The Finnish Border Guard has provided more details regarding border crossings after the Finnish government decided to relax border restrictions beginning next Thursday, May 14.

According to the updated guidelines, the following categories of travelers may enter Finland:

1. Those returning to Finland, including

• Finnish citizens and their family members;
  EU and Schengen Area citizens who live in Finland and their family members;
• third country citizens with residence permits

2. Employees and others, including

• travelers with employment contracts, transaction-management contracts and other contracted workers;
• diplomats, employees of international organizations, military, and employees of aid organizations (for work purposes);
• students studying in Finland;
• EU/Schengen Area member state citizens with registered right of residence in Finland;
• individuals traveling for unavoidable family reasons (meeting a relative, funerals, weddings, illness);
• persons in need of international protection;
• individuals traveling on other reasonable grounds (e.g. foreign journalists, representatives of Sami lifestyle and culture, others traveling on compelling personal grounds)

3. Transit travelers, including

• EU/Schengen Area member state citizens traveling to other EU and Schengen states via Finland;
• individuals traveling to other EU and Schengen states on the basis of a residence permit

4. Seasonal workers

• EU citizens will have the right to travel to Finland for seasonal work beginning May 14

Conditions

Finnish citizens maintain the unconditional right to enter and leave Finland.

During the border crossing process, those arriving in Finland may be asked for documentation proving their right to enter the country (such as an employment contract).

According to Finnish Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Social Affairs and Health recommendations, individuals arriving in the country have reason to limit unnecessary close contact with other people and self-quarantine. In the case of self-quarantine, movement should be restricted to travel between work and home as well as other unavoidable movement (such as to the supermarket or grocery store and pharmacy).

Employers of social and healthcare workers may expect individuals arriving in Finland to quarantine for a 14-day period during which they are not permitted to work. First responders, border guards and customs employees are not subject to quarantine.

Ferry tickets

All shipping companies that operate passenger ferry routes between Estonia and Finland (Eckerö Line, Tallink, Viking Line) have relaunched ticket sales online for both pedestrians and passengers with vehicles.

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