Submission of application
A marriage can be dissolved upon the mutual agreement of the spouses in the county town local authority if, according to the population register, the residence of both spouses is in Estonia, and Estonian law is applied to the divorce.
In order to divorce, the spouses shall personally submit a joint written application for divorce on the spot at the Population Facts Department of the Tartu City Government (Tiigi 12, Tartu). In order to submit the application for divorce, the presence of both spouses is required. You must bring along identity documents.
Reception times
Mon 9–12 and 14.00–17.30
Tues 12–16
Wed 9–12 and 13–16
Thu Closed
Fri 9-12 and 13-16
To submit an application, please book an appointment in advance online or by calling 742-0632 and, if possible, please submit a pre-filled application for divorce when appearing in person.
Joint application for divorce (in Estonian)
Joint application for divorce (same-sex couples) (in Estonian)
Separate application for divorce (in Estonian)
A document certifying the conclusion of the marriage must be submitted if it has not been entered in the population register.
When granting a divorce at a vital statistics office, issues of property law or joint child custody are not resolved, only the termination of marriage is formalised.
If at least one spouse is not living in Estonia according to the population register, the marriage shall be dissolved by a notary public.
If the spouses argue about the divorce or the circumstances surrounding the divorce, the marriage shall be dissolved in court.
If a spouse cannot appear with good reason at a vital statistics office in person for submission of a joint application, he or she may submit a separate notarially authenticated application.
Upon accepting an application, a vital statistics official shall determine the date of divorce which shall be communicated to both spouses. It is possible to dissolve a marriage one to three months after submitting the application for divorce.
The application for divorce can be withdrawn or the date of divorce can be changed until the date of the divorce. In order to amend or withdraw the application for divorce, a written application signed by both parties or digitally signed must be submitted.
If the spouses fail to appear at the vital statistics office on the determined date to divorce without giving a reason for their failure to appear, they shall be deemed not to have submitted an application for divorce.
Additional information: Siiri Sinijärv, tel: 742-0632; e-mail:[email protected]
READ MORE
About divorce on the website of the Ministry of the Interior
Surname after divorce
In the event of a divorce, the vital statistics office may restore the pre-marital surname of the person on the basis of the application submitted by the person, otherwise the surname held by the person during the marriage will be preserved.
The surname to be restored can be the surname last borne before the divorce, the last last name used before the first marriage or registered cohabitation after which the marriage was concluded.
Divorce
Divorce is possible one to three months after filing the petition for divorce on a specified date.
If the spouses are unable to appear at the vital statistics office on the determined date with good reason, they shall notify the vital statistics office thereof and the vital statistics office shall determine a new date for divorce.
The marriage shall be dissolved in the presence of both spouses.
A divorce may be granted without the presence of one spouse if the spouse cannot appear at a vital statistics office with good reason and the consent of the spouse to the divorce without the presence of the spouse which is authenticated by a notary is submitted.
To certify the divorce, a divorce certificate is issued and a divorce entry is made in the population register.
State fee and the payment thereof
A state fee of EUR 50 must be paid for making a divorce entry, and it must be paid before the application is submitted.
It is possible to pay on the spot using a bank card at the self-service checkout or in the Internet bank.
Recipient: Ministry of Finance
SEB Pank EE891010220034796011
Swedbank EE932200221023778606
Luminor Bank EE701700017001577198
Reference number 10294002000134
When making the payment, indicate in the explanation: divorce entry and the surname(s) of the spouses