My Favorite Apps for Making Life in Estonia Easier as a student

Submitted by Triinu on Tue, 04/15/2025 - 07:24

This blog post was written by our student ambassador Ashley Vanessa, who is a student of the Computer Science programme at University of Tartu.

When I first got here, I had no idea which apps would come in handy. I pretty much downloaded every app anyone even mentioned. But let’s be honest, half of them ended up collecting digital dust. So instead of wasting your storage like I did, here are the apps that I think are worth it.

1. Google Translate

A lifesaver when you’re dealing with signs, documents, or just trying to understand what’s going on at the grocery store. It also works offline, and the photo feature lets you translate text from images which are super helpful for labels or menus.

2. Google Maps

I use this almost every day. I use it to find a new restaurant, figuring out where my class is, or making sure I’m catching the right bus or train.

3. ISIC

If you’re a student, get this app. The International Student Identity Card (ISIC) gives you discounts on public transport and in shops. You'll need it for travel discounts, too. And you can easily just show the id card on your phone instead of the physical card.

4. Wolt & Bolt

Wolt is good for food grocery shopping delivery. They often have promos and discounts. Bolt is a taxi service that is usually cheaper than Uber and they have scooters

5. Smart-ID

You’ll need this for logging into most Estonian online services like the banks, library or government websites.

6. RIA DigiDoc

This app lets you view and sign official Estonian documents digitally. You’ll probably need it at some point

7. Tarbi Targalt

It lets you compare grocery prices across different stores, so you can see where things are cheaper before heading out. Great if you’re trying to stick to a budget.