What are the opening hours?

Monday 09:00 - 16:00 Tuesday 09:00 - 16:00 Wednesday 09:00 - 16:00 Thursday 09:00 - 18:00 Friday 09:00 - 16:00

Tartu Welcome Centre

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Tartu Welcome Centre

Free advice, ID code and residence registration support for newcomers in Tartu.

08/10/2026

🎨 Looking for some free art in Tartu?

You don’t always need a museum ticket to enjoy art in the city. Several galleries currently have exhibitions that are free of charge – and most can be enjoyed regardless of how much Estonian you speak.

Here are a few places to explore:

🔸 Gallery Pallas – Tartu Art School 75
Three exhibitions on three floors celebrate the 75th anniversary of Tartu Art School, including works by nearly 100 alumni.
📅 Until 17 October
📍 Riia 11

🔸 Aparaaditehas – several exhibitions in one visit!
At KETT Gallery, Ukrainian artist Denys Kulikov’s exhibition I’m My Own Executioner and Lunch combines illustration, painting, collage and sculpture.
📅 Until 18 October

At Kogo Gallery, Anna Mari Liivrand’s The Woo of Coiling Paths brings together sculpture, stained glass, found objects and botanical motifs.
📅 Until 24 October

And at Redwall Gallery, you can see two exhibitions: Maris & Helmi: OUT OF OFFICE by Maris Tammer and Helmi Arrak, and Mirjam Siim’s watercolour exhibition Portable Home.
📍 Kastani 42, Aparaaditehas

🔸 Ainola Centre Gallery – Paberitski
Those Living on the Verge of Disappearance features detailed ink drawings of species protected in Estonia – bringing together art and nature in a particularly beautiful way.
📅 Until 15 November
📍 Jaani 4

So if you have been meaning to discover more of Tartu’s art scene, October is a very good time to start. 😊

🎟 All of these exhibitions are free of charge.
👉 Check Tartu Culture Window for opening hours and more information before your visit.

Credit: Hendrik Kuusk

07/10/2026

🇬🇧 This post is in Russian because the seminar is intended for Ukrainian citizens and will be held in Russian.

🇺🇦 Приглашаем граждан Украины на информационный семинар!

Консультанты по миграции Департамента полиции и погранохраны продолжают встречи с гражданами Украины.

Ближайший семинар состоится 21 октября с 14:00 до 16:00. На встрече мы ответим на вопросы, связанные с пребыванием и проживанием в Эстонии, в том числе с подачей заявлений на вид на жительство, продлением временной защиты и другими миграционными темами.

📍 Место проведения: Tartu Welcome Centre, Ülikooli 17, Tartu
💬 Язык семинара: русский.

Количество мест ограничено - 25 участников, поэтому рекомендуем зарегистрироваться заранее.

Для участия в информационном семинаре просим зарегистрироваться, заполнив регистрационную форму, доступную по этой ссылке: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf9v0t_NSVx5-7uq7-qC5TLd5tWGxjS-t-ixMRrpETgDf0Bvw/viewform?pli=1

Делитесь приглашением с теми, кому эта информация может быть полезна. До встречи!

Credit: Ketlin Lääts

05/10/2026

🎻 Ever wondered what happens at a symphony orchestra rehearsal?

Tonight, the University of Tartu Symphony Orchestra is opening its regular Monday rehearsal to everyone!

Come and see how an orchestra works behind the scenes, listen to the rehearsal and get a glimpse of what happens before the music reaches the concert stage. You definitely don’t need to be a musician yourself – everyone is welcome. 😊

And there is an extra bonus: the rehearsal takes place in the beautiful Assembly Hall of the University of Tartu Main Building, so it is also a wonderful opportunity to see this historic space from the inside.

