Restrictions on entry into Finland extended until 25 May

Finland will remain a near-no-go territory for foreigners, despite the fact that the incidence of the coronavirus has dropped in recent weeks.

"The Covid-19 pandemic continues to spread, and we do not yet have adequate measures available to replace the restrictions. For this reason, and to curb the spread of COVID-19 variants, both internal border controls and restrictions on external border traffic will continue."

With these compelling arguments, the Finnish Ministry of the Interior justified on Thursday the government's decision to extend the entry restrictions into the country for at least one more month, until 25 May.

Information released by the government shows that no substantial changes were made to the scheme decided on 31 March.

Finland continues to restrict entry from all other Schengen countries except Iceland.

The Schengen countries are Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden, which are EU Member States, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, which are non-EU countries.

Regarding external border traffic (that is, between Finland and non-Schengen third countries), restrictions have already been lifted earlier for traffic arriving in Finland from the Vatican, Australia, South Korea, Singapore, Rwanda, Thailand and New Zealand.

Entry from these low-risk countries is not restricted due to the low incidence of Covid-19.

For other countries, the restrictions on entry will be extended at least until 25 May.

Cruise vessels, border points

Cruise vessels are permitted to call at ports but passengers are not allowed to come ashore.

Restrictions on the opening hours of certain border crossing points at the western border in Lapland and the eastern border will continue.

At the border crossing points that are open to passenger traffic, the accepted criteria for entry are the return of persons living in Finland or in another EU or Schengen country and other essential reasons.

The Gulf of Finland Coast Guard District will continue to provide information to passengers wishing to enter Finland at the Port of Tallinn on the entry conditions in force from September 2020.

"The aim is to ensure that border checks in Helsinki go smoothly and that passengers will not be turned away at the Finnish border," the Ministry of the Interior says.