RoadVisa Beta

How to get a driving licence in Estonia

Getting a car licence from scratch, country by country.

Car licence, category B

Getting your licence in Estonia

Theory questions (10 on road safety)40
Pass mark (at most 1 on road safety)≤5 mistakes
Time for the theory exam30 min
Theory exam fee€30
Driving exam fee, exam car included€50
Driving exam length~45–50 min

Booking both exams and the first licence together online costs €103 in total.

Before you start driving

2
Learner permitNo separate learner permit card. Training goes through a driving school; extra practice with a registered personal driving supervisor is also possible.
Medical checkYes. A driver's health certificate from your GP, before you start the course.

Required lessons

3
TheoryAt least 28 theory lessons at a driving school.
Driving lessonsAt least 30 driving lessons, spread over at least 4 weeks.
First aidA 16-hour first aid course, including practice on training mannequins.

Good to know

8
Minimum age18 for a full category B licence. From 16 you can get a limited licence, valid only in Estonia, with a parent or authorised adult in the passenger seat and novice symbols on the car.
Licence validity10 years for category B, after the 2-year provisional licence.
Exam languagesTheory in Estonian, Russian or English. The driving exam is in Estonian. For another language you bring your own adult interpreter; translation apps aren't allowed.
If you failTheory: retake no earlier than 2 days after the failed test. Driving: register and pay again. After a third failed driving test, at least 2 more hours of lessons at a driving school first.
Automatic or manualPassing in an automatic limits your licence to automatic cars.
New driversYou first get a provisional licence for 2 years: novice symbol on the car, 90 km/h maximum, and a final-stage course with night and slippery-road driving. With no penalties in the last 12 months, you then get the full licence without retesting.
Already have a licence from abroad?EU and EEA licences stay valid. Licences from road traffic convention countries are exchanged without tests within 12 months of becoming resident. Others need the theory and driving tests.
Also worth knowing
  • Road safety questions decide the theory test: 2 mistakes there fail you even if everything else is right.
  • You can take the tests at any Transport Administration bureau, not only the one near you.

Step by step

  1. Health certificateGet a driver's health certificate from your GP before the course starts.
  2. Driving schoolAt least 28 theory lessons, 30 driving lessons over 4+ weeks, and a 16-hour first aid course.
  3. Theory testAt the Transport Administration: 40 questions in 30 minutes, at most 5 mistakes and only 1 on road safety.
  4. Driving testAbout 45–50 minutes on normal roads, including reversing, parking and a set of manoeuvres.
  5. Provisional licence and final stageDrive for 2 years on a provisional licence and complete the final-stage course, then get your full licence.

Tips From driving schools and examiners

  • Red lights end more exams than anything else: about 1 in 6 exams stopped because a candidate drove through on red.
  • Give way properly, especially when turning left across oncoming traffic.
  • Examiners judge your driving as a whole, not by counting small errors. If a manoeuvre goes wrong, you may correct it or choose another way to do it.
  • If a family member helps you practise, they should first ride along on 1 or 2 school lessons, so you don't pick up habits that fail the exam.
  • Stay calm: nerves make mistakes pile up. Learn to drive in traffic, not just the exam tasks.

Based on: ERR: Almost every second candidate fails the driving exam (Transport Administration, Estonian) ↗ · ERR: The driving exam now judges skills as a whole (Estonian) ↗

Official links

Transpordiamet: Theory test ↗Transpordiamet: Provisional driving licence ↗Riigi Teataja (Estonian laws, incl. the Traffic Act) ↗Last checked 20 Oct 2026
Wrong information? Help us fix itTell us what's incorrect and we'll check it against the official sources.

About: This page

Frequently asked questionsCoverage, sources and how RoadVisa works.

Why isn't my country listed?

RoadVisa is still growing. It covers 42 countries and all 50 US states plus Washington, D.C. so far, and more are added step by step. Each country is checked against its own official sources, in its own language, before it goes live.

Why isn't Africa covered?

Many African licensing authorities publish little detail about their driving rules online, so we can't yet check the answers against official sources. We'll add African countries as official information becomes available.

Where does the information come from?

From official sources only: licensing authorities, ministries, police and government websites, read in each country's own language. Every answer links to its sources and shows when it was last checked.

What's the difference between Visiting and Moving?

Visiting covers short stays such as holidays and business trips, when you keep your home licence. Moving covers becoming a resident, when most countries want you to exchange your licence or take tests by a deadline.

What is an International Driving Permit?

A translation of your licence in a standard format. It's only valid together with your own licence, and you get it in the country that issued your licence, usually from a motoring club or the licensing authority. RoadVisa tells you when a country expects one.

Does RoadVisa cover motorcycles or trucks?

Not yet. The answers are about car licences: category B in Europe, and the local equivalent elsewhere, such as Class C or D in most US states. Other licences may follow later.

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No. RoadVisa is an independent guide and isn't linked to any government or licensing authority. The authority that handles your application always has the final word.

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An independent guide. RoadVisa is a private project. It is not run by, linked to or approved by any government, licensing authority (such as a national road traffic agency or a US DMV), embassy or driving school.

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