📅 Monday, 5 October
🕡 18:30–21:00
📍 University of Tartu Main Building, Assembly Hall, Ülikooli 18
💬 Estonian & English
🎟 Free of charge
🔗 More information:
https://kultuuriaken.tartu.ee/en/event/open-rehearsal-university-tartu-symphony-orchestra?event=215423

A lovely way to spend a Monday evening and experience a little piece of Tartu’s university and cultural life! 🎶

Credit: Krista Tomson

30/09/2026

📌 A little reminder for international students who arrived in Tartu this semester!

If you are an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen and plan to stay in Estonia for longer than three months, you need to register your place of residence in Estonia no later than three months after your arrival.

If you arrived in the second half of August, around half of those three months have already passed – so now is a good time to take care of it rather than leave it until the last moment. 😊

When registering your residence, you will also receive an Estonian personal identification code if you do not already have one.

And some good news: the busiest start-of-semester weeks at Tartu Welcome Centre are now behind us, so you can get these formalities done much more comfortably.

👉 EU/EEA and Swiss citizens:
Please bring:
🪪 a valid identity document
📄 your signed rental agreement – a digitally signed agreement is also fine

👉 Students and other newcomers from non-EU countries:
You can apply for an Estonian personal identification code at Tartu Welcome Centre if you need one. Your Estonian place of residence can be registered after you receive your temporary residence permit (TRP).

💡 And while you are here, we can help with a couple of other useful things too.

If you are a student at the University of Tartu or the Estonian University of Life Sciences, we can link your Estonian personal identification code to the university system.

We can also personalise your Tartu bus card by linking it to your personal identification code. This allows you to use the public transport discounts you are entitled to – for example, the discount for young people up to the age of 26 and/or registered Tartu residents.
🚌 Just remember to bring your bus card with you!

📍 Tartu Welcome Centre
Ülikooli 17, Tartu

No need to wait until the three-month deadline is just around the corner – come by when it suits you and get several useful things sorted in one visit. 😊

Credit: Kadri-Linda Olesk

29/09/2026

Have your say in how Tartu develops!

From 1–7 October, you can vote in Tartu’s participatory budgeting and help decide which ideas will be brought to life with the city’s €200,000 participatory budget.

💡 And the ideas come from people themselves – anyone can suggest an idea for making Tartu a better place.

The photo is a great example of what participatory budgeting can achieve: the new active outdoor area at Forselius School was the winning idea in Tartu’s 2024 participatory budgeting vote, receiving 1,351 votes. The new schoolyard opened in September 2025.

This year, 22 ideas are up for a public vote, and each voter can support up to three ideas.

Who can vote?
🔹 Registered residents of the City of Tartu aged 14 and over
🔹 All young people aged 14–26 who study in Tartu at a general education school, vocational school, institution of higher education or university – even if their registered place of residence is elsewhere

💻 Vote online via Osalen.ee using an ID-card, Mobile-ID or Smart-ID, or vote in person at the Tartu City Information Centre at the Town Hall.

📅 Voting: 1–7 October 2026

👉 Explore the ideas – English translations are also available:
https://osalen.ee/voting/vote/c179_tartu-kaasava-eelarve-haaletus-2026

Take a look, choose the ideas you would like to see become reality – and perhaps next year you’ll be the one bringing a new idea to the table! 💡

Credit: Mana Kaasik

23/09/2026

🌍 Discover Tartu Market – free guided tours!

World Tourism Day is celebrated at the end of September, and this Sunday is a great opportunity to discover one of Tartu’s most traditional meeting places from a completely new perspective.

How well do you know Tartu Market Hall and the Open-Air Market? What stories are hidden within the walls of the nearly century-old Market Hall? And what does everyday market life look like today?

The free guided tour starts at Tartu Market Hall, by the much-loved Roosi sculpture. You’ll hear about the history and architecture of the building, Tartu’s market traditions and some details that are easy to miss on an ordinary visit. The tour then continues to the Open-Air Market to explore modern market life, seasonality and how market culture has changed over time.

