You need to apply for an operating licence for a private hobby school if you want to set up a hobby school that offers young people the opportunity to acquire an education in their field of interest. The application is submitted electronically through the Estonian Education Information System (EHIS). The operating licence is indefinite and is issued by the Ministry of Education and Research. More information: https://www.hm.ee/uldharidus-ja-noored/opetaja-koolijuht-ja-koolipidaja/koolitus-voi-tegevusluba?view_instance=1¤t_page=1#huvikoolid
Legal bases
The activity of private hobby schools and application for an activity licence is regulated by the following legislation:
Requirements for the applicant
The recipient of an activity licence must comply with the following requirements:
- the competencies, skills and knowledge established as the objective of the curriculum can be attained under the curriculum;
- the material base of teaching allows for providing education at the respective level and meets the needs of the curriculum;
- the head of the private school meets the requirements established in subsection 20 of the Child Protection Act;
- the private school has fulfilled the requirements of processing sensitive personal data pursuant to the Personal Data Protection Act;
- the owner of the private school and the private school comply with the requirements established for the management of a private school under the Private Schools Act;
- you have paid the state fee.
Cross-border operation
If an undertaking has been established in another contracting state of the European Economic Area but also wishes to provide continuous services in Estonia, the undertaking must act in accordance with the present guidelines.
Completing and submitting an application
An application (in Estonian) for an activity licence must be submitted to the Ministry of Education and Research no later than five months before the start of the implementation of the curriculum.
For the grant of an activity licence, please submit an application with the following additional documents:
- the statutes of the private hobby school;
- the curriculum under which instruction is to be provided with the activity licence applied for, and which complies with the requirements set forth by legislation;
- a confirmation that the head of the private hobby school and the persons that belong in the managing bodies of the owner of the private hobby school comply with the requirements provided for in subsections 2 and 3 of §19 of the Private Schools Act;
- a certificate of the owner of the private school confirming the availability of qualified head of the school, head teacher and teachers;
- a lease agreement or written confirmation regarding the availability of school premises.
The application can be submitted:
- Digitally signed via e-mail at [email protected]
- Electronically to the Ministry of Education and Research via edu.ee (authentication is required)
NB! Please pay the state fee before submitting your application.
Payment of the state fee
Please pay a state fee of 25 euros to a bank account of the Ministry of Finance, adding the reference number 2900073546:
- SEB EE891010220034796011
- Swedbank EE932200221023778606
The processing of an application
The Ministry of Education and Research shall start counting the processing period of the application from the date of its submission. The application will be reviewed by the Ministry of Education and Research within two months, granted that all the required documents are correctly formalised and submitted.
The Ministry of Education and Research shall check the compliance of the documents with legislation. If the application does not meet the requirements, i.e. required data or documents have not been submitted or the application has other deficiencies, then the Ministry of Education and Research shall notify the applicant in writing, providing a time limit for the rectification of the deficiencies. If the deficiencies are not rectified for the set time limit, then the Ministry of Education and Research may refuse to process the application.
An activity licence for private hobby schools is granted without a term and is issued with a directive of the Chancellor of Education and Research. The directive on the registration of a hobby school is sent to the applicant via the Estonian Education Information System (EHIS) by e-mail at the address provided in the application, after the entering into force of which the curricula are registered in the EHIS.
Amendments to the conditions of an activity licence
To add new curricula, make changes in an existing one or close a curriculum, the owner of a private hobby school must send an application and the consolidated file of the curriculum (except for closing). A state fee is not applied in such cases.
Changing a curriculum for a hobby, adding a new one or closing an existing one is performed after the end of the period of study of the respective hobby at the hobby school (provided in the statutes, generally between 31 May and 31 August). Changes to the curriculum, new curricula and closing of existing curricula is registered in EHIS within two months after the submission of the application. A directive is not issued for such changes.
Suspension of an activity licence and termination of economic activities
If you wish to terminate activity in the chosen field, then please submit a notice of termination of economic activities to the Ministry of Education and Research at [email protected].
If you wish to renounce economic activities temporarily, then please state the date of renouncement and re-commencement of economic activities on a notice of temporary renouncement of economic activities to be submitted to the Ministry of Education and Research at [email protected].
Revocation of an activity licence
An activity licence is revoked on the following grounds:
- intentional submission of incorrect information by an undertaking upon application for an activity licence, which affected the grant of a licence, provided that, if such information had not been submitted, the grant of an activity licence would have been denied;
- renouncement of economic activities by an undertaking;
- validity of a relevant prohibition on economic activities imposed by a court judgment or arising from law in a relevant area of activity in respect of an undertaking, except for validity of a prohibition on economic activities imposed pursuant to the General Part of the Economic Activities Code Act.
An activity licence may be revoked on the following grounds:
- teaching has not been commenced within 12 months after the granting of the activity licence or teaching has been suspended for 12 consecutive months;
- false information has been submitted upon applying for the right to provide vocational education or upon accreditation.
- failure to commence economic activities within two years as of the issue of the activity licence or failure to pursue economic activities within two years; and, in the case of provision of services of general interest, failure to commence economic activities within 12 months as of the issue of the activity licence or failure to pursue economic activities within 12 months; or failure to commence economic activities within the term prescribed by a secondary condition of the activity licence;
- material violation of the conditions of an activity licence;
- a significant damage or danger caused to public order by the activity permitted by the activity licence, which did not exist or was not known at the time of grant of the activity licence and which overrides the interest of the undertaking in continuing the activity on the current conditions and which can be eliminated by amendment of the activity licence;
- changes to the secondary conditions of an activity licence.
Supervision
The Ministry of Education and Research exercises governmental supervision over teaching and education carried out by schools.
Contact details
Substantive information
Triin Hüva, Ministry of Education and Research, tel: +372 7350633, e-mail: [email protected]
Registry information and technical questions
Estonian Education Information System, tel: +372 765 5050, e-mail: [email protected]