It is necessary to apply for an activity licence if you want to provide the following special care services:
- everyday life support service;
- employment support service;
- supported living service;
- community living service;
- 24-hour special care services, including 24-hour special care services for persons with profound multiple disabilities, persons with mental disorders with unstable remission, and persons placed in a social welfare institution on the basis of a court ruling.
The activity licence is issued for an unspecified term by the Social Insurance Board.
Legal bases
The provision of special care services is governed by:
- the Social Welfare Act
- the General Part of the Economic Activities Code Act
- Regulation No. 73 of the Minister of Social Protection of 21 December 2015 ‘Establishment of the composition of the data to be submitted in the application for special care services and the list of required documents to be submitted with the application, as well as the composition of the data to be submitted in the application for compensation of the deficit in the contribution of the person, and the list of the required documents to be submitted with the application’;
- Regulation No. 65 of the Minister of Social Protection of 21 December 2015 ‘Financing of special care services’;
- Regulation No. 72 of the Minister of Social Protection of 21 December 2015 ‘Establishment of the list of documents to be collected and stored by the special care service provider’;
- Regulation No. 70 of the Minister of Social Protection of 21 December 2015 ‘Procedure and requirements for maintaining a waiting list for special care services’;
- Regulation No. 75 of the Minister of Social Protection of 21 December 2015 ‘Health requirements for special care services and isolation rooms’.
Requirements for the applicant
To obtain an activity licence, you must meet the following conditions:
- you must have an assessment by the Health Board regarding the compliance of the premises with health requirements (except in the case when the everyday life support service or the supported living service is provided in the residence of the person receiving the service or when the employment support service is provided);
- you must have a certificate from the Estonian Rescue Board confirming that the premises where the service is provided comply with fire safety requirements (except in the case when the service is provided in the residence of the person receiving the service or when the employment support service is provided);
- the applicant and the service to be provided as well as the persons directly providing the service must meet the requirements of the Social Welfare Act;
- you have the medical certificate of the activity supervisors confirming that they have been medically tested for infectious diseases;
- when applying for a preliminary activity licence, the written consent of the activity supervisors to be employed by the service provider applying for the activity licence;
- the application must be accompanied by a copy of the document certifying the right of representation of the person who signed the application (unless their right of representation is verified in the business register);
- you are not subject to liquidation proceedings, a decision to dissolve, or a declaration of bankruptcy;
- you have paid the state fee.
Professional qualifications of workers
If you want to employ a worker who has acquired a qualification abroad or has (professional) experience abroad, their foreign qualification must be recognised in Estonia. A professional qualification obtained abroad does not necessarily automatically meet the conditions set in Estonia. The certificate is issued by the Estonian ENIC/NARIC Centre, email: [email protected].
See which professions are subject to recognition.
For the recognition of professional qualifications and more information, please contact the Social Insurance Board.
Cross-border operation
When operating in Estonia, a foreign economic operator must comply with the same requirements as a national economic operator.
Filling in and submitting an application
To obtain an activity licence, you must submit an application by logging in to the register of economic activities (authentication is required to use the service). The application must contain the following information:
- contact details of the economic operator (telephone number, email address, and postal address);
- name of the field of activity in accordance with the Social Welfare Act (special care service) and the EMTAK code (87201, Residential nursing care activities);
- the desired period of validity of the licence, if you want the period of validity of the licence to be limited;
- the date on which economic activities in the field will commence, if different from the date of notification of economic activities;
- the place of business;
- the number of persons for whom the service is intended;
- information on persons directly providing special care services – name, personal identification code, contact details, and information about compliance with the conditions laid down in the Social Welfare Act;
- the name and contact details (phone number and email address) of the person who signed the application and, in the case of a legal person, the basis for the right of representation.
The following additional documents must also be submitted:
- a copy of the document certifying the right of representation of the person who signed the application (unless their right of representation is verified in the register card of the business register);
- a certificate from the Estonian Rescue Board confirming that the premises where the service is provided comply with fire safety requirements (except in the case when the service is provided in the residence of the person receiving the service or when the employment support service is provided);
- an assessment by the Health Board regarding the compliance of the premises with health requirements (except in the case when the service is provided in the residence of the person receiving the service or when the employment support service is provided);
- the medical certificate of the activity supervisor confirming that they have been medically tested for infectious diseases;
- when applying for a preliminary activity licence, the written consent of the activity supervisors to be employed by the service provider applying for the activity licence;
- a copy of the document certifying the education of the activity supervisor, if it is not entered in the Estonian Education Information System (EHIS) or the professional register.
Please pay the state fee before submitting an application.
You can submit your application:
- in the register of economic activities (authentication is required prior to using the service)
- by signing the application digitally and emailing it to [email protected]
- by post to the Social Insurance Board at Paldiski maantee 80, 15092 Tallinn
- through a notary.
Paying the state fee
Before submitting the application for an activity licence, the applicant must pay a state fee of 100 euros to the account of the Ministry of Finance, indicating the reference number 2900082414 and in the explanation line, indicate which service the state fee is paid for.
The state fee can be paid to:
- SEB – EE891010220034796011
- Swedbank – EE932200221023778606
- LHV Bank – EE777700771003813400
- Luminor Bank – EE701700017001577198
You do not need to submit a payment order.
