Finland imposes ban on Russian tourists
Finland officially closed its border to Russian tourists on 30 September, with the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs saying the restriction will be ‘valid until further notice’
The restriction specifically targets Russians travelling ‘for tourism purposes’ across Finland’s eastern border with Russia, according to a statement released by the Ministry – closing off a long-standing loophole in its entry restrictions for Russian citizens.
As part of the European Union (EU), Finland has had a blanket ban on all Russian aircraft from entering its airspace since February, imposed in the wake of the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
“The principle decision aims to stop tourism and related transit completely. The reception of visa applications is severely restricted,” the Ministry stated. The move is also intended to prevent Finland from being used as a transit country to reach other destinations within the EU.
The ban does not apply to Russian citizens who need to enter Finland for humanitarian or family reasons, or who are there to perform international obligations.
Finland has been one of several countries urging the EU to impose further restrictions on Russian tourists travelling across the bloc’s eastern borders.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca is a Junior Editor for Voyageur Group, joining in 2021. He writes for both ITIJ and AirMed&Rescue, covering a range of topics including international travel and health insurance, medical assistance provision and air medical transportation. He also serves as Title Editor of the Assistance & Repatriation Reviews. Oliver holds an MA in Magazine Journalism from Cardiff University, as well as a BA in English with Creative Writing from Falmouth University.