There and Back: Five Easy Steps to Living in Estonia (part two)

Vahtra lived in Estonia for 13 months and left Estonia in September 2022. He stated that originally he came to Estonia because it was a “safe first step” to living in Europe, and that he had always planned to move on to some other location in Europe. He learnt about Slovenia via an Erasmus project and has now moved there. He works remotely as he lives in a rural area that has great rock climbing terrain.

Although the apartment he rented in Tallinn with a friend was walking distance from the Viru Shopping Centre in Tallinn, he stated that bus and streetcar routes worked so well, that it was not necessary to live in the very centre of Tallinn.  Even if one lived outside of the centre of Tallinn (“Kesklinn” in Estonian), one could quickly and easily get into the centre of Tallinn.

Vahtra thought it a good idea to land in Estonia with a few thousand dollars in one's pockets, as it allows you a bit of time to find work. Many of his friends, who were around his age (23), found work quite quickly. An often-quoted article in the publication Estonian World, about the pros and cons of expat living in Estonia, found that “A large amount of jobs and low demand means that there is generally less competition and it is significantly easier to land a job you want." Vahtra stated that many acquaintances found work at companies that are part of the Estonian start-up scene. These companies include Wise, the online money transfer company founded by two Estonians; Bolt Drive (including opportunities to moonlight as a driver for the app); or Swappie, one of the leading online destinations for buying and selling refurbished smartphones in Europe. He thought that using internship positions was a good way to find a more permanent position. Having said that, Vahtra thought finding “the right job” would take a bit of time. In addition, he found some work as a DJ.