reviewed by an employee of Education and Youth Board at the first opportunity, but no later than within 30 working days, and the person having filed the application will be notified about the time when they can review the examination test.
In case the person who has filed the application has no right to review the completed tests of the examination on the Estonian knowledge of the Constitution and the Citizenship Act of the Republic of Estonia, the examination centre will inform the person of the fact within 30 working days.
The completed tests of the examination on the knowledge of the Constitution and the Citizenship Act of the Republic of Estonia can only be reviewed at Education and Youth Board. The tests are not to be given out.
Please provide the following:
- the examinee having taken the test: an ID.
- the authorised representative is to present an unattested proxy and a copy of the authorising person’s ID as well as his or her own ID.
- in case a third person’s application receives a positive response: an ID.
Procedure for reviewing the completed test
- Having filed an application, one person at a time may review the completed test of the examination on the knowledge of the Constitution and the Citizenship Act of the Republic of Estonia.
- The test may be reviewed in the special office on the premises of Education and Youth Board in the presence of a foundation’s employee.
- While reviewing the completed test of the examination on the knowledge of the Constitution and the Citizenship Act of the Republic of Estonia, one is not allowed to write comments, make corrections and add or underline anything. The test may not be taken out of the office.
Statistics
Statistics about the exam on knowledge of the Constitution and Citizenship Act of the Republic of Estonia taken in previous years.
- Citizenship examinations statistics 2022
- Citizenship examinations statistics 2021
- Citizenship examinations statistics 2020
- Citizenship examinations statistics 2019
- Citizenship examinations statistics 2018
- Citizenship examinations statistics 2017
- Citizenship examinations statistics 2015-2016
- Citizenship examinations statistics 2011-2014
Statistics of previous years' Estonian language proficiency examinations are available on the basis of an information request: [email protected]
Last updated: 13.02.2024