North Estonia Medical Centre Careers, Salaries & Jobs

North Estonia Medical Centre, which now presents itself as Regionaalhaigla (in full SA Põhja-Eesti Regionaalhaigla), is a foundation hospital in Tallinn.

It was formed on 25 July 2001 by a government decision that merged the Mustamäe and Kivimäe hospitals, the Estonian Oncology Centre, Tallinn Psychiatric Hospital and several other Tallinn institutions.

The hospital says almost 5,000 people work in the Regionaalhaigla group, including more than 500 doctors and, at any time, more than a hundred resident doctors. It has seven clinics with specialist centres and treats patients in all medical specialties except paediatrics and obstetrics. It describes its cancer, trauma, heart and psychiatric centres as the largest in Estonia, and it runs ambulance services for Harju, Rapla, Hiiu and Lääne counties and the small islands.

About half of its patients come from Tallinn and around a fifth from Harju county. The group also includes the Läänemaa, Hiiumaa and Raplamaa hospitals, which matters for applicants because some vacancies, such as laboratory posts, are advertised for these partner sites.

For an internationally trained professional, the hospital is one of the two largest clinical employers in Estonia and openly answers the question of how non-EU applicants can apply. The answer is the national one: recognition of your qualification, registration with the Health Board, Estonian at the level the law sets for your profession, and a residence and work permit.

Founded

2001 (formed on 25 July 2001 by a Government of Estonia decision)

Run by

SA Põhja-Eesti Regionaalhaigla, a foundation

Leadership

• Agris Peedu, Juhatuse esimees (chairman of the management board)
• Kristo Erikson, Juhatuse liige, haigla ülemarst (management board member, chief physician)
• Katre Zirel, Juhatuse liige, õendusdirektor (management board member, director of nursing)

Switchboard

+372 617 1300 (information line)

• Cancer treatment

  The hospital's cancer centre, which it describes as Estonia's largest, with a dedicated oncology information portal and partnerships with Pärnu Hospital for chemotherapy and haematology.

• Trauma care

  Estonia's largest trauma centre by the hospital's own account, with its own trauma information portal and trauma prevention work.

• Heart centre

  Cardiology, invasive cardiology and cardiac surgery within the hospital's heart centre, which also runs heart disease prevention.

• Psychiatry

  The hospital calls its psychiatric clinic the largest and most capable in Estonia, providing psychiatric care, therapy and group activities.

• Blood centre and laboratories

  A blood centre, a blood bank, a pathology centre and clinical laboratories, which regularly advertise for biomedical scientists.

• Emergency and ambulance services

  An emergency department in Mustamäe and ambulance services across northern and western Estonia, plus a resuscitation ambulance service in North Estonia.

• The hospital's careers FAQ answers the question directly: international candidates are welcome to apply for open positions. It says that, depending on the role, additional requirements may apply, such as recognition of professional qualifications, registration with the relevant Estonian authority and Estonian language proficiency, and that non-EU citizens also need the appropriate residence and work permit.
• It does not publish a dedicated international recruitment programme, relocation package or visa sponsorship offer, and it names no recruitment agency. All vacancies are published on its career site, and the FAQ says applications are accepted only through the online recruitment system.
• The careers pages set out what the hospital expects of doctors: a medical degree, completed residency or a specialist certificate recognised under Estonian rules, a code in the national register of healthcare professionals, very good Estonian and good Russian. For new nurses, the hospital describes a 4-month adaptation period with experienced mentors.
• Most internationally trained applicants therefore reach the hospital after the Health Board's process: Harno evaluates the education, the Health Board refers non-EU doctors, dentists, nurses and midwives to a compliance examination of supervised work and a theory exam, both in Estonian, and then enters them in the register.

• Registration with the Health Board (Terviseamet). Doctors, nurses and midwives educated outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland go through evaluation by Harno and a compliance examination in Estonian before entry in the register of healthcare professionals. The Health Board says the compliance examination for doctors, specialists, nurses and midwives is funded from the Ministry of Social Affairs budget. Registration carries a €260 state fee.

• Estonian. The government regulation on language proficiency requires C1 Estonian from doctors and pharmacists, and at least B2 from nurses, midwives and physiotherapists. The hospital also asks doctors for good Russian.

• A personal identification code. The Health Board says you need an Estonian personal identification code to take part in the supervised practice of the compliance examination.

• Residence and work permit. Non-EU citizens need a basis to stay and work. The Police and Border Guard Board offers short-term employment registration and a temporary residence permit for employment, and the employer usually needs permission from the Unemployment Insurance Fund. From 5 March 2026 the salary criterion at the 1.0 rate is €2,092 a month.

• EU, EEA and Swiss qualifications. These are recognised through the Health Board under the EU directive, with no compliance examination for automatically recognised professions, but the Estonian language requirement still applies at work.

1. 1

   Get your education evaluated

   If you trained outside the EU, EEA or Switzerland, start with Harno's evaluation and the Health Board's guidance for doctors, dentists, nurses and midwives educated outside the EU.
2. 2

   Learn Estonian to the level your profession needs

   Plan for C1 as a doctor or B2 as a nurse or midwife. Harno's state language exams are free; the compliance examination itself is conducted in Estonian.
3. 3

   Complete the compliance examination and register

   Pass the supervised work practice and theory exam the Health Board refers you to, then apply for entry in the register of healthcare professionals and pay the €260 fee.
4. 4

   Find a vacancy on the career site

   All posts are listed at karjaar.regionaalhaigla.ee and on Estonian job portals such as cvkeskus.ee and CV.ee. Adverts are in Estonian.
5. 5

   Apply online with a CV and cover letter

   The hospital asks for a CV with a cover letter and accepts applications through its online recruitment system. It confirms receipt by email and contacts candidates within two weeks of the closing date.
6. 6

   Arrange your permit

   Once you have an offer, agree with the hospital how the residence permit or short-term employment registration will be handled before you start.

• Doctor (arst)

  €20.96 an hour

  Collective agreement minimum from 1 April 2026.

• Resident doctor

  €20.96 an hour

  Equal to the doctor minimum.

• Specialist doctor (eriarst)

  €22.81 an hour

  From 1 April 2026.

• Nurse (õde)

  €12.79 an hour

  From 1 April 2026.

• Specialist nurse and midwife

  €13.27 an hour

  From 1 April 2026.

• Night work (22:00 to 06:00)

  At least 1.42 times pay

  Weekend hours at least 1.25 times.