- Homosexuality
- ⚢✔ Legal
- Gay Marriage
- ⚭✔ Legal
- Censorship
- ✔ No censorship
- Changing Gender
- ✔ Legal, no restrictions
- Non-binary gender recognition
- ✖ Not legally recognized
- Discrimination
- ✔ Illegal
- Employment Discrimination
- ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
- Housing Discrimination
- ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
- Adoption
- ✔ Legal
- Military
- ✔ Legal
- Donating Blood
- ✔ Legal
- Conversion Therapy
- ✖ Not banned
- Age of Consent
- ✔ Equal
Public Opinion
Recent studies in Estonia show a discernible level of opposition to LGBTQ+ rights among the population.
OPPOSE
SUPPORT
Estonia Surveys
Support for Marriage Equality
(Estonian Human Rights Centre, 2023)
Support for Marriage Equality
(Estonian Human Rights Centre, 2021)
Support for Marriage Equality
(Estonian Human Rights Centre, 2019)
Support for Marriage Equality
(Estonian Human Rights Centre, 2017)
Orthodox Christian Support for Church's Position of Refusing to Perform Same-Sex Marriage
(Pew Research Center, 2017)
Support for Marriage Equality
(Estonian Human Rights Centre, 2014)
Support for Marriage Equality
(Estonian Human Rights Centre, 2012)
History
Same-sex marriage in Estonia is legal.
Current status
Since Jan 1, 2024
Since Jan 1, 2024
Legal
Estonia's parliament approved a law to legalise same-sex marriage, making it the first post-Soviet country to do so. The law will take effect on January 1, 2024.
Civil unions
A civil partnership law was passed and took effect on January 1, 2016.
Until Oct 8, 2014
Unrecognized, same-sex marriage and civil unions banned
Marriage is not recognized.
Censorship of LGBT Issues in Estonia is no censorship.
Current status
No censorship
In Estonia, there are no laws restricting the discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics.
Right to change legal gender in Estonia is legal, no restrictions.
Current status
Since May 7, 1999
Since May 7, 1999
Legal, no restrictions
The current law concerning legal gender recognition dates from 7 May 1999, the Common Requirements for Medical Operations for Gender Reassignment.
Transgender people are not required to undergo sex reassignment surgery since 1997, sterilisation or divorce their partner, due to the specific wording of the Family Law Act. From October 2021, neither genetic testing or hormone replacement therapy are mandatory to later change legal data.
First appointment with a medical expert committee is required to receive a ministerial decree authorizing hormone replacement therapy, followed by a second appointment with the same committee authorizing the change of legal data. Diagnosis from a psychiatrist before first committee appointment strongly recommended, committee bases its decision on this diagnosis as well as self-determination.
Transgender people are not required to undergo sex reassignment surgery since 1997, sterilisation or divorce their partner, due to the specific wording of the Family Law Act. From October 2021, neither genetic testing or hormone replacement therapy are mandatory to later change legal data.
First appointment with a medical expert committee is required to receive a ministerial decree authorizing hormone replacement therapy, followed by a second appointment with the same committee authorizing the change of legal data. Diagnosis from a psychiatrist before first committee appointment strongly recommended, committee bases its decision on this diagnosis as well as self-determination.
Legal, no restrictions
Previous ministerial decree regulating legal gender recognition, the on the Establishment of Mandatory Processes for Gender Reassignment.
Transgender people were not required to undergo sex reassignment surgery, sterilisation or divorce their partner. Appointment with medical expert committee required.
Transgender people were not required to undergo sex reassignment surgery, sterilisation or divorce their partner. Appointment with medical expert committee required.
Legal, no restrictions
The first transgender person to change their legal gender in independent Estonia did so on 6 April 1992. This followed a decision by a medical expert committee convened to assess her case.
Her birth certificate was corrected on this date, this was viewed as a pre-requisite to any surgery, which would have otherwise been considered mutilation under the law. While gender-affirming surgery was later carried out, it was not a pre-requisite for legal gender recognition.
The state of affairs was not regulated by law, but others were known to have been given authorization by the same medical expert committee to change their legal data.
This was ended in around 1994, since the Ministry of Social Affairs and Ministry of the Interior could not agree on whether surgery should be a pre-requisite for legal gender recognition. During that time, legal gender recognition was not possible.
This stand-off eventually resulted in the 1997 decree not requiring surgery for legal gender recognition, in exchange for the relevant minister signing off on every transgender person requesting such recognition.
Her birth certificate was corrected on this date, this was viewed as a pre-requisite to any surgery, which would have otherwise been considered mutilation under the law. While gender-affirming surgery was later carried out, it was not a pre-requisite for legal gender recognition.
The state of affairs was not regulated by law, but others were known to have been given authorization by the same medical expert committee to change their legal data.
This was ended in around 1994, since the Ministry of Social Affairs and Ministry of the Interior could not agree on whether surgery should be a pre-requisite for legal gender recognition. During that time, legal gender recognition was not possible.
This stand-off eventually resulted in the 1997 decree not requiring surgery for legal gender recognition, in exchange for the relevant minister signing off on every transgender person requesting such recognition.
Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Estonia is not legally recognized.
Current status
Not legally recognized
Non-binary gender is not legally recognized.
LGBT discrimination in Estonia is illegal.
Current status
Since Jan 1, 2009
Since Jan 1, 2009
Illegal
Discrimination of people based on sexual orientation, race, sex, and others is illegal.
LGBT employment discrimination in Estonia is sexual orientation and gender identity.
Current status
Since Jan 1, 2009
Since Jan 1, 2009
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Rejecting job applications due to sexual orientation, race, sex and others is illegal.
LGBT housing discrimination in Estonia is sexual orientation and gender identity.
Current status
Since Jan 1, 2009
Since Jan 1, 2009
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Under Estonian law.
Same-sex adoption in Estonia is legal.
Current status
Since Jan 1, 2024
Since Jan 1, 2024
Legal
Estonia's parliament approved a law to legalise same-sex marriage as well as joint adoption by same-sex couples. The law will take effect on January 1, 2024.
Step-child adoption only
In February of 2017, a lesbian woman successfully adopted her partner’s child. Since then, many other same-sex couples adopted their partners child.
In 2020 a same-sex couple adopted a child.
Theoretically, infertile couples may be able to jointly adopt non-biological but it is unclear if this applies to same-sex couples.
In 2020 a same-sex couple adopted a child.
Theoretically, infertile couples may be able to jointly adopt non-biological but it is unclear if this applies to same-sex couples.
Until Feb 2017
Single only
Serving openly in military in Estonia is legal.
Current status
Legal
Serving openly in the military is legal.
Conversion therapy in Estonia is not banned.
Current status
Since Sep 1, 2017
Since Sep 1, 2017
Not banned
Not criminalized in the country, but is not encouraged by any public services. Accessibility is very low due to high atheism.
Until 2024
N/A
Not criminalized in the country and not encouraged by any services. Availability is nonexistent.
LGBT Rights by County
View the LGBT laws in each individual county of Estonia.