Basics
The country code for Estonia is +372. Mobile phone numbers have 8 digits usually starting from 5.
The country of Estonia has 3 network providers:
- Telia (formerly EMT, owned by the Swedish Telia Group)
- Elisa (owned by Finnish Elisa Oyj)
- Tele2 (owned by Swedish Tele2 Group)
2G is on 900 and 1800 MHz, 3G is on 900 and 2100 MHz with good coverage, 4G/LTE has started with all providers on 800, 1800 and 2600 MHz (Bands 3, 7, 20) plus 2100 and 2300 MHz (Bands 1 and 30) on Tele2 all over the country and is generally available for prepaid.
Prepaid SIM cards locally called Kõnekaart are available at newsstands, kiosks, supermarkets, other outlets and the shops of the providers. No ID or registration is necessary. Like other Baltic states, Estonia offers low prices for data compared to the rest of Europe.
Top-ups
While being within the country, you can buy voucher codes at many outlets. But it's a different story from out of the country.
It's still a problem to recharge Estonian mobile numbers from abroad without having an Estonian bank account even if SEPA top-ups from European bank accounts should theoretically work (see Telia below). There are no credit card payment options for Estonian SIM cards. Furthermore, there are no 3rd party dealers or agencies who recharge Estonian SIM cards online. So if you want to top-up an Estonian mobile number from other countries, take vouchers with you or find an Estonian friend, who will buy it for you while staying in the country.
EU roaming: no Roam like at home?
In light of very low domestic prices for data, EU roaming is charged relatively high. Some providers all charge 0.5c/MB equal to €5.20 per GB, which can be reasonable for low usage. If you will go to other EU countries after Estonia, look carefully to make sure that the SIM you select fits your usage patterns.
Telia (formerly called EMT) (Super, Simpel)
Telia new logo
Telia has been rebranded from EMT in 2016. It's owned by the Swedish Telia Company and market leader in Estonia with a 42% share of the mobile market in 2016. Their 4G/LTE network covers most of the country already and is open for prepaid.
Availability
Their prepaid kit is available at Telia (formerly EMT and Elion) stores and in many of their outlets. Their two brands for prepaid kõnekaarts are called Super and Simpel.
Top-up
There is no way to recharge Telia online using PayPal or credit card, and no 3rd party resellers.
Recharges can be made at these places nationwide. Top-up voucher validity is limited.
The only method that Telia provides to top up your account from outside Estonia is SEPA bank transfer, which will usually be free of charge from bank accounts in the Eurozone.
"Super" prepaid pack logo
Super
Telia sells its Super starter kit for €1, which includes €1 credit and 50MB data, which can be ordered online with payment by SEPA bank transfer and free delivery by normal post, for example to a hotel.
The SIM card needs to be activated before use by making a phone call. The best way to achieve this, while leaving your €1 initial balance intact for a bundle purchase, is to install the Super iPhone or Android app, which will prompt you to make a free call to 7010 1104; this activates both the SIM card and the app. If you have an iPhone, be sure to turn off iMessage and FaceTime before inserting the SIM card. Given that these iOS services fail to activate without any credit, it can be assumed that Telia charges for the outgoing activation SMS, which would reduce your initial balance. Once you have activated the app, go to the Profile tab and add your e-mail address to receive 1GB of free data. Then you can buy one of the 30-day data bundles below. Without topping up, the SIM card for €1 can give you a total of 50MB + 1GB + 250MB = 1.3GB for 30 days.
You cannot top up until you activate the SIM card. The only way to top up remotely is by SEPA bank transfer, which can take more than a day, so it's impractical if you want to top up immediately after activation in order to buy a data bundle. You can top up by as little as €1 at small shops. If you go to the only Telia shop in central Tallinn in the Viru Keskus shopping centre, they will charge you an additional €1 as an admin fee for topping up, and will instead recommend that you visit the Kiosk shop opposite to do so without an admin fee.
The daily cap is €1 for 200 MB; then the speed is reduced to 32 kbps. You can add the same packages shown below at data feature packs.
