Living in Tartu
This page brings together practical information about everyday life in Tartu, including transport, digital services, waste sorting, family life, pets, working in Estonia and useful local services.
If you are new to Tartu, you do not need to understand everything at once. Start with the topics that are most relevant to your situation and return to this page whenever you need practical guidance.
Navigating Life in Tartu
A practical guide to everyday life in Tartu, including residence registration, healthcare, education, transport and local services.
Read the brochure Navigating Life in Tartu (PDF)
Born in Tartu
A step-by-step guide for families with newborns, including birth registration, childcare options, local services and parental benefits.
Read the brochure Born in Tartu (PDF)
Crisis information
Useful information for crisis situations in Tartu, including crisis information points, public shelters, hospitals, pharmacies, fuel stations and shops.
Read the Tartu Crisis information (PDF)
View Tartu’s Crisis Map (PDF)
You can fly directly to Tartu from Helsinki. Finnair operates flights between Helsinki and Tartu, which makes it possible to reach Tartu through international connecting flights via Helsinki. Please check the current flight schedule before planning your journey.
Many people also arrive in Estonia through Tallinn Airport or Riga Airport and continue to Tartu by bus, train or car.
If you arrive at Tallinn Airport, you can take a Lux Express bus from Tallinn Airport to Tartu directly from the airport bus stop. You do not need to travel to Tallinn Bus Station first. We recommend buying your ticket in advance, especially during busy periods, as seats may sell out.
You can find bus connections on the Tpilet website and train connections on the Elron website. When planning your trip, check the departure and arrival points carefully, especially if you are travelling with luggage or arriving late in the evening.
Tartu is a compact city and many places can be reached on foot, by bike, by public transport or by using ride-hailing services.
Taxi and ride-hailing services
If it is your first time in Tartu and you have luggage, taking a taxi or using a ride-hailing app may be the easiest way to reach your final destination in the city.
Many people in Tartu use the Bolt app for taxi and ride-hailing services. The app usually shows the estimated price before you confirm the ride.
You can also find taxi information on the City of Tartu Website.
Public transport
Tartu has a local bus network that connects different parts of the city. If you use city buses regularly, it is useful to get a Tartu bus card. You can load money or tickets onto the card and use it when travelling by bus. Please remember to validate your ticket every time you enter the bus.
You can personalise your Tartu bus card free of charge at Tartu Welcome Centre or at the Tartu Information Centre.
A personalised bus card allows you to use discounts based on your age or registered residence in Tartu. It also protects your tickets and balance: if you lose your card, the remaining ticket or money can be transferred to a new card.
You can read more about the Tartu bus card and check current ticket prices on the City of Tartu public transport website.
Tartu Smart Bike Share
Tartu Smart Bike Share is a self-service bike-sharing system for short trips around the city. You can pick up and return bikes at official bike-share stations across Tartu. The system includes both regular bikes and electric-assist bikes.
To use the service, you need to create an account and connect it to your personalised Tartu bus card and payment card. Bikes must be taken from and returned to official bike-share stations. Redocking a bike will reset the 60-minute ride time.
Before using the service, check the latest instructions, prices and station information on the Tartu Smart Bike Share website.
1. Go to Tartu Smart Bike Share webpage and register your account.
2. Fill all the fields and connect your account to your personalised bus card and your credit card.
3. Find prices for bus ticket, bike share or joint ticket here.
Get more information about creating an account, riding the bikes and finding the docks from here or from Tartu information telephone 1789 or from e-mail info@ratas.tartu.ee.
Useful to know
During winter, pavements and roads may be icy or slippery. Choose comfortable shoes and allow extra time for walking or cycling.
Many services in Estonia are available online. To use them, you usually need a secure way to identify yourself electronically.
After you have received your Estonian ID card or residence permit card and PIN codes, you can use them to access e-services. Many people also create a Smart-ID account, which makes it easier to log in to online services, confirm transactions and sign documents from a smart device.
To create a Smart-ID account, download the Smart-ID app and follow the instructions in the app. If your phone supports NFC, you can usually complete the registration on your phone using your Estonian ID card or residence permit card and PIN codes. You do not normally need a computer or card reader for this.
If you cannot create a Smart-ID account with your document, you may be able to create one at a bank branch. Please check the latest instructions on the Smart-ID website.
If you are not able to complete the process on your own, you are welcome to visit Tartu Welcome Centre with your Estonian ID card or residence permit card and PIN codes, and we will guide you through the process.
Useful to know:
Never share your PIN codes with anyone. Enter your PIN codes only when you have started the login, transaction or digital signing process yourself.
Waste sorting is part of everyday life in Tartu. In most homes, different types of waste must be collected separately, such as mixed municipal waste, packaging, paper and cardboard, biowaste and hazardous waste.
If you live in an apartment building, check which waste containers are available near your building and ask your landlord, dormitory or building manager if you are not sure how waste collection is organised.
