Waste handling in Estonia

A business that collects, transports, recovers, disposes of, brokers or deals in waste in Estonia needs either an environmental permit for waste handling or a registration with the Environmental Board (Keskkonnaamet), depending on the activity⁹¹¹¹⁴. The separate hazardous waste handling licence was abolished³; recovery or disposal of hazardous waste in the course of business needs a waste permit¹¹ and a financial guarantee¹⁸.

Information as of 11 November 2026. Every numbered statement of this page was checked in the official text named below and re-checked by a second reviewer on 2026-11-11. The page is general information, not legal advice; the authority decides on every application.

What the activity is

The Waste Act (jäätmeseadus, JäätS) defines waste handling as the collection, transport, recovery (including sorting) and disposal of waste, including brokering or dealing in waste¹.

Hazardous waste is waste that may be dangerous to human health, property or the environment because of at least one hazardous property listed in the annex to Commission Regulation (EU) No 1357/2014².

No waste permit is needed by a private person handling their own household waste, or by the Rescue Board (Päästeamet) for collecting and transporting waste from rescue or demining work⁴. For the transfrontier shipment of waste under Regulation (EC) No 1013/2006, the Environmental Board is the competent authority⁵.

The legal act and the authority

Waste Act (Jäätmeseadus) — chapter 6 sets out the waste permit (jäätmeluba) and the registration of waste handlers (jäätmekäitleja registreerimine). Under the Act, an "environmental protection permit" means a waste permit, an integrated permit or a waste handler registration⁶.
General Part of the Environmental Code Act (keskkonnaseadustiku üldosa seadus, KeÜS) — the waste permit is an environmental permit (keskkonnaluba) for waste handling; KeÜS sets the general rules on the application, refusal, content and time limits⁷. An environmental permit is not issued for an activity that needs an integrated environmental permit (keskkonnakompleksluba)⁸.
State Fees Act (riigilõivuseadus, RLS)²⁹.

The Environmental Board issues the waste permit and makes the registration⁹. Applications are filed and handled in the environmental decisions information system (keskkonnaotsuste infosüsteem); permits are published there, and registrations are entered there with a registration certificate issued through it¹⁰.

The hazardous waste handling licence (ohtlike jäätmete käitluslitsents) was abolished: chapter 7 of the Waste Act, which provided for it, was repealed with effect from 1 January 2020, and the state fee for it was repealed from 1 July 2020³.

Who must apply

A waste permit is needed for¹¹:

disposal of waste;
recovery of waste;
recovery or disposal of hazardous waste in the course of business;
recovery or disposal of metal waste in the course of business;
operating a waste facility (jäätmehoidla) or a landfill (prügila);
aftercare of a landfill or waste facility.

A permit is needed for each handling site or installation separately¹², and waste may be handled only at the place set in the permit or registration¹³.

A registration with the Environmental Board is needed by a person who¹⁴:

collects waste in their business or profession;
transports waste in their business or profession;
arranges the recovery or disposal of waste on behalf of others as a broker;
acts as a waste dealer;
is exempted from the waste permit by a ministerial regulation on certain types and quantities of non-hazardous waste¹⁵.

The Environmental Board requires a waste permit instead of a registration if the activity needs additional conditions because of an environmental risk¹⁶.

Main exemptions named in the Act. No waste permit is needed by a holder of an integrated permit for that activity, and by state and educational institutions using waste in exercises on terms agreed with the Environmental Board⁴. No registration is needed, among others, by a holder of a waste or integrated permit for that activity, by a carrier that only delivers a consignment as instructed (unless crossing the state border), by a seller taking back problem-product or medicine waste under a legal obligation, and by a legal person treating up to one tonne a year of its own biowaste on site¹⁷.

Requirements for the applicant

Financial guarantees.

A person recovering or disposing of hazardous waste must have a guarantee or financial security from an EEA (European Economic Area) bank, financial institution or insurer covering clean-up of accidental pollution. Its size is M = 255 euros × annual tonnage / 52, but not less than 6,400 euros and not more than 320,000 euros a year; for transport of hazardous waste it must cover at least 6,400 euros. It must exist for as long as the hazardous waste is handled¹⁸.
An applicant whose permit or registration includes storage of waste must provide a storage guarantee (guarantee or deposit) of at least 115 percent of the expected cost of handling the stored waste, unless one of the exceptions listed in the Act applies; storage without it is prohibited¹⁹.

