The health certificate is the first document on the way to a licence, and usually the one place where the start drags on for no good reason. Here is where to get it, what to do before the appointment, and what people most often trip over.

Why the certificate is needed

The driver's health certificate (tervisetõend) is what lets a driving school register you as a student. Without it neither the theory nor the driving starts, and no Transpordiamet exam slot can be booked.

The free trial lesson needs no certificate: it takes place in an area closed to traffic, not in traffic. Enrolling on the course does. A supervisor (juhendaja) who wants to take a learner out for driving practice needs a valid certificate too (see driving with a supervisor in Estonia).

Where to get one

There are three routes, and each produces the same document.

Your family doctor. Knows your history and can see at once whether an ordinary appointment is enough or a further check is needed. Waiting times and prices differ from practice to practice, so it is worth calling ahead to book.
Private clinics. Many offer the driver's health check as a separate service. An appointment is usually quicker to get; the price varies from clinic to clinic.
Liikluslab. The service is built around driving licences: you book the time yourself, and if you name your driving school at the appointment, the certificate reaches it on its own.

How much the certificate costs

The check is a paid service wherever you have it done, and the price depends on the provider. Ask for the exact price before booking, for example at Liikluslab. In practice the real difference is the waiting time, not the money.

Before the appointment: the health declaration

A health declaration (tervisedeklaratsioon) is filled in beforehand: a questionnaire about your state of health. It can be completed digitally on the national health portal Terviseportaal (terviseportaal.ee).

The declaration is valid for 30 days from signing. If the medical check happens later, it has to be filled in again — so there is no point doing it months ahead.

What the doctor checks

Vision, hearing and general health, as far as they bear on driving. The doctor may set a condition, for example that you wear glasses or contact lenses while driving, and it goes onto the licence as a marking.

The period of validity is not the same for everyone: it depends on age and health, and in some cases the doctor sets a shorter period or additional conditions.

How long the certificate lasts

An ordinary car driver goes through the health check every ten years. That covers categories AM, A, B and BE with their subcategories, and T.

The check is needed every five years for holders of categories C, CE, D or DE. The same interval applies to drivers over 65, to category B taxi drivers, to drivers of emergency vehicles and to driving instructors, so a category B certificate stops being a ten-year one if the occupation changes.

The doctor may always set a shorter period where health requires it. If a new certificate is not submitted in time, the right to drive is suspended.

You can check the certificate’s validity yourself on the state portal eesti.ee (section “Isikut tõendavad dokumendid ja juhiload”) or in the Eesti app on your phone (Liiklus → Tervisetõend).

How the certificate reaches the school

If you have the check done at Liikluslab and say which driving school you attend, the certificate reaches that school by itself and you need to forward nothing.

If it was issued elsewhere, send the school the decision (otsus): the single sheet stating that the certificate has been issued, what conditions were attached and until what date it is valid. The health declaration and your medical history stay with you: the school has no need to see them and we do not ask for them.

The date is what matters. When registering a student with Transpordiamet the school has to state how long the health certificate is valid. Without that date the registration does not go through — which is why we ask for it at the very start.

Ask three things plainly at the end of the appointment: has the certificate been issued, were any conditions attached, and until what date is it valid. It is easier to settle there and then than to discover a week later that the course cannot start.

The certificate when renewing a licence

The certificate is not only for people entering a driving school. When a licence is exchanged, usually every ten years, and every five years for categories C and D and for drivers over 65, the traffic register must hold a valid certificate. The e-certificate reaches the register from the doctor automatically, so there is no need to go to Transpordiamet for it; you can see its validity on eesti.ee or in the Eesti app.

Common mistakes

Filling in the declaration months before the appointment, so that it expires in between.
Assuming the family doctor has a slot this week, when in some practices the wait is longer than the time left before the course begins.
Getting the certificate but not checking the conditions, so the glasses requirement surfaces at the exam.
Not watching the old certificate's validity: holding a licence does not mean the health certificate still stands.

When to start

If you have decided on a driving school, get the certificate first. The contract, the start of the theory and the whole schedule after it depend on that one document.

It cannot be done too early either: an applicant for the right to drive takes the check no earlier than six months before the training begins.

If you are still deciding, start with the trial lesson. The certificate can wait until the decision is made.

Common questions

Do I need a certificate for the free trial lesson?

No. The trial lesson takes place in an area closed to traffic, so no documents are needed. Enrolling on the course does need the certificate.

How long does getting the certificate take?

The appointment itself is short; the waiting list is what takes time. Ask your family doctor, a private clinic or Liikluslab in advance when they have a free slot.

I already have a health certificate — is that enough?

If it is valid, yes. Let the school know and you will not have to repeat it.

What happens if the doctor sets a condition?

A condition, such as wearing glasses, is added to the licence as a marking. It does not stop you driving, but it has to be observed at the exam too.

Do I have to send the certificate to the school?

A Liikluslab certificate reaches the school on its own if you name it at the appointment. If it was issued elsewhere, send only the decision (otsus): the sheet with the validity date and any conditions. Your medical history and the declaration stay with you.

Once the decision is made, the next step is the training contract. See what the course includes and how the training works.

B-category course Call +372 55 44 007 info@kindelrool.ee

Validity periods and the six-month rule: the Transpordiamet page “Tervisetõend autojuhile” (updated 19.03.2026). The exact procedure for the declaration and the certificate is confirmed by whoever carries out the check. Checked 02.09.2026.