Estonia

Greetings

Man greeting Man - Men shake hands when greeting one another. A firm handshake is the norm.

Woman greeting Woman- At a first meeting, women generally shake hands. Many times a simple nod of acknowledgment will suffice.

Man greeting Woman- At a first meeting a regular handshake will do. Many times a simple nod of acknowledgment will suffice.

Communication Style

• Estonians tend to be polite, formal, and reserved during initial meetings.
• Periods of silence are to be expected. Avoid interrupting someone while they are speaking.
• It is best to convey a sense of calm and avoid overly loud voices and displays of emotion.
• Don’t take it personally if people are reserved in the beginning, they usually warm up after time.

Personal Space & Touch

• Estonians value their personal space. An arm’s length or more is the norm. This space may be less with friends and family.
• There is very little to no touching during conversations.
• Touching during conversation with the opposite sex is usuallyconsidered flirting, unless they’re good friends.
• Younger people are more open and a brush of shoulder/hand during conversations is okay.
• It is common to see women/girls walk hand in hand on the street, also young couples.

Eye Contact

• Direct eye contact is acceptable, but people usually don’t look into the speaker's eyes the whole the time.
• Avoiding the other person’s eyes completely is thought to be sly and show that one is hiding something.
• The most common practice is looking at the speaker's face and occasionally directly to the eyes.

Gestures

• Nodding means agreeing, shaking head means not agreeing.
• To show indifference you raise and lower the shoulders. To show surprise you raise an eyebrow, and rolling the eyes usually signifies frustration.
• For pointing, the whole hand is polite, but lot of people use the index finger as well.

Views of Time

• Being late and not calling to let the person know is definitely rude. Five minutes late is usually okay.
• Business situation require more punctuality than social ones.
  Services like trains, buses, etc., run on time, take or leave 5 minutes.
• Deadlines are usually met.

Gender Roles

• Most roles are accepted for women, but in people are still somewhat surprised when a woman does a classic man's job.
• Salaries for women tend to be less than men's.
• Careers are important for many women and they have the freedom to pursue them.
• Some men do stay home with the children.

Taboos

• Swearing, showing the middle finger, sticking out your tongue, and exposing intimate body parts are all considered taboo.
• Being very drunk in public, spitting, and yawing without covering your mouth are to be avoided as well.

Law & Order

• The legal drinking age is 18 and is somewhat enforced.
• The legal smoking age is 18 and is somewhat enforced.
• Penalties for possession, acquisition, and trafficking of drugs are severe and include fines and/or mandatory lengthy imprisonment in local jails.
• Driving a vehicle while intoxicated is a serious offense as well.
  

Dress

• For men: conservative, dark or medium colored suits with shirts and conservative ties.
• For women: stylish yet classic business suits or dresses/pants and blouses. Accessories are usually worn.
• Business casual attire may be appropriate depending on the industry.

Titles & Business Cards

• Titles are important and it is best to address people directly by using Mr., Mrs., or Miss, followed by the surname. Note: "Härra" is for Mr, "Prova" is Mrs and "Preili" is Miss.
• One should always wait to be invited to use first names before doing so yourself.
• There is no specific protocol surrounding the giving and receiving of business cards. It is always best to treat the car with respect.

Meetings

• Arriving on time for a meeting is important. Punctuality is highly valued.
• Business meetings tend to be structured but not too formal, beginning and ending with a bit of small talk.
• It is best to wait for the host to begin and end the business talk.
• A good reputation is highly valued so avoid criticizing or embarrassing someone in group/public settings
  

Negotiations

• Decisions tend to be made from the top down.
• Avoid hard selling and any sort of conflict or confrontation.
• Periods of silence are to be expected. Avoid interrupting someone while they are speaking.

Gift Giving

• Gifts are not usually exchanged at a first meeting.
• If invited to an Estonian household, it is appropriate to bring flowers, good wine, liquor, or chocolates.
• Make sure that gifts are nicely wrapped and expect them to be opened right away.
  

In the Classroom

• Dress in most universities is casual. Anything that doesn’t show too much skin is okay for most situations.
• Classes usually run from September to late May/early June. Most universities have vacation for 2 months in summer +1 week after exams in January/February.
• Lectures are the most common teaching method used - it is the only method at many universities.
• Most universities use the 6 point grading system where 5 is an A and 0 is an F.