📅 Sunday, 27 September 2026
📍 Tartu Market Hall, starting by Roosi
⏱️ Approximately 1 hour
🎟️ Free of charge – advance registration required
👥 Maximum 25 participants per group

🇬🇧 Tours in English: 11:00 and 12:00
🇪🇪 Tours in Estonian: 9:00, 10:00, 13:00 and 14:00

💡 Learning Estonian? You could also take this as a chance to put your language skills to the test and join one of the Estonian-language tours. 😉

👉 Register here: https://fienta.com/et/avasta-tartu-turgu

Come and discover what lies behind the market stalls! 🥕🍎🌻

Credit: Ketlin Lääts

14/09/2026

📢 Migration seminar for international students

We are happy to continue our cooperation with the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) and invite international students to our next monthly migration seminar.

📅 23 September 2026
🕑 14:00–16:00
📍 Tartu Welcome Centre, Ülikooli 17

The seminar will cover:

✅ legal stay in Estonia for EU citizens
✅ long-stay visas and temporary residence permits for studies for non-EU students
✅ options after your temporary residence permit for studies expires

The seminar will be held in English, and there will also be time for questions – a great opportunity to get answers directly from PPA specialists.

🔹 Places are limited to 25 participants, so please register in advance.

📌 Registration: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScOw4trhVntnT-jRCYu6j8NqB9oNEUt6p7jt-SaAKJr9id-ZQ/viewform

Credit: Ketlin Lääts

10/09/2026

A good option for anyone looking for a bit of extra support while learning Estonian independently! 🇪🇪📚 Several of the self-study support groups starting this September will also meet at Tartu Welcome Centre. Interested? Check the details and registration information in the post below. 👇

08/09/2026

🚍 Free bus rides + an English street art tour? Mobility Week is coming to Tartu!

European Mobility Week takes place in Tartu from 16–22 September, and there are two opportunities we especially recommend keeping an eye on.

🚌 Free travel on Tartu city buses from 16–22 September

Anyone can use Tartu city buses free of charge during Mobility Week - but you need to register first. After filling in a short form, you’ll receive a QR code by email, which must be scanned when entering the bus. Please note that the offer applies to Tartu city buses, not county buses.

🎨 Street Art Tour in English – 21 September at 18:00

Discover why Tartu is often called Estonia’s street art capital! The tour is led by Sirla, organiser of the Stencibility street art festival, who will introduce the stories and people behind the art on Tartu’s walls. The tour starts at the Kissing Students fountain in Town Hall Square, lasts about 1.5 hours, and is free of charge. Advance registration is required.

👉 Find the registration links and the full Mobility Week programme here:
tartu.ee/en/mobilityweek⁠

03/09/2026

🇪🇪 Estonia has elected its next President!

Yesterday, 2 September, the Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu) elected Ülle Madise as the next President of the Republic of Estonia. She received 71 votes – at least 68 votes out of the 101 members of Parliament were needed to be elected.

And there is a nice Tartu connection! 💙 Ülle Madise was born in Tartu, studied law at the University of Tartu and later served there as Professor of Constitutional Law. She has been Estonia’s Chancellor of Justice since 2015 and is one of the country’s best-known constitutional law experts.

💡 A little Estonia fact for newcomers: the President of Estonia is not elected directly by the people. The election starts in the Riigikogu, where a candidate needs the support of at least two-thirds of all MPs. The presidential term lasts five years.

Ülle Madise will officially take office on 12 October 2026, when she takes the oath of office before the Riigikogu. Until then, Alar Karis remains President.

Congratulations to our President-elect! 🇪🇪

Credit: Mihkel Lees

Address

Ülikooli 17
Tartu

Opening Hours

Monday	09:00 - 16:00
Tuesday	09:00 - 16:00
Wednesday	09:00 - 16:00
Thursday	09:00 - 18:00
Friday	09:00 - 16:00

Telephone

+37251913248

Website

https://tartuwelcomecentre.ee/

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