Voluntary health insurance

If you do not belong to any group of insured persons, you have the opportunity to conclude a so-called voluntary insurance contract with the Health Insurance Fund to get health insurance and pay the insurance premium yourself.

A permanent resident of Estonia and a person living in Estonia on the basis of a temporary residence permit or right of residence can conclude the contract if they comply with one of the following four conditions:

1. They have been insured for at least 12 months during the two years preceding the conclusion of the contract:

• as an employee
• as a self-employed person
• as a spouse who participates in the activities of a self-employed person
• as a person for whom the social tax is paid by the state, local government, or artistic association;
• as a student or higher education student

If a person complies with one of these conditions, they can also conclude a contract to insure their dependents. The dependent has to be a permanent resident of Estonia or a person living in Estonia on the basis of a temporary residence permit or right of residence.

2. They have paid social tax for themselves or social tax has been paid for them (as an employee, as an employee working on the basis of a contract under the law of obligations, as a member of a management or controlling body of a legal person, as an owner of an entrepreneur account, as a self-employed person or the spouse of a self-employed person, as an official) at least in the amount of 12 times the minimum amount of the monthly rate of social tax in the calendar year preceding the conclusion of the contract.

This means that if you wish to conclude a voluntary insurance contract in 2024, at least 2589.94 euros of social tax has to have been paid for you in 2023.

3. In the 12 months preceding the month of conclusion of the contract, they have worked as a member of a ship crew on the basis of at least one seafarer’s employment contract or other contract. The persons considered members of a ship crew are listed here.

4. They receive pension from a foreign country.

Size of the insurance premium 

The insurance premium is calculated based on the data of Statistics Estonia. The Estonian mean gross monthly salary is multiplied by 0.13.

Insurance premiums can be paid on a quarterly or yearly basis. Monthly payments are not available.

The quarterly payment is 657.30 euros and the yearly payment is 2,629.20 euros. The size of the insurance premium changes every year after Statistics Estonia publishes the mean gross monthly salary in Estonia for the previous year.

A contract can be concluded

• via email, by sending a digitally signed application  to the  customer service office of Health Insurance Fund, info [at] tervisekassa.ee (info[at]tervisekassa[dot]ee)
• In a customer service office of the Health Insurance Fund.

Additional information for members of a ship crew:

A copy of seafarer’s employment contract or other document must be submitted to the Health Insurance Fund, proving that you have worked as a member of a ship crew during the last 12 months. The duration of the working period is not important.

Upon the request of the Health Insurance Fund, a contract in a foreign language or a replacement document has to be accompanied by a translation into Estonian by a person named in the subsection 3 (1) of the Sworn Translators Act. Translation costs are covered by the applicant.

If the submitted documents do not reveal the basis of conclusion of the contract, the Health Insurance Fund will submit the document to the Transport Administration for an opinion. The Transport Administration will deliver an opinion within 7 calendar days from the receipt of the document from the Health Insurance Fund.