Estonia plans to scrap health certificate requirement for food service workers by 2028

The Estonian Ministry of Social Affairs is planning to abolish the health certificate requirement in the food service sector from 2028. The ministry argues the certificates only reflect a momentary health status and do not guarantee lasting safety. Under the new system, responsibility would shift to employers.

Estonia's Ministry of Social Affairs is preparing to eliminate the mandatory health certificate requirement for workers in the food service and catering sector, with the changes expected to take effect from 2028.

The ministry's reasoning is that health certificates only capture a snapshot of an individual's health at a given moment and therefore cannot guarantee sustained food safety over time. Officials argue that the current requirement creates a false sense of security without delivering meaningful protection against infection risks.

Under the proposed new framework, the responsibility for managing health and hygiene risks would shift directly to employers. Business owners in the catering sector would be required to assess infection risks in their workplace and implement additional preventive measures where necessary, tailoring their approach to the specific conditions of their establishment.

The reform would represent a significant shift in how food safety is regulated in Estonia, moving away from a document-based compliance model toward a risk-assessment approach. Similar transitions have been made in several other European countries, where employer accountability is considered a more effective mechanism for maintaining hygiene standards in food handling environments.