Finnish Government Extends Entry Restrictions Until April 30
The Finnish Government has decided to extend the country’s entry restrictions until April 30, 2021, due to the COVID-19 situation that continues to prevail. The new decision will be effective from April 1.
Prior to this decision, during the second week of March, Finland extended the country’s entry restrictions against all Schengen Area countries until April 17, 2021.
Commenting on the newly agreed decision, Finland’s Ministry of Interior said that in order to contain the spread of the new Coronavirus variants, internal border controls and restrictions on external border traffic must remain in place.
Except for the internal and external border restrictions, the Ministry informed that restrictions will be imposed on the working hours of specific border crossing points as well, including the western and eastern border crossing points in Lapland.
The open border crossing points are currently available only for Finnish residents returning to the country, as well as for other EU citizens travelling for essential purposes only. Additionally, cruise ships are permitted to enter the port without passengers landing in Finland, the Ministry explained.
“Finland will also continue to provide neighbourhood assistance to Estonia. In accordance with the current operating model, the Gulf of Finland Coast Guard has informed passengers about the conditions for entry into the Port of Tallinn from September 2020. The aim is that passengers would not have to be turned at the Finnish border,” the Ministry’s press release reads.
On the other hand, Finland has restricted all traffic from other Schengen Area countries except for Iceland. The Schengen countries restricted from entering Finland include Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Austria, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Poland, France, Sweden, Germany, Slovakia, Slovenia, Finland, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Estonia, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.
The restrictions on external border traffic have remained unchanged. They have already been lifted for Australia, Vatican City, South Korea, Singapore, Rwanda, Thailand, and New Zealand due to the low infection rate in these countries,
The Finnish Government also pointed out that all Finnish residents have the right to return to the country and leave the country at any time unless any specific law restricts them. However, the Government recommends that all persons avoid non-essential travel to any country abroad, except for those that have already lifted their entry restrictions and where COVID-19 infection rates are lower.
The Border Guard has announced that all travellers wishing to cross the border can get further information regarding cross-border traffic by calling or emailing them. The service is available in Finnish, English, and Swedish. Additionally, the Finnish Border Guard (RAJA) has published exceptions to opening hours of border crossing points.
