Regulations and permits

Organisers must apply for a public event permit in order to hold public events in Tallinn. A public event is an amusement, competition, spectacle, commercial event or other such function held in a public space and open for public, but is not a public meeting.

Information on large conferences taking place in Tallinn can be found on Estonian Convention Bureau’s meeting calendar.

Photography and film shooting in the streets and public areas of Tallinn is permitted with no special authorisation. In general, there is no need for a filming permit for the public areas of Tallinn. The general public should not be disturbed by the filming and any protests must be respected. Tallinn Transport Department must be notified if filming in public areas restricts the movement of pedestrians or requires special traffic arrangements.

 

When filming on private property, permission must be acquired from the owner of said property. Permission must be asked from the property owner directly. Filming inside commercial venues or tourist attractions also requires permission. Permission should be requested in advance from the venue or enquired on the spot.

When using a drone for aerial filming, a special permit may be required. Please visit the website of the Estonian Transport Administration for information regarding the restricted areas and flight zones. 

According to the Law Enforcement Act, it is prohibited to cause continually or repeatedly noise or light effects which disturb another person to a significant extent during the period from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., and on a night preceding a day off from 12 a.m. to 7 a.m in a place other than a public place.

 

In a public place it is prohibited to cause noise or light effects which disturb another person to a significant extent.

 

These restrictions are not in effect on the night preceding 1 January, on the night preceding 25 February or 24 June or under an authorisation from the local government.

The use of professional fireworks requires authorization from the city. The application must be submitted no later than five days before carrying out the fireworks.

Drinking alcohol in public in Tallinn is prohibited. Alcohol sales from stores in Tallinn are prohibited from 22:00 until 10:00. 

In Estonia, it is compulsory for a pedestrian to wear a reflector when walking on the road in poor visibility or at night-time (Traffic Act). A reflector is a means for increasing the visibility of a person or another object in darkness by reflection of light from that means towards the light source.