Statutory notice period
The minimum notice an employer must give. Contracts and collective agreements can lengthen it and only rarely shorten it, and the tenure bands are where cross-border assumptions usually go wrong.
Employer's cancellation for economic or employee-related reasons under the Employment Contracts Act. The employee's own ordinary notice is thirty calendar days.
| Service | Employer notice | Runs |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1 year of service | 15 calendar days | notice may be paid out in money instead of being worked |
| 1 to 5 years | 30 calendar days | same rule |
| 5 to 10 years | 60 calendar days | same rule |
| 10 years or more | 90 calendar days | same rule |
Redundancy adds severance of one month's average pay from the employer, with further months from the unemployment fund at longer service.
Source: Estonia: notice period to employees, Eurofound legislation database, citing § 97; Employment law in Estonia, TLS § 97, VLO law firm. Checked on 2026-07-27.
Minimum paid annual leave
The statutory floor for paid holiday. The counting basis matters as much as the number, since some laws count a six-day week and others count working days or calendar weeks.
28 calendar days per year.
Public holidays do not consume leave days. Minors and employees with reduced working capacity hold thirty-five calendar days, the state refunding the extra seven to the employer.
Source: Põhipuhkuse põhimõtted 2026, TLS § 55, BDO Eesti; Puhkusetasu hüvitamine riigieelarvest, Social Insurance Board. Checked on 2026-07-27.
Probation limit
The longest trial period the law allows an employer to agree, together with the notice that applies while it runs.
4 months at most, with notice of 15 calendar days, no reasons required during it.
Four months apply by law from the start of employment unless the parties agree a shorter trial or waive it; in a fixed-term contract the trial may cover at most half the term.
Source: Employment law in Estonia, TLS § 86, VLO law firm; Labor agreements in Estonia, Gencs Valters law firm. Checked on 2026-07-27.
Employer social contributions
What the employer pays on top of gross salary into statutory schemes. Some countries charge a percentage of pay, others charge flat amounts, and a single headline rate hides caps, regional rules and industry-rated items.
Figures apply for 2026.
| Scheme | Rate, per cent of pay | Charged on |
|---|---|---|
| Social tax (sotsiaalmaks)A minimum monthly obligation applies, computed on a base of 886 euro for 2026 even where pay is lower. | 33 | the whole salary, with no ceiling |
| Unemployment insurance, employer shareThe employee's own share of 1.6 per cent is withheld separately; the employer keeps paying its share for working pensioners. | 0.8 | the whole salary, with no ceiling |
| Sum of the shares aboveBoth rates unchanged for 2026, charged without any ceiling. | 33.8 |
Funded-pension payments of two to six per cent are withheld from the employee's gross for scheme members.
Source: Maksumuudatused 2026. aastal, Estonian Tax and Customs Board; Palgamaksud ja miinimumpalk 2026, TTT tarkvara payroll guide. Checked on 2026-07-27.