Estonian administration

This post was requested by Katri. She claims that, with respect to administration and services, Belgium is a hell while Estonia is well organised and simple. So let's see how it goes for me, as a non-Estonian speak (not yet, at least).

Finding the right address

This has not much to do with the topic, but - since I made the mistake myself - I thought it was good to tell about it.

The first thing I did after arriving in Tallinn was to register at the Belgian Ambassy. I looked up the address on the web and found out it was right in the middle of the old town:  Rataskaevu 2-9. So,  walk there the first morning, happy to get a nice walk across the old town and find immediately the street Rataskaevu, and number 9: no flag, no blinky board... odd, but okay. I look up for the bell, and don't find any name or identifier, other than numbers. I ask about the Belgian Ambassy to a guy who seems local, indeed, but he does not speak English... I call the Ambassy, saying I don't know which bell to ring: a lady with a tiny accent answers there is a bell with written "Ambassy of Belgium"... "Really? I see only numbers, here". "I come downstairs to open", she says. I wait, nothing happens.

As a matter of fact, I was in front of the wrong building: Rataskaevu 2-9 means street Rataskaevu, number 2, apartment number 9. Indeed, at that building there was a Belgian flag and a nice board announcing the Ambassy, and a dedicated bell.

The thing is: Estonians seem to praise privacy, so the apartment number is very important. You will rarely find a name on bells or on post boxes. So, when writing an address, the apartment number is always indicated very clearly, and immediately after the street number and "-" (which is different from Belgium, where we rely on the name, and the post box or apartment number is often optional and often wrong, and identified by "/" or "b")... Now I know, and won't make the mistake again!

Registering and getting a local ID

Katri came with me to the local administration, because she thought (rightly) that she needed to officially agree to my registration at her address. Therefore, she was leading and I didn't get to test fully how a non-Estonian speaker would be received.

We first went to the city authority, as the website said. Took a ticket of the appropriate kind from the ticketing machine (all in Estonian). A ticket fully in Estonian said that the service was closed and you should address yourself to the local manager. The local manager was in a boot right next and told us indeed that registration does not happen here, but in an other building on 9 Pärnu mnt. Afterwards, I tend to think that the lady would at least be able to tell me the same in English.

We arrive at the city register 10 minutes later, queue for 2 minutes and it is our turn. The lady gives me two forms to fill, all in Estonian, but gives me also an English template to allow me filling correctly. Good start! After 15 minutes, all is done and she tells me that I can go already on Monday (2 administrative days later) to the police station to request an Estonian ID card. There are three police stations for administrative issues: one close to the centre, and two slightly more remote.

On Monday, I go to the police station. I voluntarily choose one that I can reach by foot and which is a bit more remote: maybe there will be less crowd, but the risk is that they speak no English there... Interestingly, the web site of the police says that 2014 is a "peak" year, because of simultaneous expiry of a lot of ID cards and passports released a few years earlier. They recommend taking an appointment beforehand, but everything is full for the next two days and I don't want to delay my request for an ID. Indeed, I found out in the meantime that I needed an Estonian ID to obtain a mobile phone card with a monthly subscription and to be fully registered at the Ambassy.

To avoid queuing too much, I avoid the lunch break. It is remarkable though that the administrative services are open from 9 AM to 6 PM without break... Not comparable to the very short schedule of the Belgian administration. I enter and direct myself to the typical ticketing machine, which distributes numbers for the queues. Good thing: it is in 3 languages, Estonian, Russian and English. Before I manage to push on anything, a tiny lady in uniform stops me, asks me what I need and tells me that I need to first make a picture in the picture boot in front. I answer that it will just take a minute and that I could get a number already, but she refuses. There I could feel the rigidity which I associate to "Eastern" or "Nordic" officers. The rule is the rule (there are not so many "explicit rules" here in Estonia), so apply it! and it was also written on the wall just next, but I saw it only later.

The rest went smoothly, got my photos done in 2 minutes, got a number, waited for 25 minutes and it was my turn: "Do you speak English?", "No", said the lady who spoke quite well English anyway. I was getting used to hearing "I hope so" (the top answer I receive here in Estonia): lack of confidence or excessive humility?. But "No" followed by a decent English interaction was okay too. It took 15 minutes to the lady to fill the papers, then I paid at another boot, and I was gone: 45 minutes time, not bad! I was told I would receive an email within two weeks, notifying me when the ID card would be ready, and that I would have to go back to withdraw it.

Three (yes, 3!) days later, I get an email in Estonian saying that my ID is ready and I can go and catch it. Wow, that is fast! So, I go there again, take my number (another queue, a bit faster, but with more people), wait for 20 minutes and it is my turn. This lady speaks basic English and is not able to understand my request to receive a "certificate of residence" (requested by my Ambassy), so she tells me to go to the information boot and get a new number. Since I know I can download it online, I don't do it and just go back home with my new ID card.

Web services

I am a big fan of web services. In Belgium already, I did all my banking, my taxes and all what could be done as administration (which is, close to nothing) online. Estonia is among the world top countries with respect to web services, so let's discover what I can do.

After installing the eID reader apps required (every country has its own apps), I start logging in to the portal eesti.ee and immediately download and electronically sign a certificate of residence to give my Ambassy. I also quickly manage to pair my transport card to my ID. It is good to do so, because all residents of Tallinn get free public transportation in town and around.

Estonia: 12 points

Overall: very successful experience. I got an ID card and an official residence here in 6 working days, and without having to speak any word of Estonian! And I can now do a lot of things from home, with my computer. Great! nothing compared to the burden foreigners experience in my home country! (for the record, it took 9 months and 4 personal visits to Katri to get a Belgian ID card...)

How I explain this: Estonia is a small country, not particularly attractive to foreigners and expats (so there is no huge flow of immigrants, except a seasonal young crowd, not needing much administration), but open to international opportunities, and aware that its languages are not sufficient for foreign friendliness.