I am a MSc Software Engineering student at the University of Tartu, and I came to Estonia with my family. As an international student and a young parent, this journey has had unique challenges and rewards. In this article, I will share my experiences and insights of a life as a parent at the University of Tartu.
A little disclaimer:
everything I share is solely based on my personal experience. For official visa information, please refer to the Police and Border Guard website.
Why choose Estonia as an international student and a parent?
You probably already know why Estonia is great for international students, but do you know why it is excellent for international students with kids? I will share my view on this question.
When moving to Estonia with my family, I considered several criteria, but the most important were the quality of education and environmental friendliness. Estonia’s primary education is among the strongest in the world and the absolute best in Europe, according to PISA ratings. Even before the pandemic, Estonia was #1 in digital learning (CEPS 2019). 95% of schools use e-school solutions where parents, teachers, and children collaborate in the cloud. Obviously, Estonia has met my first criteria with flying colors. Moreover, I was pleasantly surprised that preschoolers are not expected to read, write, and count before they go to school. Estonian children spend time in kindergarten in a more playful and relaxed environment.
Another essential thing to consider coming to Estonia with young kids is the environment. Estonia, as one of the greenest countries in Europe, can offer you some of the cleanest air in Europe based on The World Health Organization ranking.
With all that said, spending time studying in Estonia will become a positive, life-changing experience for students and their families!

Accessing Parental Support
Estonia’s and Tartu’s commitment to nurturing families and its welcoming environment has made it a convenient place to raise children while pursuing higher education. If you are a student who has been accepted to study for a master’s or doctoral program in Estonia, your partner and children can apply for a residence permit for settling with a spouse/parent (please see more info from the Police and Border Guard website). After receiving a residence permit, your child becomes eligible for support from the municipality or government, which include discounted price for private kindergarten, healthcare insurance, and allowances for children.
Kindergartens
It is important to note that there are several options when it comes to childcare: you can choose a public kindergarten, which costs around 80 euros/month without a catering fee. The primary communication language is Estonian and I know many families whose children became fluent in Estonian in just one year.
You can also choose the private kindergarten, where you can find ones whose primary communication language is English. Having a residence permit, your child is eligible for a discount/support from Tatru municipality when studying in a private kindergarten.
Allowances
In Estonia, children are also eligible for allowances: for example, a 5-year-old child gets 80 euros net per month from the government, which is roughly equal to the municipal kindergarten fee, so it is significant support from this country for all families. You can learn more about allowances here – https://www.eesti.ee/en/family/benefits-and-allowances/state-child-allowance.
Healthcare insurance
Moving abroad with young kids, you might be thinking about health insurance. International students studying in Estonia are only covered by the Estonian Health Insurance Fund (Haigekassa) if they are employed in Estonia or have the right to permanent residence or a long-term residence permit. However, your child is eligible for health insurance when having a residence permit. The Haigekassa provides healthcare insurance for kids whose principal place of residence is in Estonia, as entered in the population register, under 19 years.
Important note: emergency care rooms are available 24/7 in several clinics in Tartu. Emergency care (in Estonian: kiirabi) is free of charge, but with a visit fee of 5 euros for anyone. It provides round-the-clock access for patients seeking emergency treatment (including primary trauma patients and women who are in labor). No visit fee is requested from pregnant women and children under two years of age.
Bonus point: My favorite place to study with my kid and a little bit about discounts:
As a bonus point, I would like to share some random information I think other fellow student-parents will find useful.
Places to study with kids
Many cafes and coffee places have playgrounds with toys available for kids, so you could study with your kids in these spots. However, my favorite spot to study when I am with my kid is The University of Tartu Library. It has an excellent children’s room with toys, books, tables and chairs for comfortable study. It is a perfect place to study with kids. What is also great about the library is that it is open on weekends.

Discounts for kids
Most of the public transport is absolutely free for kids under school age. It is also great that Elron trains and Lux buses provide free rides for kids between cities in Estonia and sometimes even abroad (Lux buses).
Many recreation places also offer discounted tickets for kids. My favorites are swimming pools and spa centers for example;
- VSpa, one of the best Spa centers in Estonia and is free for kids under 5 y.o
- Aura Keskus swimming pool also is free for kids under 5 and has discounts for older kids
Finding the Balance
Balancing academic commitments with the responsibilities of parenthood is undoubtedly one of the most daunting aspects. For me, the journey of studying became much easier thanks to the support of my partner, who took half and sometimes even more of all family and parenting responsibilities on himself. I also recommend finding social circles among similar parents, whom you can seek support from when needed, such as other parents in kindergarten, parent groups in social media, and other foreigners who came to Estonia with their kids.
Finding a routine that works for you and your child is crucial, ensuring that neither your studies nor your family life suffers. It is not easy. Some days or even weeks will be mainly dedicated to your studies and you will have to catch up on the time you could not spend with your family. Ultimately, studying abroad is a great chance to experience new cultures, meet new people, and become more resilient and open to new and uncertain things. What could be more exciting than embarking on this inspiring journey full of growth, adventure, and discoveries together with your family?
References:
https://tartu.ee/en/primary-healthcare-tartu
https://workinestonia.com/everyday-life/education/
https://www.educationestonia.org/about-education-system/
https://tartu.ee/en/preschool-children-s-institutions
https://tartu.ee/en/general-education-schools
All photos are from https://www.istockphoto.com and from the author’s family archive