Presidents of the Republic who have ceased to hold office keep the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana.

The Collar of the Order was used de facto as the badge of office of the President of the Republic, since Soviet authorities took the original presidential collar, that of the Order of the National Coat of Arms, out of Estonia after the Soviet occupation of Estonia in 1940; it remains as of 2023[update] in the Kremlin in Moscow.

[2] The Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana is also given as a decoration of the highest class to foreigners who have rendered special services to the Republic of Estonia.

As such it is the highest and most distinguished order granted by Estonia to non-Estonian citizens.

The blue colour tone of the moiré ribands belonging to the decorations of all the classes of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana is determined according to the international PANTONE colour-table as 300 C. The recipients are :[3] The recipients are :[7] These decorations are awarded for targeted reasons :