Border control with 6 countries to be eased, Sweden excluded

The government on Thursday announced that it would ease border controls with Nordic and Baltic countries, excepting Sweden from Monday.

Border traffic with the Nordic countries Norway, Denmark, and Iceland and three Baltic countries – Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania – will resume on Monday while Sweden and the rest of the Schengen countries will be exempted from the easing.

Entry controls in air transports will be relaxed along with ferry services from the six countries and Finnish residents who have gone to those countries need not to go for 14-day quarantine on arrival from these countries.

The government outlined its proposal on the border control and will take decision in this regard in a plenary session on Friday.

Interior Minister Maria Ohisalo at a press conference said the coronavirus situation in Sweden does not make it possible to ease entry to Finland, though Finland keeps evaluating the situation in Sweden.

In a move concerning the whole Schengen area, however, Finland will allow entry of those residents of Schengen countries who have property in Finland or have a relationship or date with someone in Finland.

She said border guards will accept verbal statement from the visitors about the dating, no other proof is required.

Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto also spoke at the press conference and said Finland would appreciate reciprocity in these actions.

Haavisto said the Baltic countries have already opened their borders to Finns.

He said he was expecting decisions from Norway and Denmark soon, but Finland has already done its part now.

Although borders with the six countries mentioned above were opened, people in Finland could go to those countries at their own risk only and would face the 14-day quarantine upon back-arrival, he said.

Replying to a query about Germany, Haavisto said Germany is a major transit country in European transport and thus Finland at this phase is not able to ease travel from Germany.

Restrictions on border traffic will continue at external borders, in other words at the Russian border and for those arriving from other third countries, until 14 July.