Bonus/Combo packages
The following packages can be activated on Super plans. All of them are valid for 30 days.
| Calls | Texts | Data | EU cap | Price | Activation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 calls | 200 | 1 GB | Only valid in Estonia | €3 | Top up at least 3€ |
| 130 calls | 500 | 5 GB | Only valid in Estonia | €8 | Top up at least 8€ |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | €0.002/MB, after 500 MB/€1 unlimited | 500 MB/1€ | €3 | Super app |
| Unlimited (to Super) | 100 | 2 GB | Only valid in Estonia | €1.99 | Super app |
| Unlimited (to Super)
75 calls (other networks) |
200 | 4 GB | Only valid in Estonia | €5.99 | Super app |
| Unlimited (to Super)
200 calls (other networks) |
600 | 5 GB | Only valid in Estonia | €11.99 | Super app |
Simpel
"Simpel" prepaid pack
Starter kit of Simpel costs €2.95 , includes €2.95 credit and 50 MB pre-loaded. Default data rate is €1 up to 1 GB per day. To get more data, text DATA to 9123 and another GB for €1 is given. The following packs can be added:
Combo packages (Kõnepakett)
These combo packages can be activated on a Simpel plans. All of them are valid for 30 days.
| Calls | Texts | Data | EU cap | Price | Activation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3000 min. (to Telia) | 3000 (to Telia) | 1 GB | 1 GB | €4 | *599*4# |
| Unlimited (to Telia)
600 min. (other networks) |
600 (all networks) | 4 GB | 3.34 GB | €9 | *599*9# |
Data feature packages
These monthly packets for 30 days can be activated on Super or Simpel plans.
| Data | EU cap (Simpel) | Price | Activation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 250 MB | 250 MB | €1 | *147*250# |
| 1 GB | 0.8 GB | €2 | *147*1# |
| 3 GB | 1.5 GB | €3.99 | *147*3# |
| 5 GB | 1.9 GB | €5 | *147*5# |
| 10 GB | 3 GB | €8 | *147*10# |
To check data consumption, dial *123#; check general account balance by dialing *143# (for a €0.06 fee).
EU roaming
Since the 12th of June 2019[1], Simpel charges the same amount for domestic and EU/EEA roaming usage (€0.0025/kB[2]), and allows part of the data allowance from the data and combo packages to be used there without surcharges (see table). Unfortunately, these do not apply for Super customers, if they want to go roaming they need to activate their Super X package[3], with unlimited calls to Estonia and €0.002/MB (a maximum of 500 MB/€1 per day is allowed while roaming, then a €0.0052/MB surcharge is applied).
More information
- APN: internet.emt.ee
- Website (available in Russian, Estonian): https://www.telia.ee/era/koned/mobiiltelefoniga/konekaardid
- Direct links in English to Simpel and Super brands
Elisa (Zen)
Elisa logo
Elisa, originally based in Finland, has a very good coverage similar to Telia. They have opened 4G/LTE on some prepaid plans for a surcharge. In 2016 they are the leaders by amount of prepaid users in the country.
Availability
The prepaid card is called "Elisa Kõnekaart". Start-up kit costs 1€ and includes the same amount of credits. Default PIN is 1234. The SIM card is available at many outlets, Selver, Prisma, Rimi and Maxima supermarkets, R-Kiosks, Statioil and Elisa stores.
Account management, recharging and validity
Elisa prepaid SIM card is valid for 6+1 months. After the 6 months the grace period begins (plus 1 month), when you can only receive the calls and text messages, but no outgoing calls or mobile data available. To extend its validity, recharge for at least 3€ and your account lifetime extends for next 6 months.
Top-ups can be made at Prisma, Rimi and Maxima supermarkets, R-Kiosks, Statioil, Eesti Post offices and some others. You should buy a recharge voucher which looks like the cash machine receipt and contains the 12-digits code. Redeem the voucher by dialing *135*<voucher CODE>#.
Minimal recharge amount by voucher is €3. To check your balance, dial *135*1#. To check the expiration date, dial *135*3#.
Remember that recharging online is impossible without Estonian banking account. So, remember to buy some vouchers if you need to recharge later. Vouchers never expire, so you can take it with you and redeem later.
