Tallinn asks state to change funding model for civil registration services

The Tallinn city government has sent a proposal to the Ministry of Interior to change the funding model for services related to civil registration and maintenance of the population register. According to the municipality, the current model, based on the number of registrations and in effect since 2018, no longer covers real costs.

Kristi Kail, head of the Tallinn Civil Registration Department, explained that work has become significantly more complex in recent years. The number of procedures involving foreign citizens has increased, and many applications require lengthy consultations, document checks, and legal assessments, even if they do not result in an entry in the register.

Vice Mayor Riina Solman (Isamaa) confirmed that the letter to Minister Igor Taro (Eesti 200) emphasizes that a significant part of employees' duties—reviewing applications, consulting citizens, responding to requests from state institutions, participating in court proceedings, and processing refunds of state fees—is not accounted for in the current system.

The municipality believes that insufficient funding increases the risk of errors in state registers and leads to additional costs for both the state and local governments. Therefore, Tallinn proposes a mixed funding model. It would include a fixed base part covering permanent costs and readiness to provide services, as well as a variable part depending on the actual volume of work, number of requests, consultations, and complexity of cases.

The city administration emphasized that specific amounts of additional funding are not yet being discussed; the issue will first be considered together with representatives of the Ministry of Interior. Vice Mayor Solman also stated that there is no talk of increasing fees for residents—the city believes that funding for state functions should be provided by the state, not by citizens.