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Country hiring guide

Hiring in Estonia ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ช

Highly digitalised economy with a small, English-proficient IT and engineering talent pool. Employer on-costs run ~34% on top of gross salary. Here is what to know before your first Estonia hire.

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Capital cityTallinn
CurrencyEuro (EUR)
LanguagesEstonian (official); Russian widely spoken; English common in business
Population~1.4 million
Payroll frequencyMonthly, by 10th of following month; no statutory 13th salary
VAT standard rate24% (kaibemaks)
Employer burden*~34% of gross
TGTC flat EOR fee$499/mo ยท Tier B
Overview

Employing in Estonia

Employment in Estonia runs under its national labour code, which sets the floor for wages, working hours, leave, and notice. Here are the essentials before you make an offer.

Minimum wage

  • EUR 886/month, EUR 5.31/hour (Jan-Mar 2026)
  • EUR 946/month, EUR 5.67/hour from Apr 2026

Payroll cycle & extra pay

  • Monthly, paid by 10th of next month
  • No mandatory 13th salary

Public holidays

  • 12 public holidays per year
  • Additional to paid annual leave

Onboarding & probation

  • Written contract required
  • Probation up to 4 months
Employer costs

What you pay on top of salary

Employer on-costs in Estonia run ~34% of gross salary. Employers pay 33% social tax plus 0.8% unemployment insurance on gross pay.

Employer contribution*Rate
Social tax33%
Unemployment insurance (employer)0.8%

Passed through at cost

These statutory costs are paid at cost on top of TGTC's flat $499/mo fee, so you always see the real employer cost, not a marked-up percentage.

Employee-side taxes

Employees pay their own income tax and social-security share, withheld at source. Under an EOR, TGTC runs that payroll withholding for you.

Types of leave

Statutory leave in Estonia

Annual leave

  • 28 calendar days minimum

Maternity & parental leave

  • Maternity ~100 days; paternity 30 days
  • Shared parental leave up to 475 days

Sick leave

  • Days 1-3 unpaid; employer pays days 4-8 (70%)
  • Health fund pays from day 9, up to 182 days

Other leave

  • Child-care and study leave available
Employment termination

Ending employment in Estonia

Notice

  • 15/30/60/90 days by tenure (<1/1-5/5-10/10+ yrs)

Severance

  • Redundancy: 1 month from employer
  • Fund adds 1-2 months at 5-10 & 10+ yrs

Probation

  • Up to 4 months; 15 days notice

Contractor risk

  • Misclassification tested on substance by Tax Board

*All figures are estimates from public sources (2025-26), pending ops verification - same basis as the EOR cost calculator. Not tax or legal advice.

Hire in Estonia without setting up an entity

TGTC employs your hire in Estonia on a compliant local contract, runs payroll and benefits, and passes statutory costs through at cost. One invoice, flat $499 per month.

Get a Estonia quote