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Estonia

Contracting State since
1995.10.27
Lastly updated
2022.08.02

Contact for consular services

German Embassy
Bilateral relations and German missions
homepage: https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/aussenpolitik/laenderinformationen

National legal bases

There is a specific Intra-Community Transport, Export and Import of Cultural Goods Act that regulates the field of export of cultural property. Please see Intra-Community Transport, Export and Import of Cultural Objects Act.

Heritage Conservation Act

Museums Act

EU regulations
The licence for the export of cultural goods from the European customs territory is subject to Council Regulation (EC) No. 116/2009 of 18 December 2008 on the export of cultural goods (OJ L 39, 10.2.2009, p. 1). Exports to the internal market, however, are subject to national regulations, which may differ from the Council regulation with respect to the value and age thresholds of the categories of the protected cultural property.

Further information on the legal situation can be requested from the EUR-Lex Datenbank. The EU also maintains a special database for the regulations regarding the protection of cultural property.

The multilingual UNESCO Database of National Cultural Heritage Laws provides access to the relevant national legal bases. Another source of information on national cultural asset protection laws is the Sharing Electronic Resources and Laws On Crime (SHERLOC) of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Definition of cultural property

Cultural objects are listed in § 2 of the Intra-Community Transport, Export and Import of Cultural Goods Act. In addition to these, all national cultural monuments (designated on the basis of the Heritage Conservation Act), aid museum collections (on the basis of the Museum Act) fall under the definition cultural property.

Everything regarding national cultural monu-ments is described in Heritage Conservation Act; provisions regarding museum objects and collections are described in the Museums Act.

Export ban

There is a specific Intra-Community Transport, Export and Import of Cultural Goods Act that regulates the field of export of cultural property.

National cultural monuments and items from museum collections cannot be permanently exported (on the basis of the abovementioned acts).

Sanctions

The penal sanctions are regulated by the Customs Act but these are not specific to cultural objects.

Authorities responsible for issuing export permits

Estonian National Heritage Board
Uus 18
Tallin
Estonia
Estonian National Heritage Board
Phone: 00 372 640 3050
E-Mail: eksport@muinas.ee
homepage: http://www.muinas.ee/for-you/for-owner/export

Procedure

Duration
Requisite approval procedure takes usually one to two days, the export permit costs 20 Euros.
Costs
No information

Forms

There is a standard form (Estonian Export Licence for cultural goods): http://www.muinas.ee/for-you/for-owner/export

Further Information

The information is provided by the Estonian National Heritage Board

Uus 18, Tallinn,
Estonia
Tel.: 00 372 640 3050
Email: eksport@muinas.ee; Linda.Lainvoo@muinas.ee
Website: http://www.muinas.ee/en

As well as on the webpage of the Estonian Tax and Customs Board Information is provided.

Additionally, Estonian National Heritage Board has published flyers with the relevant information

Further Information is available in German language.

Disclaimer:
The above information is based on the information available and deemed trustworthy at the time indicated, in particular the information provided by the State and the information as available in the UNESCO database . No guarantee can be given for the correctness and completeness of this information, nor can any liability be accepted for any damage that may occur. Legal regulations may change at any time without the Minister of State for Culture and the Media being informed. The decision to acquire, import, export or place cultural property on the market is your sole responsibility. It is therefore recommended that you contact the relevant diplomatic or consular representation and/or the export authorities of the respective foreign country.