Responsible person. For hazardous waste handling, or for operating a landfill or waste facility, the applicant names the natural person responsible for the technical and environmental operation and files documents on that person's duties, responsibility and competence; training and competence requirements are set by ministerial regulation, and qualifications obtained abroad may be recognised²⁰.

Good repute. A permit is refused if the applicant has an undeleted punishment for an environmental crime, or two or more for environmental misdemeanours²¹. For hazardous waste, repeated punishment of the applicant or the responsible person for an environmental offence is a refusal ground²². For metal waste, a permit is refused if the sole proprietor or a member of the management or supervisory board has committed an environmental, property or economic crime whose record has not been deleted²³.

Hazardous waste systems. The applicant describes its management system and staff duties, emergency risks and measures, and confirms it can issue digitally signed waybills¹⁸.

Other. The Board refuses a permit if the activity is materially contrary to the environmental action plan or the local waste plan²⁴. For metal waste, cash settlement when buying or reselling is prohibited²⁵. Whether anti-money-laundering rules apply is specified for the client's situation.

Documents filed with the application

Waste permit — the general KeÜS data (applicant, purpose and description of the activity, location and environmental nuisance, technology, risk measures, monitoring plan), a site plan and proof of the right to use the land if not owned²⁶. The Waste Act adds²⁷:

types and quantities of waste handled per calendar year;
waste resulting from the process and its further handling;
handling operations, technology, technical units, annual volumes and capacity;
maximum storage quantity and a map of stored waste, with the expected time to recovery or disposal;
prevention, health and environmental measures, including an aftercare plan;
a comparison with best available techniques.

For hazardous waste, add the management system description, the guarantee, the emergency explanations and the waybill confirmation¹⁸; for waste from problem products, data proving the recovery and recycling targets are met²⁷.

Registration — applicant details; place and type of activity; waste types and annual quantities (not for transport only); technology and equipment; operation code; right to use the site; capacities and storage; requested validity; counties of collection or transport; and, for hazardous waste, competence and guarantee documents²⁸.

State fee and processing time

State fee for reviewing an environmental permit application for waste handling: 1,990 euros, or 2,980 euros for hazardous waste handling²⁹. Micro-enterprises pay 50 percent and large enterprises 125 percent; an application covering two or more activities pays 80 percent of the sum of the rates; an amendment costs 50 percent of the rate, but adding a new activity by amendment costs the full rate²⁹. The fee is paid before the application is filed³⁰. The transfrontier shipment permit costs 520 euros³¹. Whether a state fee applies to the waste handler registration is specified for the client's situation.

Time limits (KeÜS § 49) — an environmental permit is decided within 90 days of a compliant application, or within 30 days where it is decided without the open procedure; time spent correcting deficiencies is not counted, and the Board may extend the limit³³. For a registration, the Board checks the application within ten working days and decides within 30 days of a compliant application; a registration is not deemed granted if the deadline passes³⁴.

These are the law's time limits, not a promise of a decision date. A permit and a registration are issued without a time limit unless one of the statutory exceptions applies, such as a request for a fixed term³⁵.

What LexorCorp Global does and how to order

LexorCorp Global OÜ prepares the application documents for the waste permit or registration from the act's official text and manages the process with the Environmental Board, including written follow-up of its questions. We do not give legal or tax advice and do not carry out audits. The Environmental Board decides on the permit or registration; we cannot promise the outcome or a date.

The price is given on request; see Licensed activities in Estonia for how to request it.