Processing the application
The Social Insurance Board verifies the accuracy of the data and documents submitted by the applicant for the activity licence and issues the activity licence or refuses to issue the licence within 30 calendar days from the date of submission of the application. The deadline for making a decision regarding the application starts from the date of submission of all the required information. If, upon the issue of an application, it is found that the requirements for applying for an activity licence have not been met, the deadline for making a decision regarding the application may be suspended until the deficiency has been remedied, but for not more than 30 days, by informing the applicant thereof.
The activity licence is issued for an indefinite period unless the applicant applies for a licence for a limited period. The issuer of the licence enters the data in the register of economic activities not later than on the working day following the date of the decision on issuing the licence. When data is entered in the register, amended, or declared invalid, the registrar will send an automated message to your email address containing a reference to the data entered in the register, amended, or declared invalid, and, if based on an administrative act, a reference to its contestability.
The Social Insurance Board checks the accuracy of the data and documents, and issues the licence.
If the applicant fails to submit the required data or documents with the application or if there are other deficiencies in the application, the issuer of the activity licence notifies the applicant no later than on the working day following the day on which the deficiency is identified, stating the data which has not been submitted and setting a reasonable time limit for its submission. If the required data is not provided by the deadline, the Social Insurance Board may reject the application.
Modification of the terms of an activity licence
During the period of validity of the licence, the service provider must notify the issuer of the activity licence if:
- the place of provision of service changes;
- the volume of service provision increases;
- the activity supervisor or their qualifications change;
- there are changes to other provisions of the Social Welfare Act.
The Social Insurance Board must be informed of any planned changes to the provision of the service at least 30 days before the planned change.
The service provider must notify the Social Insurance Board immediately, but within five working days at the latest, of any change in the subject of review of the licence (e.g. an immediate service provider leaving the service or a new one joining the service provider) or in the secondary conditions (e.g. a change in the number of places or in the place of service provision) that occurs independently of the holder of the activity licence.
An application to modify an activity licence is resolved by the Social Insurance Board in accordance with the procedure for issuing activity licences. If the notification reveals that the changes result in non-compliance with the requirements for the special care service included in the subject of review of the licence or with the secondary conditions, as well as the need to verify the requirements for the special care service, to amend the activity licence, or to apply for a new activity licence, the Social Insurance Board will immediately notify the service provider thereof.
Suspension of an activity licence and termination of economic activity
A notice of renouncement of economic activities and an application for the termination of economic activities can be submitted:
- in the register of economic activities (authentication is required prior to using the service);
- by signing the application digitally and emailing it to [email protected]
- by sending the signed application by post to the Social Insurance Board at Paldiski maantee 80, 15092 Tallinn;
- through a notary.
If the holder of the licence wishes to terminate the economic activity specified in the licence, they must submit an application to the issuer of the activity licence to revoke the activity licence, indicating in the application the date of termination of the activity specified in the licence.
Providers of supported living services, community living services, and 24-hour special care services are required to submit a request for revocation at least six months before termination of service provision.
Providers of the everyday life support service and employment support service are obliged to submit a request for revocation at least three months before the termination of service provision.
Temporary renouncement of the provision of special care services is not allowed.
The following are also considered to have completely renounced their economic activity:
- an undertaking which has not fulfilled the statutory obligation to submit an annual report within six months of the expiry of the deadline for fulfilling that obligation;
- a self-employed person who has not fulfilled the statutory obligation to submit an income tax return within six months of the expiry of the deadline for fulfilling that obligation.
Revocation of an activity licence
The issuer of the activity licence revokes an activity licence in the following situations:
- you renounce economic activities; you intentionally provided incorrect information when applying for the activity licence, which affected the granting of the licence and if such information had not been submitted, the activity licence would not have been issued;
- the holder of the activity licence has been subject to a relevant prohibition on economic activities imposed by a court judgment or arising from law in a relevant area of activity in respect of the undertaking, except for the validity of a prohibition on economic activities imposed pursuant to the General Part of the Economic Activities Code Act.
The issuer of the activity licence may revoke an activity licence if:
- requested by the licence holder;
- the holder of the activity licence has not commenced the activities specified in the licence within two years of the date of issue of the licence;
- there is a material breach of the requirements for special care services or of the secondary conditions of the activity licence;
- the activity specified in the activity licence has caused significant damage or danger to public order, which was not known at the time of granting the activity licence and which overrides the interest of the holder of the licence in continuing the activity and which cannot be eliminated;
- the secondary conditions of the licence are amended.
The activity licence becomes invalid if:
- the term of the activity licence which was granted for a specified term has expired;
- the self-employed person dies or the undertaking which is a legal person is liquidated, transformed, merged, or divided, unless the activity license is transferred.
Supervision
National supervision of compliance with the requirements laid down in the legislation on the special care services is carried out by the Social Insurance Board.
Contact information
Substantive information
Tiiu Pärnmäe
Social Insurance Board, phone: 620 8346, email: [email protected]
Information of the Register of Economic Activities
Register of Economic Activities, phone: 668 7080, email: [email protected]