You can use "My Elisa" self-service website (available in Estonian and Russian) to check your balance and validity term for free, get usage statistics and even locate your lost or stolen phone using cellular positioning service. To use the service, you should obtain a password. Send SMS with 'PAROOL' to 13323 and you will receive SMS text message with your password (you can change it later by yourself).
To change the system messages language to English, dial the following sequence: *135*923# or *135*723#.
Combo plans
Elisa offers three combo plans with included allowances all valid for 30 days:
- Basic: unlimited calls to Elisa, 3 hours to Telia and Tele2, no data: €3 - activation: 95003
- Standard: unlimited calls to Elisa, 6 hours to Telia and Tele2, 100 SMS, 1 GB domestic data: €6 - activation: 95006
- Premium: unlimited calls to Elisa, 9 hours to Telia and Tele2, 1 hour to the EU and Russia, 100 SMS, 5 GB domestic data: €9 - activation: 95009
Note that allowances can't be used in the EU at roam like at home conditions, they are valid only in Estonia.
Data feature packages
Default rate is 0.05 EUR for 20 KB up to 1 EUR for 400 KB. Then it's free for the rest of the day with a cap of 100 MB. The following domestic data packages are for data in Estonia only, at max. 4G/LTE speed, not for roaming:
| Data | Time | Speed | Price | Activation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 MB | 1 day | maximum
available speed |
€1 | NET4G1 |
| 2 GB | 7 days | €5 | NET4G7 | |
| 8 GB | 30 days | €7 | NET4G30 | |
| 12 GB | €10 | NET4G30L | ||
| 15 GB | 2 Mbit/s | €7 | NET30 | |
| 25 GB | max. speed | €20 | NET4G30XL |
Prices (The best price = 1€ for Elisa pre-paid card + 7€ for NET30 (30days/15GB/2Mbits)):
- (estonian) https://www.elisa.ee/et/eraklient/koned/konekaart/kuumaksuvaba-konekaart [1]
- (russian) https://www.elisa.ee/ru/eraklient/koned/konekaart/kuumaksuvaba-konekaart[2]
To order 4G internet access passes, send an SMS with code to number 95000. Speed will be throttled, when you exceed the included data quota. Packages are valid in Estonia only, not for roaming.
Zen
Zen is the new youth line of Elisa. The prepaid Zen Kõnekaart is available for 2.95 EUR with 3 EUR credit in these shops. Mostly it has the same data rates, packages and other specifics as the Elisa Kõnekaart above, but offers these monthly combo packages instead:
- Zen 4: unlimited on-net, 400 mins off-net, 250 MB - €4 , activation: 95004
- Zen 5: unlimited on-net, 500 mins off-net, 1 GB, 300 SMS - €5 , activation: 95005
- Zen 8: unlimited on-net, 600 mins off-net, 5 GB, 600 SMS - €8 , activation: 95008
- Zen 15: unlimited on-net, 600 mins off-net, 15 GB, 600 SMS - €15 , activation: 95015
Activation is by calling this number. The same packages as in data feature packages mentioned above can be added.
EU roaming (exempted)
Elisa is exempt from EU roaming regulations. That's why 'roam at home' principles don't apply to their domestic rates. EU standard roaming rate is 0.72c per MB (or €7.24 per GB) regardless of an domestic allowance. For roaming in some countries special roaming packages have been introduced as add-ons:
- Reisi nuttipaket: valid in Estonia, Finland (Elisa), Latvia and Lithuania (Bite), Croatia (Tele2), Sweden (Tele2 and Telenor), and Telenor in Norway, Denmark, Hungary and Bulgaria for 30 days.
- 200 mins, 50 SMS, 5 GB: €12 - for activation text 'ReisM' to 95000
- 500 mins, 100 SMS, 10 GB: €19 - for activation text 'ReisL' to 95000
- 400 MB: €2 - Reis1
- 2 GB: €7 - Reis7
- 10 GB: €15 - Reis30
For other destinations in the EU only the standard roaming rate of 0.72c/MB applies.
