Primary health care for war refugees regardless of health insurance

• All people staying in Estonia are guaranteed emergency firs aid in the event of a serious or life-threatening medical condition, including emergency dental care. To get emergency care, go to the emergency room of the nearest hospital or call 112.
• Health advice is available in English and Russian on the family doctor's advice line 1220 (from abroad on +372 634 6630). If necessary, you will be transferred to the emergency number 112.
• Family doctors provide primary health care to all Ukrainian refugees. They provide medical care as needed and refer patients to specialists for further examinations or necessary procedures. See the list of family doctors providing assistance to refugees. You will need to contact the family doctor yourself.
• In addition to the initial medical check-up at the refugee centre, war refugees, regardless of whether they have health insurance or not, can go for an additional medical check-up at Tallinn hospitals if they need to undergo tests, plan treatment or obtain a prescription. It is strongly recommended that the secondary medical check-up is carried out within 7 days of arrival.

You need to book an appointment in advance for the second medical check-up on the telephone number below.

• West Tallinn Central Hospital (Ehitajate tee 27, tel +372 626 1314)
• East Tallinn Central Hospital (Pärnu mnt 104, Magdalena unit, temporary campus, tel. +372 620 7390).
• North-Estonian Regional Hospital (Hiiu 44, tel +372 617 1300)
• If a child needs medical care, please turn to the Tallinn Children's Hospital (Ravi 27, tel +372 697 7200).
• Pregnant women should go to the Women's Clinic of the East Tallinn Central Hospital (Ravi 18, B-unit, tel. +372 666 1900).

For more information on health checks, call 1247.

 

Dispensing of prescription medicines

Until 31.08.2022 prescription medicines are dispensed to war refugees at the pharmacy Tõnismäe Südameapteek (Tõnismägi 5), which is open 24 hours a day.

• Prescription medicines are dispensed on prescription only. The following prescriptions are suitable:
  • Estonian paper prescription (you do not need to have an EE personal identification number, date of birth is fine).
  • A printout of an Estonian digital prescription (you do not need to have an EE personal identification number).
  • Ukrainian paper prescription.
  • The medicines are issued on the basis of a Ukrainian passport or other identity document.

 

Vaccination against COVID-19

Ukrainian war refugees are guaranteed free vaccination against Covid-19 with a first, second or booster dose. Vaccination is voluntary in Estonia, but we strongly recommend you do it, as it protects your health and that of your loved ones. In Estonia, it is recommended to vaccinate from the age of 12, and advice on the choice of vaccine can be obtained from a vaccination centre.

There are five different vaccines to choose from:

• For age 12+
  • two-dose Pfizer/BioNTech (COMIRNATY), recommended interval between doses I and II: 6 weeks.
  • two-dose Moderna (SPIKEVAX), recommended dose interval between doses I and II: 4 weeks.
• For age 18+
  • two-dose Nuvaxovid (NOVAVAX), recommended dose interval between doses I and II: 3 weeks.
  • single-dose Janssen vaccine
• For children aged 5-11
  • two-dose Pfizer/BioNTech (COMIRNATY), recommended dose interval I and II: 6 weeks.

If you have had the COVID-19 virus, it is recommended to be vaccinated in the sixth month after a positive test result.

If you have been previously vaccinated with Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneka or Sputnik, it is recommended to administer the third dose three months after the last vaccination.

If you have previously been vaccinated with the Janssen vaccine, it is recommended that a third dose is given two months after the last vaccination.

In Tallinn, it's convenient to get vaccinated at the vaccination point on Vabaduse Square, where specialists are also available to answer any questions you may have. Vaccinations are also available free of charge at many pharmacies.

More on COVID-19 here

 

Health insurance

Health insurance guarantees that people can receive planned general and specialised medical care on equal terms with citizens of Estonia.

Temporary protection beneficiaries are not automatically insured in Estonia. Health insurance can be obtained by taking up a job or registering as unemployed after receiving temporary protection. Children and pensioners living in Estonia also become entitled to health insurance after they have been granted temporary protection. See more at haigekassa.ee/en.

 

Dental care

The Tallinn Dental Clinic offers free emergency dental care to war refugees from Ukraine.

Emergency dental care is defined as a situation where delay or failure to provide assistance could result in death or permanent damage to the health of the person in need. Urgent care is provided in emergency cases, such as when a tooth needs to be extracted, a decayed cavity opened or pain relief for a nerve infection. The dentist decides whether emergency treatment is necessary.

If you need emergency dental care, please contact the clinic using the contact details below. The staff at the call centre will give you all the necessary details and book an appointment.

The clinic is open every day, including weekends and public holidays. Before coming to the clinic, we recommend contacting the call centre: +372 5190 4200 (Viber, WhatsApp, Telegram), [email protected].