Sources

JäätS § 13 — text in force from 01.07.2026 (RT I, 12.05.2026, 33)
JäätS § 6(1) — text in force from 01.07.2026 (RT I, 12.05.2026, 33)
JäätS ch 7 (§§ 99–103²); RLS § 127 — text in force from 01.07.2026 (RT I, 12.05.2026, 33); 01.11.2026 (RT I, 21.10.2026, 10)
JäätS § 73(4) — text in force from 01.07.2026 (RT I, 12.05.2026, 33)
JäätS § 108(2), § 110(2) — text in force from 01.07.2026 (RT I, 12.05.2026, 33)
JäätS § 2¹(3²) — text in force from 01.07.2026 (RT I, 12.05.2026, 33)
KeÜS § 40(2), § 41(1) p 3 — text in force from 01.09.2026 (RT I, 09.07.2026, 21)
KeÜS § 41(3) — text in force from 01.09.2026 (RT I, 09.07.2026, 21)
JäätS § 76(1), § 98⁷(1); KeÜS § 41(5) — text in force from 01.07.2026 (RT I, 12.05.2026, 33)
KeÜS § 40¹(1) p 2 and 4, § 58(5); JäätS § 98⁸(1), § 98¹⁰(3) — text in force from 01.09.2026 (RT I, 09.07.2026, 21); 01.07.2026 (RT I, 12.05.2026, 33)
JäätS § 73(2) — text in force from 01.07.2026 (RT I, 12.05.2026, 33)
JäätS § 77(4) — text in force from 01.07.2026 (RT I, 12.05.2026, 33)
JäätS § 19(4) — text in force from 01.07.2026 (RT I, 12.05.2026, 33)
JäätS § 98⁷(2) — text in force from 01.07.2026 (RT I, 12.05.2026, 33)
JäätS § 98⁷(2) p 1, § 73(5) — text in force from 01.07.2026 (RT I, 12.05.2026, 33)
JäätS § 98⁷(4) — text in force from 01.07.2026 (RT I, 12.05.2026, 33)
JäätS § 98⁷(3) — text in force from 01.07.2026 (RT I, 12.05.2026, 33)
JäätS § 98⁵(1)–(6) — text in force from 01.07.2026 (RT I, 12.05.2026, 33); (6) from 01.09.2025
JäätS § 98³(1), (3), (4), (5) — text in force from 01.07.2026 (RT I, 12.05.2026, 33)
JäätS § 78(3)–(5) — text in force from 01.07.2026 (RT I, 12.05.2026, 33)
KeÜS § 52(1) p 1¹ — text in force from 01.09.2026 (RT I, 09.07.2026, 21)
JäätS § 98⁶ p 3 — text in force from 01.07.2026 (RT I, 12.05.2026, 33)
JäätS § 89 — text in force from 01.07.2026 (RT I, 12.05.2026, 33)
JäätS § 83(1) — text in force from 01.07.2026 (RT I, 12.05.2026, 33)
JäätS § 107 — text in force from 01.07.2026 (RT I, 12.05.2026, 33)
KeÜS § 42(1), (3) — text in force from 01.09.2026 (RT I, 09.07.2026, 21)
JäätS § 78(1)–(2) — text in force from 01.07.2026 (RT I, 12.05.2026, 33)
JäätS § 98⁸(1), (5) — text in force from 01.07.2026 (RT I, 12.05.2026, 33)
RLS § 136²(1)–(6) — text in force from 01.11.2026 (RT I, 21.10.2026, 10)
KeÜS § 42(4) — text in force from 01.09.2026 (RT I, 09.07.2026, 21)
RLS § 128 — text in force from 01.11.2026 (RT I, 21.10.2026, 10)
KeÜS § 49(1), (1¹), (2), (5) — text in force from 01.09.2026 (RT I, 09.07.2026, 21)
JäätS § 98⁸(4), § 98¹⁰(1) — text in force from 01.07.2026 (RT I, 12.05.2026, 33)
KeÜS § 53(2); JäätS § 98¹² — text in force from 01.09.2026 (RT I, 09.07.2026, 21); 01.07.2026 (RT I, 12.05.2026, 33)

Official sources

The laws this article names, each linked to its official text, as read on 9 October 2026. For the Estonian acts we read the English translation in Riigi Teataja; the legally binding text is the Estonian one.

State Fees Act — Riigi Teataja, English translation

Sources in the text are named without links; the official texts are linked under Official sources. To see which of our services your company needs, open the Business Navigator.

Waste handling in Estonia: waste permit and waste handler registration