General application procedure and requirements

Who can apply?

• Students of bachelor's, master's and PhD programmes
• Minors who wish to participate in a summer course must have the parents' or guardians' written permission.
• Adults who wish to take the course but are currently not studying.

NB! Citizens of the Russian Federation who, under the legislation of the Republic of Estonia, cannot apply for a short-stay visa are not eligible to apply to UniTartu Summer School 2026. If you are a Schengen visa or residence permit holder in the EU, you can apply for the UniTartu Summer School.

According to the current legislation, citizens of Belarus can apply for an Estonian short-term visa and are therefore eligible to apply to the UniTartu Summer School.

Which summer course to choose?

Please see the list of available courses on our front page. On each course´s website, you will find a full overview of the programme, the specific requirements for applying and an application guide.

When can I apply?

Application for admission in 2026 (with studies starting on 27 July) is open during the following period:

20 March 2026 – 20 April 2026.

Can I apply for more than one summer course?

It is possible to apply for up to two summer courses. In that case, you will only need to pay the application fee (25€) once and fill in two separate application forms (you will need to present different motivation letters). Please note that you can only take part in one summer course at a time, as all of the courses will be taking place at the same time.

How do I apply?

To attend a course, learners have to register according to the instructions given in the course description. Generally, registration is done through the online registration form in the course description. If this fails for some reason, one can register with the contact person of the UniTartu Summer School team by phone or e-mail.

Do I need to have any qualifications?

Usually, there are no limitations for attending continuing education courses, but sometimes earlier training, work experience, working in a concrete position, etc., may be required; therefore, additional documents can be asked for at registration. In such cases, this is written in the course information.

What is included in the course fee?

• Study materials (online and on-site)
• 5-10 days of academic work with lecturers
• 3-4 ECTS (sometimes with additional assignments after the summer school)
• 3-5 cultural events in the evenings, depending on course length

Which personal information do I need to present?

At registration, we collect the following data on the learner (they are processed according to the Data Protection Policy of the university):

• learner’s full name and personal code;
• phone, e-mail address, contact address and postcode;
• study institution or place of work (if necessary, e.g. for courses of educational staff);
• data of the payer (name of the person/institution, personal/registry code and address);
• emergency person's information;
• in the case of minors, the contact information of both parents or guardians.

The candidate has to upload electronic copies of all required documents to their online application. Only complete online applications will be considered by the Admissions Committee.

Which documents do I need to submit?

Before submitting your online application, please make sure which documents need to be submitted and when by consulting the requirements of the course.

Educational certificates

You will need to present a transcript of your academic records. It can be a scanned document.

Copy of Passport

In order to apply, you will need to upload a copy of your passport or ID-card issued to you by your country. You can upload a simple scanned document.

Motivational Letter

Motivation letter (up to 1 page) that demonstrates the applicant’s motivation to participate, his/her expectations about the programme, how participation in the summer course relates to his/her studies and interests, and how the applicant plans to use the gained experience and knowledge in the future.

Receiving feedback

Submitted applications will be reviewed by the UniTartu Summer School team and course leaders, and you will receive feedback after the application period has ended. If the application is complete, you will either be accepted to the course or not, based on the documents you presented in your application. If your application is not complete, you will receive feedback regarding the missing documents (including the deadline for submitting them). You can send the missing documents via email. You will receive an email if you have accepted to the summer course.

Refusal to allow attendance

The university can refuse to approve the applicant if the person does not meet the requirements set in the continuing education programme or the course syllabus, the maximum number of learners has been reached, or the person owes the university the tuition fee.

Cancellation of studies

If you find that you cannot attend the course after registration, we ask you to inform the UniTartu Summer School team or course leader by e-mail immediately.

Formation of the study group

Please note that the University of Tartu can cancel the course if after the application deadline there are not enough participants to open the course.