For detailed and up-to-date information, read the City of Tartu waste management information and the waste sorting guide.
You can also check your sorting skills online and learn where different types of waste should go.
Batteries, medicines and light bulbs
Old batteries and small accumulators can be returned to collection boxes in shops that sell batteries. There are also battery collection boxes in all University of Tartu buildings.
Old or leftover medicines can be taken to any pharmacy free of charge.
Used light bulbs can usually be returned to larger shops and hardware stores that sell them.
Disposable e-cigarettes contain batteries and electronic components and should not be thrown into ordinary household waste. Many shops that sell e-cigarettes have collection boxes for used e-cigarettes.
You can also take hazardous waste, including batteries, leftover medicines and certain types of lamps, to Tartu waste stations.
Broken home electronic devices
Broken or unusable electronic devices and home appliances, such as fridges, washing machines, TVs, electric cookers, blenders, irons, hair dryers and radios, should be taken to a waste station. They are accepted free of charge.
If you notice a maintenance or safety issue in public space, you can report it to the City of Tartu Hotline 1789. This may include potholes, broken street lights, fallen trees, damaged traffic signs, dangerous icicles or snow on roofs, flooded streets, pollution or vandalised public property.
You can call 1789 or report the issue online through the City of Tartu website.
Quiet hours
Quiet hours in Tartu are from 22:00 to 06:00 on nights before working days and from 00:00 to 07:00 on nights before weekend days. During quiet hours, avoid loud music, parties, renovation work or other activities that may disturb your neighbours.
Quiet hours apply to everyone. If your neighbours are making loud noise during quiet hours and the situation cannot be solved by speaking to them, you can call 112 and ask for police assistance.
Quiet hours do not apply on the nights before 1 January, 25 February and 24 June.
Tartu offers different services and activities for families with children. If you are new to the city, it may take time to understand how childcare, schools, hobbies and family-related services are organised.
If you are expecting a baby or have recently become a parent in Tartu, the brochure Born in Tartu can help you understand the first official steps and local services for families with newborns.
Tartu Perepesa offers a free playroom for children up to the age of seven, accompanied by a parent or guardian. It is also a friendly place for parents to meet other families and ask for information about family-related support.
Tartu also has many opportunities for children and young people to take part in hobbies, sports, music, art and other activities. You can look for hobby schools, sports clubs and other leisure activities on the City of Tartu website.
If you have a pet in Tartu, you are responsible for its welfare and for making sure that it does not disturb or endanger other people, animals or property.
If you live in a rental apartment, make sure that your rental agreement or landlord allows pets in the home.
Cats and dogs kept in Tartu must be microchipped and registered in a pet register. Microchipping alone is not enough – the microchip number must also be linked to the owner’s contact details in the register. Microchipping and registration make it much easier to identify lost pets and return them to their owners.
If your pet is microchipped by a veterinarian in Estonia, ask the veterinarian to register the pet at the same time. If your pet already has a microchip, you can check or register the microchip information in the Estonian pet register.
Dogs must be kept under control in public places. Please also clean up after your pet when walking outside.
For more information about rules for keeping cats and dogs in Tartu, visit the City of Tartu website.
If you are looking for a job in Estonia, you can start by checking public job portals, recruitment platforms and official information about working in Estonia.
Töötukassa, the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund, supports jobseekers and unemployed people. Depending on your legal status in Estonia, you may be able to register as a jobseeker or unemployed person and receive support from a consultant.
You can check the conditions and submit an application through the Töötukassa self-service portal. You can also contact the Töötukassa office in Tartu for advice.
Useful job search websites include:
If you are interested in starting your own company in Estonia, you can find practical information on the Work in Estonia website and the e-Business Register.
Volunteering can be a good way to meet people, practise Estonian, gain local experience and contribute to the community. You can find volunteering opportunities on the Vabatahtlike Värav website.
Before starting work in Estonia, make sure that you understand your contract, working hours, salary, taxes, holidays and other working conditions.
In Estonia, an employment contract gives employees important legal rights, such as minimum wage, paid annual leave, limits on working and rest time, and compensation for overtime work. Other types of contracts, such as service contracts, may give you less protection.
Do not sign a contract if you do not understand the terms. Ask your employer, the Labour Inspectorate or someone you trust to explain unclear parts before signing.
You can find reliable information about employment contracts, working time, holidays, salary, occupational safety and employment disputes on the Working Life Portal.
The Labour Inspectorate provides free counselling to both employees and employers. You can contact them if you have questions about your employment contract, working conditions, occupational safety or a workplace dispute.
You can check current tax rates and information about income tax, unemployment insurance and funded pension contributions on the Estonian Tax and Customs Board website.
If you feel that you are being exploited, threatened, forced to work in unsafe conditions or not paid as agreed, help is available. You can contact the Anti-Trafficking Advisory Helpline for free and anonymous advice.