Enquiries

To establish and certify the rights of a person or an institution we issue archival notices on the basis of information in the records. You can submit an enquiry to the National Archives to apply for:

• an archival notice if it is needed for certification of one's rights or transactions in public offices, the state fee 15 euros;
• an information letter for personal use or research, fee 15 euros. Please note that the archives cannot perform any extensive research. Information on how to conduct research on one's own may be found here. Various paid-for research services may be ordered from the Estonian Biographical Center.

How to fill in the on-line enquiry form?

Please include as much detail as possible. The more initial data an archivist has at her/his disposal the simpler and often also the more possible it is to draft an archival notice.

Mediation of archival information takes place according to the Archives Act and the Archival Rules.

Archival notice is a document certified by an archivist with a signature, based on the data found in the archival materials concerning some event, subject or person. The aim of an archival notice is to establish and certify the rights of a person or an institution on the basis of the information in the records.

Archival notices are issued only in Estonian (the official state language).

Yes, it is possible. It is the most convenient way to receive an archival notice and we spare so paper and preserve nature at the same time. When you fill in the enquiry form, please specify that you would like to receive the archival notice electronically. A state fee payment notice will be sent to you after review of your enquiry. You will receive the digitally signed archival notice to your email address within 30 days.

NB! Please make certain that the necessary software has been installed to your computer which enables to open digitally signed documents.

If the archival information is necessary for personal use or research the archives issue an information letter. The fee of the query is 15 euros. Please note, however, that the archives cannot undertake any extensive research on behalf of enquirers.

According to § 3461 of the State Fees Act one has to pay a state fee in the amount of 15 euros for an archival notice if it is needed for certification of one's rights or transactions in public offices.

The following institutions are exempt from payment of the state fee (according to the State Fees Act):

• investigative bodies, courts and prosecutor's offices;
• notaries;
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs or a foreign representation of Estonia (if they mediate applications);
• Ministry of Justice (in case they mediate applications based on the International Agreement of Legal Assistance);
• tax authorities;
• bailiffs.

But if the archival information is necessary for personal use or research and the client notifies it when applying for an archival information, the archives issue an information letter. The fee of the query is 15 euros. Please note, however, that the archives cannot undertake any extensive research on behalf of enquirers.

For copies (if added to the information letter) one has to pay according to the price lists confirmed by the State Archivist.

Investigative bodies, courts and prosecutor's offices, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or a foreign representation of Estonia, the Ministry of Justice (in the cases mentioned above) and tax authorities are also exempt from payment of copy services (according to the State Archivist's directive № 71 from December 22, 2011).

A state fee payment notice will be sent to you after review of your enquiry. The state fee can be payed on the basis of this to the account of the Ministry of Finance with the reference numbers indicated on the payment notice or, by request, in cash on the spot in any of the archives belonging to the Estonian National Archives' system. You will receive an answer within 30 days after receipt of payment.

Payment for information letter or copies takes place on the basis of an invoice submitted by the archives, to the account of the Ministry of Finance with the respective reference numbers or in cash in any of the archives belonging to the Estonian National Archives' system. A postage will be added according to the price list of Estonian Post Ltd.

Enquiries will be answered as soon as possible but not later than 30 days. Archival notice will be issued either to the immediate applicant or to the person appointed by the applicant, in the suitable archives belonging to the Estonian National Archives or sent to the postal address given in the application form.

The state fee or fee and charge for copies have to be payed prior to the issue of archival notice / information letter.