The university can interrupt the continuous education learner’s studies at its own initiative if the learner:

• does not follow the legal acts of the university, generally recognised norms of behaviour and good practice, including if s/he has committed academic fraud.

• has not fulfilled the requirements for completion of the continuing education programme or syllabus of the degree course.

If the learner wishes to have proof of participation after being removed from the course, s/he will need to present a written request. If the participant has not completed the course, s/he will receive proof of participation (not a certificate) according to the days/hours s/he attended the course. This document will only be given out upon request.

Completion of studies and issuing of final documents

The studies are considered complete once the learner has fulfilled all the requirements for completion of the continuing education programme. The results of the learners' studies are recorded in the Study Information System, and the learners are issued a certificate of completion.

If a student is a citizen of an EU country, the US, or Canada, no entry visa is required to enter Estonia. There are many other countries whose citizens do not need an entry visa. If you are not certain whether you need a (multiple) short-term Schengen visa, please check the official page of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

NB! Before you apply for the visa, be sure to have a valid travel document which has been issued within the previous 10 years, contains at least two blank pages for the visa(s) and is valid at least 3 months after the expiration date of the visa.

Application Steps for the UniTartu Summer School and Short-Term Schengen Visa

Fill out the online application with additional documentation as soon as possible. After we accept your application, you will receive the written Conditional Acceptance and invoice for the course fee. You are required to make the full payment of the course fee. Once the payment is received, the university will issue an official Acceptance letter, which enables you to obtain the visa from the nearest (Estonian) Embassy. Please note that the visa application process may take longer than a month.

If you need additional information about the procedure, please contact the staff of the UniTartu Summer School or your nearest (Estonian) Embassy.

To take part in UniTartu Summer School courses, it is recommended to have at least a B2 level of English. You do not need to present any proof of English proficiency. However, as all of the courses are held in English, having a lower level than B2 might lead to not being able to complete all of the tasks which are required to complete the course.

If you do not know your level of English proficiency, you can take a free online test.

NB! The UniTartu Summer School admission committee might interview the applicants regarding their interest in the summer courses. The interview will take place online (Zoom, Google Meet, or a similar platform).

The students who are under 18 years old can participate in the UniTartu Summer School if the course is suitable for them. The UniTartu Summer School does not take responsibility for the underaged participants. It is highly recommended that you come with a parent or guardian.

Some flight companies prohibit underaged students from travelling alone. In Estonia, some of the accommodation facilities do not allow underaged students to stay in their accommodation without a guardian. All of the travel and accommodation arrangements must be done by the student or their guardian.

NB! The UniTartu Summer School organisation team members will contact the applicant who is underaged separately. The student must present an official agreement from their parent or guardian that he/she is allowed to take part in summer school.

All of the applicants are required to pay a non-refundable application fee of EUR 25. An application (including education documents) will only be processed after the University has received the fee.

You can pay the application fee by bank transfer with the following bank details:

ACCOUNT HOLDER: University of Tartu
ADDRESS: Ülikooli 18, 50090 Tartu, Estonia
IBAN (account no): EE281010102000234007
DESCRIPTION: WDDIC, applicant´s first and last name (as it appears in passport and in online application), name of the programme
AMOUNT: €25
BANK NAME: SEB Pank AS, Tornimäe 2, 15010 Tallinn
SWIFT/BIC: EEUHEE2X

You can pay the application fee by credit card on the following link: Application fee payment

Important to know before paying the application fee

• make sure you are able to submit all required documents by the application deadline before paying the application fee
• download the payment receipt and attach it to the online application;
• paying the application fee alone does not grant the right to enter into competition; all other necessary documents must be submitted by the given deadline as well
• paying the fee of EUR 25 enables you to choose two summer courses at a maximum. In order to apply for two summer courses, you must fill in the application form twice (for each course separately). All applicants are expected to give careful attention to the admission requirements of the chosen course(s) prior to making the payment.
• the university will not refund payments made in error
• unsuccessful applications which are resubmitted in the following admission period are not exempt from the requirement to pay the application fee
• you can pay by credit card or bank transfer

Read more about the application fee payment (click here).

