Expat Women Living in Estonia

Bring warm clothes (including three coats – one for rain, one for cold weather, and one for very cold weather – and good boots). FYI: the women here tend to dress for style, not for the weather.

Bring your mobile phone that uses a SIM card, as you won't be able to sign a contract with a phone company here until you have a work/residency/study permit. But you can buy Simpel cards that give you a local phone number and pre-paid minutes to make calls.

If you plan to bring a pet, call your veterinarian 3-4 months before you move to start making plans. The blood tests can take a while and the forms are time-sensitive, so everything needs to be timed just right. And make sure everything is arranged with your airline. Pets cannot fly in the cargo area if outside temperatures are very hot or cold, but small pets can be with you in the cabin at any time of year.

If you're shipping personal belongings, there are affordable options out there. I spent under $1,000(US) to ship clothes, kitchen stuff, artwork, books, etc. The downside was that it took around two months to get here. Most shippers offer insurance based upon the estimated value of your goods. But don't value your things too high, because customs will try to charge you an import tax (they'll assume that you intend to resell those items). Check the limit with the shipper.

Be prepared to take the initiative with people here. Estonians have a live and let live policy toward strangers with a bit of suspicion thrown in for good measure. If you want friends, you'll have to be somewhat aggressive. I recommend having a support system in place with friends and family in your country of origin to get you through lonely and rough patches. They say the first six months is the hardest.