How to apply ham radio license for Estonia ES?
This is an English translation of my original Finnish article published in January 2024.
I have a valid ES1NOA call sign (now also ES0NO), which I recently renewed for five years, so I decided to put together a blog post with instructions in Finnish for Finnish radio amateurs on how to obtain their own ES call sign.
An ES country call sign is particularly convenient if you frequently spend time in the country and operate radio there. For short-term operations, a separate license is not required; you can operate under your home country’s CEPT license. In this case, you would use a call sign format like ES#/OH1AAA, where # is the number of the ES district where your station is located. Unlike in Finland, Estonia still uses a district system based on geographical location. For longer-term use, obtaining an Estonian radio license is straightforward, affordable, and can be done practically via email.
The authority responsible for issuing licenses is the “Tarbijakaitse ja Tehnilise Järelevalve Amet,” or in Finnish, the “Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority.” The person handling radio amateur matters at the agency is Ms. Ulvi Valdaru. The agency’s website for radio amateur licenses (in English) can be found at:
https://ttja.ee/en/private-client/communications-media/radio-communication/amateur-radio-stations
The application process is as follows:
- Download the document amatoortaotlus.rtf from the website to your computer.
- Fill out the form:
- perekonnanimi = surname
- eesnimed = first names
- sugu = male/female
- sünniaeg = date of birth
- kodakondsus = nationality (Finnish: soome[or equivalent of your country])
- isikukood = ID number (enter your Finnish personal identity code and in parentheses write Soome [or equivalent of your country])
- elukoht = your home address in Finland [or equivalent of your country]
- telefon kodus = home phone
- telefon tööl = work phone (optional)
- e-post = email address
- valifikatsioonitunnistuse number, väljaandja nimi ja väljaandmise kuupäev = HAREC certificate number, issuer’s name, and issue date (e.g., for me: RTOD1231035, Camilla Elo, 1.11.2018)
- kvalifikatsiooniklass = license class (I wrote ÜLDKLASS HAREC for general class HAREC; if you’re a general class holder and add Klass A, you might get a Class A license suitable for linear power levels, otherwise Class B)
- kehtiv kutsung = valid call sign (here, enter the desired Estonian call sign and your Finnish call sign, e.g., EESTI: ES1NOA (soovitud kutsung) SOOME: OH1NOA (kehtiv kutsung)) [or equivalent of your country]
- amatöörraadiojaama asukoht = radio amateur station address (you need an address in the district you’re applying for, e.g., ES1 is for Tallinn city – try arranging to use a local’s address or the address of your accommodation; the license will be sent to your home address if you mention this to Ulvi Valdaru)
3. Check the box for isikliku kasutusega amatöörraadiojaama tööluba (personal use radio amateur station operating license).
4. Check the box for Palun saata amatöörraadiojaama tööluba või HAREC’i kvalifikatsioonitunnistus posti teel (send the radio amateur operating license or HAREC qualification certificate by mail) – you can specify your Finnish address here for receiving the license.
5. Finally: kuupäev = date, nimi = name, allkiri = signature.
6. I printed the filled form, signed it, took a photo of the signed version, and attached both versions to the application.
7. From the page https://ttja.ee/en/business-client/about-us/permits-and-state-fees/state-fees#state-fee-for-the-is, under “State fee for the issue or renewal of an operating license for an amateur radio station,” find the IBAN account details to pay the 10-euro fee to the Ministry of Finance (Rahandusministeerium).
8. Make a SEPA payment (free for international transfers) via your online bank to Rahandusministeerium, using the postal address from the above page, with reference number 2900080063 and, for example, the call sign you’re applying for. I also took a screenshot of the payment and included it as an attachment.
9. Send your application to Ulvi Valdaru at ulvi.valdaru at ttja.ee. Ulvi communicates in Estonian and, if needed, in English. Write in English (or Estonian) that you are applying for a radio amateur license with call sign X. I attached the following documents: the filled form (RTF version and a photo of the signed version, as I don’t own a scanner), a copy of my HAREC certificate, a copy of my OH radio amateur license, and a copy of the payment (10 euros). I also requested that the license be sent to my Finnish address (which I specified in the email).
10. After submitting, Ulvi Valdaru may contact you if there are any issues with the application. If everything is in order, the license will likely arrive by mail within a couple of weeks.
HAREC certificate: Note that you need a HAREC certificate, i.e., a document confirming that your radio amateur qualification complies with CEPT Recommendation T/R 61-02. This is not the same as your station license. If you don’t already have this document, you’ll need to obtain it from Traficom. For Finland: Their electronic services don’t seem to support ordering it, so I recommend emailing radiotaajuudet at traficom.fi.
About the ES call sign: The Estonian call sign consists of the ES country prefix, followed by a district number and a suffix typically containing 2–3 letters. You can search for available call signs in the ERAU ES callbook at https://erau.ee/et/cba. The ES9 district is reserved for special call signs; otherwise, districts correspond to county boundaries, with ES1 for Tallinn city, ES2 for Harju County surrounding it, and so on.
In Estonia, the district number indicates the operating location. For example, ES1NOA operating from Pärnu would use the call sign ES1NOA/8. Note that Estonia has a unique CEPT rule for call signs: if you use your OH call sign in Pärnu, you must include the district number, e.g., ES8/OH1NOA (unlike in Finland, where ES1NOA in Kuusamo would be OH/ES1NOA). The /P suffix in Estonia is primarily for VHF and UHF handheld use, so even if you’re operating on battery power in the “bush” in Pärnu, you’d use ES8/OH1NOA or ES1NOA/8 (though Estonians may use /P for their field day activities).
I hope these instructions help you obtain your ES call sign! I’ll update this guide if there are any changes or clarifications. Thanks to Ari, OH3KAV/ES0KA, for reviewing and providing feedback on this article. (Updated January 2024)
