The installation of outside advertisements in heritage conservation areas and on monuments must be approved by the Tallinn Urban Planning Department’s Heritage Protection Department. The suitability of all advertisements displayed will be individually assessed by the Committee for the Review of Signage and Urban Design Projects of the Heritage Protection Department.

Guidelines for installing advertisements or signs in the Tallinn Old Town heritage conservation area and on immovable monuments and their protected zones

When designing an advertisement, consideration must be given to the architectural uniqueness of the specific buildings in its vicinity, both in their design and the materials used. When designing the advertisement, ensure that its installation does not significantly alter the appearance of the protected building or obstruct its unique architectural details. The sign should not obstruct views towards important directions.

Advertisements or bars with flashing or blinking lights, neon light advertisements, screens directed towards the street conveying dynamic pictures, neon pipes and sound advertisements are not permitted.

Installation of an advertisement for a company operating indoors on a console is permitted, provided that the console is no longer than one metre in length. When planning the length of the console, consideration must be given to the width of the sidewalk. Using existing consoles should be preferred. The company operating indoors may design an advertisement on no more than one console.

The maximum thickness of light boxes and letters is 80 mm (when using modern lighting solutions, this measurement may be smaller depending on the location), and the colour temperature must be lower than 3000 K.

Advertisements and signs attached to buildings must be installed above the pathway at a height that ensures they do not endanger or obstruct traffic. The sign or advertisement must not obstruct traffic control devices or share the same carrier with them.

Installation of advertisements or other information in the Tallinn Old Town heritage conservation area and on cultural monuments is permitted if the advertisement or other information is installed at a location agreed upon in the building’s construction project. In such cases, the design of advertisements and property solutions are discussed separately.

Information or advertisements placed in a public location must be in Estonian, but they can include translations of the text in other languages. The Estonian text must hold prominence on the sign and must not be less visible than the foreign language texts.

Informative or advertising banners on construction fences and scaffolding must be submitted separately, along with concrete dates for displaying and specific banner solutions. The principle ‘less is more’ applies here.

A specially designed address marker, which can be illuminated from inside, may be placed on a building if the installation of the marker is addressed in the construction project and approved by the Heritage Protection Department.

Flags displayed must be proportionate to the building and considerate of its surroundings. The flag must not obstruct the side or close-up views of the building. The flag must be kept clean and intact throughout its display life.

The installation of signs and advertisements is regulated by the Heritage Conservation Act and Statute of the Tallinn Old Town Heritage Conservation Area.