More information
- APN: internet
- Website in Estonian and Russian: https://www.elisa.ee
- Zen Website in English: https://www.zen.ee/en
Tele2 (Smart)
TELE2 logo
Tele2 markets prepaid SIM cards in Estonia under its own brand and under the Smart label. As of November 2018, Smart is simply a label for their €0.95 starter pack, and otherwise functions identically to the €3.95 Tele2 SIM starter pack.
Tele2 has started LTE on 800 and 2600 MHz (Bands 7 and 20), but will move some of its 4G range to the less usual 2100 and 2300 MHz bands (1 and 30). They cover 96% of population by 4G/LTE in 2017.
Smart - Prepaid brand of TELE2
Availability
The prepaid SIM cards of Tele2 and Smart can be found at Tele2 stores, Post offices, R-Kiosk, Statoil, Maxima and other outlets, where top-up vouchers are offered too.
Check balance by *245# for 5ct. To activate English messages, type *109*2#.
Smart Kõnekaart
The Smart SIM card is sold for 0.95 EUR with the same credit on and 250 MB for 30 days. You will get €2.95 bonus if you top-up €4 or more in the first week. Default rate for data is €0.04 per MB.
Data are only valid in Estonia, not in the EU (for EU roaming see below).
Tele2 Kõnekaart
Tele2's own brand starter is for €3.95 and includes 3 GB data, 300 minutes, and 30 SMS. Default rate for data is also €0.04 per MB. There are three monthly combo packages that can be added:
| Data | Voice | SMS | Price | Activation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 GB | 300 mins | 300 | €3.95 | K395 |
| 6 GB | 1000 mins | 1000 | €6.95 | K695 |
| 12 GB | 1000 mins | 1000 | €9.95 | K995 |
For activation text code to 95002 (€0.03 fee applies). For more data you can add these add-ons for 30 days:
- €1.95 : 1 GB, activation: D195
- €4.95 : 5 GB, activation: D495
- €7.95 : 7 GB, activation: D795
- €19.95 : unlimited, activation: DALL
Activation is to 95002 too. Add another letter K in front of the activation codes if you want the plan to auto-renew. All allowances are valid in Estonia only. As of 1 January 2019, EU roaming on Tele2 is now at a more reasonable 0.005€ per MB (€5 per GB).
Prepaid Internet (by Tele2)
Their prepaid internet called kuumaksuvaba Internet is distributed through the Tele2 brand too. This SIM card is for €3.49 start-up price with 5 GB valid for a week preloaded. It's sold in Tele2 stores and has voice and text too.
Default rate is the daily rate: €0.99 per calendar day (0-24h) up to 1 GB. It can be topped up with these bundles:
| Data | Time | Price | Activation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 GB | 7 days | €3.49 | DATA5 |
| 15 GB | 30 days | €9.49 | DATA15 |
| 30 GB | 30 days | €14.99 | DATAXL |
As with the others, text the code to 95002 to activate. Data valid only in Estonia.
Roaming
Now that Smart is just a label for their €0.95 starter, all SIMs have the same roaming surcharge of €0.005 per MB. Domestic package allowances are not valid outside Estonia. Tele2 is exempt from "roam like home" principles and now offers one package if you do not want to pay the surcharged rate:
- 100 minutes, 100 SMS, 500 MB, 3 days: €2.95 Activation: EUCOMBO
They also offer roaming packages for other countries:
- for Russia and the USA:
- 150 MB for 24 hours: €4.99 , activation for Russia: RUS150, for USA: USA150
- 500 MB for 15 days: €12.99 , activation for Russia: RUS500, for USA: USA500
- 1 GB for 30 days: €18.99 , activation for Russia: RUS1, for USA: USA1
- for Switzerland, Ukraine, Thailand, Belarus, Egypt, Israel and Turkey:
- 300 MB valid for 15 days: €18.99 , activation: MB300
For activation, send SMS to 9575 with activation code (for the EU package, send to 95002).
More information
- APN: internet.tele2.ee
- Website in Estonian and Russian: https://tele2.ee/konekaart/ linking to Tele2 and Smart prepaid
- Website in English about prepaid internet by Tele2: https://tele2.ee/prepaid-internet