Free Estonian

First, find your rung

The level you need depends on your job, not on a single rule:

• A2 — cleaner, security guard, driver, cloakroom attendant, boiler operator.
• B1 — care worker, shop assistant, waiter, bus driver, anyone in regular customer service.
• B2 — kindergarten assistant teacher, nurse, midwife, physiotherapist.
• C1 — kindergarten teacher, schoolteacher, school director, doctor, pharmacist, speech therapist.

Not sure where you stand? Take a free self-test (in the last section) before you commit to a level. A comfortable pass one rung down beats a fail one rung up.

1 · Start from zero, online, in Russian — free

• Keeleklikk — the government's free course from zero to A2, with the whole interface in Russian and real teachers who mark your written work by email. The best first step. Free · 0–A2 · in Russian.
• Keeletee — the free continuation of Keeleklikk toward B1, same format. A free B2 e-course has been rolling out since 2025. Free · ~B1 · in Russian.
• Speakly — an app that drills high-frequency vocabulary; the Estonian course is free. A useful supplement, not full exam prep. Free · beginner · Russian base language.

2 · Free courses with a teacher in the room

• Integration Foundation courses — free classroom courses (A1–B1), online and in Tallinn, Narva, Tartu, Pärnu and Jõhvi. Registration opens twice a year, in January and August. Honest catch: badly oversubscribed — seats can vanish within hours. Be logged in the minute registration opens.
• Settle in Estonia — the free state adaptation programme (A1–B1 plus society, work and family modules) for residents who have been here under five years. Free · A1–B1 · eligibility by residence status.
• Estonian Language Houses (Tallinn & Narva) — free courses, workshops, and — most useful of all — a one-to-one consultation in Russian to map your own route. Start here if you don't know where to begin.

3 · Through work

• Töötukassa (Unemployment Insurance Fund) — if you are registered as a jobseeker, a consultant can arrange free Estonian courses; there is also a "Work and Learn" track for people who are employed but need the language for the job. Not automatic — agree the need with a consultant, and start early; approval takes weeks.
• Employer training grant — for directors: Töötukassa reimburses much of the cost of training staff (up to 100% for older or lower-qualified workers). Plan at least 80 hours.

4 · Practise speaking

• Language cafés (keelekohvik) — free, informal conversation hours where the only goal is to keep talking. Run by the Language Houses and the International House of Estonia.
• Language Friends (Keelesõber) — pairs you with a fluent volunteer for a few months of low-pressure practice, once you have some basics (A2/B1+). Runs in seasons with set sign-up windows.

5 · The exam itself — also free

• Register (HARNO / EIS) — the state level exam (A2–C1) is free. Register in the EIS system with your ID-card, Mobile-ID or Smart-ID. Watch the window: it closes on the first day of the exam month, about four times a year, one level per sitting.
• Free self-tests — place yourself honestly before you register. To pass you need 60% overall and no zero in any of the four parts, so aim for the level you can actually clear.
• Free pre-exam consultations — HARNO runs free consultations before the B1 and B2 sittings; check the HARNO page above for dates and locations.
• Course-fee reimbursement — if you paid for a course at a licensed provider and then pass the exam, you can claim part of the fee back. (Irrelevant if your course was already free.)

One honest note

This page is not affiliated with any of these programmes — it is a map, not an official source. Dates, eligibility and fees change; check each site before you rely on it. Everything here was free or state-funded when this page was written, in July 2026. If a link is dead or the terms have moved, trust the programme's own site over this page.