The basis for establishing the tuition fee and invoicing is Procedure for Establishing, Invoicing and Exempting from Tuition Fees for Continuing Education (click here).

Paying for continuing education

The price of the summer courses is shown in the summer course information. The tuition fee is paid to the current account of the University of Tartu according to the invoice issued by the university. The invoice is issued when the learner has been accepted for the course. Please find all of the payment details on the course fee payment website (click here).

Adding VAT to the tuition fee

VAT is not added to the tuition fee.

Refunding of tuition fees in the case of cancellation or interruption of studies

If a continuing education student is unable to attend the summer course for any reason, they must submit an application to the university in a written format that can be duplicated.

Terms of Cancellation and Refund

• If you wish to cancel your participation, you must inform the UniTartu Summer School team by writing to email: [email protected].

• 90% of the course fee will be refunded if you cancel participation and apply for a refund at least 30 days before the start of the summer course.

• If you inform us of your cancellation less than 30 days before the start of the summer course, no refund will be issued.

• If the University of Tartu has to cancel the summer course due to unforeseen circumstances, you will be informed within one month after the application deadline at the latest. We will fully refund the course fee or offer a substitute summer course. Please note that the university cannot take any responsibility for covering personal travel costs. Thus, we recommend getting insurance coverage.

• The university reserves the right to claim the summer course fee in accordance with the above-mentioned terms if you have received a Letter of Acceptance and cancel the participation without written notice.

NB! The same policy applies if you are forced to cancel your participation because you did not receive a visa.

Management of the Refund

• To apply for the refund, please send a request with the relevant bank data via email to the UniTartu Summer School team.

• A refund will be made to the person/institution who paid the course fee.

Please note that if there are not enough participants for the course, the University of Tartu will have to cancel it. In this case, the person who made the payment will receive a full refund.

Resolving of disputes

Disputes arising from paying the tuition fee are resolved by negotiations. If an agreement cannot be reached, the dispute is resolved in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Estonia. The university is entitled to assign debt claims arising from unpaid tuition fees to debt collection companies.

Please note that some social events are not included in the course fee. In order to participate in the events that are not included in the tuition fee, you have to register and pay the event fee before the course takes place.

More information about the cultural event fee payment can be found here.

Full tuition fee scholarship

The University of Tartu offers 4 full tuition waivers (scholarships) for motivated students. The scholarship can be used only to cover the course fee. Accommodation, transport and daily expenses are not covered.

Each scholarship covers the full course fee for its respective programme. The selection process is going to be based on the motivation letter and the GPA. In order to apply for the scholarship, please submit your application to the summer course and fill out the separate scholarship form.

More information and the application form are on the UniTartu Summer School Full Tuition Scholarship webpage.

ENLIGHT scholarships

The University of Tartu offers 10 scholarships for students from ENLIGHT partner universities. The scholarship can be used only to cover the course fee. Accommodation, transport and daily expenses are not covered.

Scholarships are available for the students (and teacher training lecturers) from:

• University of the Basque Country (Spain);
• University of Bern (Switzerland);
• University of Bordeaux (France);
• Comenius University Bratislava (Slovakia);
• University of Galway (Ireland);
• Ghent University (Belgium);
• University of Göttingen (Germany);
• University of Groningen (Netherlands);
• University of Tartu (Estonia);
• Uppsala University (Sweden).

In order to apply for the scholarship please submit your application for the summer course and fill in a separate scholarship form.

More information and the application form are on the ENLIGHT scholarship page.

Are there any other options?

Short-term blended mobility for students under Erasmus+ Europe

NB! This does not apply to every course. Please contact your home university's International Office to find out if this applies to your university studies.

