U.S. citizens who wish to work in Estonia or remain longer than 90 days must obtain a visa or residence permit. Travelers in Estonia should exercise the same precautions with regard to their personal safety and belongings that they would take in major U.S. cities. The most common crimes encountered by foreign tourists are purse snatching, pickpocketing and mugging. Violent crime, though rarely directed against foreigners, does occur. Intoxicated people leaving bars alone or in small groups late at night are a favorite target for muggings, which can turn violent.
Car thefts are common and can occur in daylight.
Police capabilities in Estonia are improving, but they still suffer from lack of equipment, training, personnel and resources. Few police officers speak English. Credit card fraud is on the rise. Travelers should take prudent precautions to safeguard their credit card and report any suspected unauthorized transactions to the credit card company immediately. Racially motivated verbal and, on occasion, physical harassment of Americans of non-Caucasian ethnicity can occur.