Pursuant to subsection 23 (6) of the Criminal Records Database Act, the persons referred to in clauses 19 (1) 2)–11) of the same Act are exempt from paying state fees, as are the persons referred to in clauses 20 (1) 3)–11) and 13) for the release of data from the archive.
For example, the following are exempted from state fees:
- an employer – when verifying a person’s compliance with the requirements laid down by law for the purpose of employing or appointing that person (subsection 23 (1) of the Security Act, clauses 16 (2) 2), 3) etc., of the Explosives Act, clauses 15 1), 2) of the Public Service Act);
- a government agency or local government body – in the performance of duties prescribed by law or by a legal act issued on the basis of law;
- when recruiting, appointing to a post, assigning to alternative service, voluntary work, the provision of employment services or work experience, or when granting a licence to work with children, to verify compliance with the requirements laid down by law (subsections 20 (1)–(3) of the Child Protection Act).
Free queries in e-File
In e-File, it is possible to perform free queries of the Criminal Records Database in the role of a legal person. See the instructional video for more details.
Free queries may only be carried out on the legal basis provided for by law and in cases of exemption from fees under the Criminal Records Database Act.
Query regarding a single person
- For a natural or legal person. Returns all punishments for the person.
- Regarding a restriction on working with children. Criminal records are checked in accordance with § 20 of the Child Protection Act.
- To check compliance with requirements for security personnel. Punishments are checked on the basis of § 15 of the Security Activities Act.
To make a query, you need to know the personal identification code of the person being checked and note the purpose of the query.
Bulk queries
Bulk queries, i.e. queries concerning several persons at once, can be made regarding restrictions on working with children (pursuant to § 20 of the Child Protection Act) and to verify compliance with the requirements for security personnel (pursuant to § 15 of the Security Activities Act).
To make queries, you must upload a file containing the personal identification codes of the persons to be checked using the Query Data form. The file format must be .csv or .txt. If necessary, you can also download a sample file.
Query response
For queries regarding natural and legal persons, e-File issues an extract from the Criminal Records Database as a PDF file or as an officially stamped document.
The response to a query regarding restrictions on working with children and the verification of requirements for security personnel is displayed within the e-File application. The response to a bulk query can be downloaded in .csv format, but e-File does not issue digitally stamped extracts for such queries. To obtain an official document, you must complete an application and submit it directly to Criminal Records Database user support. For more details on requesting an extract from the Criminal Records Database, see: Issuing a notice from database.
If the query response includes a person who may have punishments in other European Union Member States, you can submit a supplementary punishment query to the European Union Member States. See: ‘Query regarding a person who has worked or resided in a European Union country’ for further details.
To make free criminal record queries on behalf of a legal person (including for multiple individuals), you must:
- Submit an application signed by a person authorised to represent the legal person to [email protected].
The application must state the name and registration number of the organisation, as well as the name and job title of the person submitting the application. For each type of query, the application must include the legal basis (section) provided for by law, as well as the purpose and explanation of the query.
If a service has already been opened for a legal person on the basis of an application (for example, regarding a restriction on working with children) and a new service is to be opened, a new application must be submitted, as the legal basis required for checking restrictions must be established separately. - The person authorised to represent the legal person must grant authorisation in the central authorisations management information system Pääsuke, located on the state portal (eesti.ee), for the role ‘Person authorised to make free queries of the Criminal Records Database’.
If necessary, the legal representative of the legal person may appoint an authorisation manager in Pääsuke who has the right to authorise other natural persons. When adding an authorisation, select the role under the name field: Access rights ⟶ ‘Authorisation manager in the e-File’.
Please note: If a person with the right of representation as recorded in the commercial database of the legal person wishes to make free queries, they must also grant an authorisation to themselves. This functionality is not available in the role of a legal person’s representative.
Once the application has been reviewed, query rights will be added to the legal person’s e-File.
Further information on the central authorisations management information system Pääsuke is available on the RIA website. For questions regarding the Pääsuke environment, please contact the Information System Authority (RIA).