Erasmus+ mobility in higher education between Erasmus+ programme countries - students can participate in exchange studies or go for a traineeship in programme countries such as Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Spain, Netherlands, Croatia, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, Latvia, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, France, Republic of North-Macedonia, Sweden, Romania, Germany, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Finland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Turkey, Hungary. In some cases it is possible to join UniTartu Summer School with the Erasmus+ funding. For more information please contact your study institution.

Erasmus+ blended mobility is a short-term physical mobility combined with a virtual activity:

• 5-30 days of physical (on-site) mobility carried out abroad (studies or traineeship);
• Preceded or followed by the virtual part of the mobility carried out remotely;
• must award a minimum of 3 ECTS credits;
• can be carried out for studies or traineeship.

These rules apply to both course fee payments and cultural event fees.

Terms of Cancellation and Refund

• If you wish to cancel your participation, you must inform the UniTartu Summer School team via [email protected].
• 90% of the programme fee will be refunded if you cancel participation and apply for a refund at least 30 days before the start of the programme.
• If you inform us of your cancellation less than 30 days before the start of the programme, no refund will be issued.
• If the University of Tartu has to cancel the programme due to unforeseen circumstances, you will be informed within two weeks after the application deadline. We will fully refund the programme fee or offer a substitute summer course. Please note that the university cannot take any responsibility for covering personal travel costs. Thus, we recommend getting insurance coverage.
• The university reserves the right to claim the programme fee in accordance with the above-mentioned terms if you have received a Letter of Acceptance and cancel the participation without written notice.

NB! The same policy applies if you are forced to cancel because you did not receive a visa.

Management of the Refund

• To apply for the refund, please send a written request with the relevant bank data to the email: [email protected].
• A refund will be made to the person/institution who paid the course fee.

In connection with an amendment to the Income Tax Act, starting from 2016, income tax can only be reclaimed for training expenses (courses) which curriculum aims at achieving vocational, professional, or specialised competence as described in the curriculum of a degree programme. UniTartu Summer School offers continuing education courses which are not offered within bachelor or master level degree programmes.

The UniTartu Summer School courses are not tax-refundable thus you cannot apply for a tax refund to reclaim the income tax.

Each programme may contain lectures, seminars, study trips and independent study.

Responsibility for the content of each course lies with the respective university department and the responsible professor/lecturer of the course. Each course meets the academic requirements of the University of Tartu.

Students will receive course materials in the form of printed handouts or via e-mail during the lectures. Students are expected to work independently with the course materials as directed by the professors. If the course requires readings to be completed prior to the start of the programme, references to the materials will be sent in advance to each participant.

Each participant will be awarded a certificate if he/she fulfils the attendance requirements and, if required, passes tests or/and submits the written assignment.

Credits and ECTS - European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System

Upon successful completion of the chosen UniTartu Summer School programme, students will receive the Certificate of Completion and an Academic Transcript awarding the official academic credits by the University of Tartu. The certificate can be given out on paper upon request. Otherwise, it is issued electronically.

According to the European academic credit system applied by the University of Tartu, 1 ECTS credit equals 26 hours of study, which includes contact hours with the instructor in lectures and seminars, independent work and practical studies. In addition to the classroom work, the participants of the summer programmes are required to participate in the afternoon meetings and field trips designed by the programme managers - which constitute part of the required study.

As Estonia is part of the European Union, all the University of Tartu credits are fully transferable to any university in the world that recognises university studies within the European Union. Each student needs to check with their university study abroad advisor prior to arrival how ECTS credits transfer into their national system of credit points.

NB! All of the UniTartu Summer School courses will be graded with "pass/fail."

Two weeks prior to the start of the programme, it will be sent to all participants. This file contains the programme managers' daily schedule and relevant contact information.

Please note that participants of the summer programme are responsible for their travel arrangements to the city where the programme starts as well as departure from the city where the programme ends. Please check Tartu's arrival and housing information.