Study Transfer from Estonia: from the University of Tartu to a New University
01.09.2026
Where Can You Study Medicine in Estonia?
- University of Tartu — the only medical faculty in Estonia, human medicine in English (from the clinical section onwards with Estonian language elements in patient contact), six years, 360 ECTS. To the location article.
Tuition fees amount to approximately 12,000 to 13,000 EUR per academic year. A regional overview can be found in the article Medicine and dentistry in the Baltic states.
Why Do Students from Estonia Transfer to Another University?
No Alternative Within the Country
With only one medical faculty, there is no internal location change in Estonia. Those who struggle with the examination rhythm or the study environment have only the option of going abroad.
Language in the Clinical Section
From the third year onwards, Estonian becomes relevant in patient contact. Those who find this impedes their access to clinical training find better conditions at a university with consistently English-language clinical operations.
Costs, Climate, Distance
12,000 to 13,000 EUR per academic year, long dark winters and a long journey home — over six years of study, these are real factors.
How We Handle a Transfer from Estonia
We deliberately publish no checklists and no requirement tables here. What a faculty needs differs from university to university and changes from one year to the next, and a list that is right today quietly stops being right in the spring. What stays the same is that someone has to look at your case personally.
Send us what you have completed so far in Tartu together with your certificates and the countries you would consider. We go through it and then tell you clearly at which university, in which country, we can place you — and at which point in the programme we can get you in on a schedule you can plan around. Because we work with a large network of official partner universities for medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing and veterinary medicine, that answer comes from a genuine range of options rather than a single offer. And you stay enrolled in Tartu while we plan, so nothing is at risk while the question is being answered.
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Where Can You Transfer To from Estonia?
University of East Sarajevo, Faculty of Medicine Foča (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
One of our core locations, for which we hold representation in German-speaking countries. State faculty with its own university hospital, human and dental medicine in English, listed in ANABIN, EU-compliant accreditation until 2033. 3,500 EUR per academic year, practical year optionally completed entirely at a German teaching hospital. Transfer students generally enter a high year of study. To the Foča study guide.
University of Niš, Faculty of Medicine (Serbia)
Large public university with its own university hospital, human medicine in English, 360 ECTS, MD degree. 1,500 EUR per quarter, i.e. 6,000 EUR per academic year. To the Niš location article.
MediCampus Europeo, Malta
Campus in Il-Furjana near Valletta, human medicine in English, Maltese MFHEA licence, mild climate and English as official language. Entry from the second year onwards, 14,500 EUR per year with single payment. To the Valletta location article.
The complete list of all NC-free options can be found in the Study transfer article on Bulgaria.
How High the Entry Point Turns Out Depends on the Individual Case
All the routes mentioned here are designed to give you the highest possible year placement through us — without, or with minimal, loss of time. In practice that often means entering in the later part of the programme, frequently one of the final two years. How far up it goes in your case only becomes clear once we have looked at what you have completed, and it costs nothing to find out.
What the Transfer Means Financially
Estonia costs approximately 12,000 to 13,000 EUR per academic year. Foča costs 3,500 EUR, Niš 6,000 EUR. With a transfer in the third year, that is around 34,000 to 38,000 EUR less in tuition fees over the remaining four years, plus the lower living costs of 450 to 500 EUR per month. Our placement fee is success-based.
Why You Should Seek Advice as Early as Possible
- Places in the higher years are limited — the earlier we look at your case, the more options are still open.
- Being enrolled is the better starting position — so the conversation is worth having before the next resit, not after it.
- There is nothing to lose: looking at your documents takes us a few days and costs nothing.
Book a free study consultation and we will tell you honestly what is realistic for you — calmly, and without pressure.
The author's view
Tartu is an excellent place to study — small, strong in research, technically advanced. The disadvantage lies in the structure of the country: there is no second faculty to fall back on.
That is why I advise students from Tartu especially to have an early conversation. Those who know the alternatives decide more calmly — and a transfer is not a capitulation, but a location decision.
Conclusion
Estonia is an excellent location — but no location suits everyone, and with a single medical faculty in the country there is no second option inside Estonia. A transfer is not a capitulation; it is a location decision.
Send us your certificates, what you have studied so far in Tartu and the countries you would consider. We will tell you at which university, in which country, we can place you and where we can get you in on a schedule you can plan around, choosing from the largest selection of official partner universities for medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing and veterinary medicine. For transfers we always aim for the highest possible entry point, which is frequently one of the final two years.
Initial consultation and document review are free, and the fee is success-based. Book a free study consultation and we will look at your options together.
Further Reading
- Study transfer from Bulgaria — with the complete list of all NC-free options.
- Study transfer from Lithuania
- Medicine and dentistry in the Baltic states
- Transfer back to Germany
Frequently Asked Questions about Study Transfer from Estonia
Is there an alternative within Estonia?
No. Tartu is the only medical faculty in Estonia — a location change always means going abroad.
Will I lose study time during the transfer?
As a rule, no, if the transfer is planned in time. What you have already passed carries weight, and we aim for the highest possible entry point for you.
Do I have to give up my place in Tartu first?
No. You stay enrolled while we plan the move — that is the safer order, and it is how we handle it.
Which year of study can I enter?
To Foča and Niš typically from the second to fifth year, to Malta from the second year onwards. Where exactly you land depends on your individual case, and we check that for you before anything is decided.
What do I need for a transfer to work?
That depends on what you have completed in Tartu and on the target university, and it is not the same from one year to the next, which is why we do not publish a general list. Send us your profile and we will tell you at which university, in which country, we can place you and at which point we can get you in.
What does the consultation cost?
Nothing. Initial consultation and document review are free; the fee is only charged upon successful placement.
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About the author

Marcel Kloos
Swiss-licensed dentist and founder of Medschool Experts
Marcel Kloos founded Medschool Experts while studying abroad; since then, over 500 study places have been secured. The Stuttgart-born dentist studied dentistry from 2015 to 2021 in Sofia and holds a Swiss dental licence.
Today he lives in Bern and runs Medschool Experts full-time as its owner.
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