29 September 1881 (colours adopted by the students' society)
21 November 1918 (national flag, 108 years)
1940-1990 (banned under Soviet occupation)
7 August 1990 (restored).
Designed byColours adopted by the Estonian Students' Society (1881); no individual designer.
Design & Symbolism
Specs plus what each color and emblem means on this flag — tap an element to reveal its meaning.
Proportions
7:11
Shape
Rectangular
Colors
Blue#0072CE · Pantone 285 C
Blue depicts the sky, the sea and the lakes, loyalty and hope in the future.
Black#000000
Black recalls the soil of the homeland and the people's dark past.
White#FFFFFF
White speaks of purity, the aspiration to freedom, the snow and the birch bark.
Construction details
Proportions 7:11. Three equal horizontal bands: blue on top, black in the middle, white at the bottom. The black band, rare among European tricolours, sets this flag apart.
Construction sheet
Etiquette & protocol
How the flag should be used and displayed with respect.
Specific rules — Estonia
Flag Day (Lipupäev) is 4 June, the anniversary of its consecration in 1884.
It is raised each morning atop the Pikk Hermann tower, in the capital.
Common conventions
Keep the flag clean and never let it touch the ground.
Never fly a torn or faded flag — repair or replace it.
Illuminate the flag if it stays up at night.
Never use the flag as clothing, packaging or advertising.
Dispose of a worn flag respectfully, not in the trash.
Did you know?
Its colours first belonged to a students' society, from 1881, long before the country existed as a state: a grassroots symbol, never imposed from above.
