Where to begin?
The process of obtaining a gun permit in Estonia includes several steps that must be completed before applying for a permit with the Police Department.

Step 1: First Aid Courses
According to the requirements of the Weapons Act on Weapons of the Republic of Estonia, an applicant for a permit must submit a certificate or a certificate confirming the successful completion of first aid courses, according to a 16-hour training program accredited in Estonia. Training in English is carried out by various providers, you can find some contact details on our website.

Step 2: (for citizens of other states) – Obtaining an extract from the register of punishments in the country of citizenship
When submitting an application by a person who is a citizen of another state, it is required to attach an extract on the absence of criminal penalties in the country of citizenship. An extract from the register of punishments can be obtained from the embassy or consulate. NB! If the certificate is provided in a foreign language, it must be accompanied by a notary translation into Estonian.

Step 3: Getting a health certificate
Family doctors in Estonia issue a special certificate of the absence of exclusionary circumstances due to health reasons for applicants for a weapons permit. A similar certificate must be obtained every 5 years and submitted to the Police Department when renewing a weapons permit. The procedure for obtaining a medical certificate and contact of the psychiatrists can be found on our website.

Step 4: Applying to the Police Department
The application for a weapons permit is submitted online, through the self-service portal. In order to use the portal, you must have a valid ID card or residence permit and PIN code, Mobile-ID or Smart-ID account for authorization. The self-service portal interface is only available in Estonian! After authorization, you should submit an application for a weapons permit (Relvaluba), provide all the necessary information, upload all the certificates received and pay the state. A state fee of 30 Euros is collected for processing of the application and another 30 Euros state fee is collected for the examination procedure.

Step 5: Weapons  storage conditions review
After applying for a permit, during the review process, the Police Department will send a constable to the address listed as the storage location for the weapon, who will inspect the storage location for compliance with Weapons Act requirements and draw up an inspection report that will be attached to your application.

According to the requirements of the Estonian Weapons Act, weapons and ammunition must be stored in a place that ensures their safety, in a way that excludes access to weapons and ammunition by unauthorized persons. Storage of more than one firearm requires a gun safe, which is a specially adapted for this purpose and permanently attached to the floor, wall or other building structure. An individual must store weapons in a storage location located at his place of residence or in a storage location at an address determined by him, which is agreed with the Police Department.

Step 6: Exam Preparation
Our complete weapons permit training course covers all aspects required for successful passing of the examination in the Police department. The common schedule in the group training takes 6 weeks, during which we will have 10 hours of lectures and 3 hours of range time and online test system for self-paced training at home. 

Step 7: Exam
After completing all the necessary procedures for considering the application and if no circumstances precluding the issuance of a permit are found, a representative of the Police Department will propose the date and time of the examination.

NB! The exam is held only in Estonian! Starting 15 March 2023 taking the examination using the translation service is no longer available!

The exam takes no more than one hour and consists of two parts:

The theoretical part of the exam is given in the form of a test of 10 questions. The time allotted for answers is 30 minutes. After the test is completed, the result is announced immediately. A test will be considered successfully passed in case at least eight out of ten questions are answered correctly!

After successfully passing the theoretical part, the examinee puts on a bulletproof vest and waits in line for the practical part of the exam. During the practical part of the examination, it will be necessary to unload and test the selected type of weapon and, following the instructions of the examination committee, fire three shots at a target at a distance of 15 meters for a pistol or revolver or 25 meters for a carbine, which must hit the targets.

Before the exam, please make sure of the following:

• Arrive at the exam site 10 minutes before the start of the exam.
• The candidate must be sober!
• When sowing, you must have an ID card or passport.
• The telephone and other means of communication must be switched off or set to silent mode.
• The use of any materials, means of communication, assistance of unauthorized persons during the exam is prohibited. Violation of this requirement will lead to the recognition of the exam as not successful!
 

Relvakool wishes you good luck on the exam!