4.    Cruise ship traffic

Cruise ships are allowed to visit seaports without passenger disembarkation. However, as of 26 July 2021, limited disembarkation for passengers arriving on cruise ships from other EU or Schengen countries is allowed. Passenger visitations in ports require that the cruise ship has a health safety plan that has been approved by the receiving municipality, and that the cruise ship has provided a sea health report in accordance with paragraph 22a of the Vessel Traffic Service Act (623/2005).

Please note that regular ferry traffic between, for example, Helsinki and Tallinn or Turku and Stockholm is not regarded as cruise ship traffic. The said traffic is internal border traffic and thus free of restrictions on entry. Cruise ship refers to a vessel that sails on a longer route planned prior to the voyage and stops at different ports for tourist visits, and that usually does not leave or pick up passengers along the way.

5. Interpretation guidelines for clarification

 

5.1 Interpretation guidelines: general

 

Entry is decided during the border check

The Finnish Border Guard does not grant advance permits for entry to Finland. Decision to allow entry is always made during border checks.

Travel documents

Finnish citizens must have the required travel documents when leaving the country.

Foreign citizens must have the required travel documents and, if necessary, the required visa or a residence permit.

In traffic between the Nordic countries, it is sufficient for Nordic citizens to be able to prove their identity if necessary.

Residence permit granted by Finland

It is possible to enter Finland with a residence permit granted by Finland. The residence permit card must be presented at the border check.

The holder of a residence permit granted by Finland entering the country may bring a child/ person under his or her care.

It is possible to wait in Finland for a decision on an application for a residence permit that was submitted in Finland, and staying in Finland is legally allowed while the application is being processed. Returning to Finland is also allowed. However, if you are required to have a visa, you must apply for a valid visa in order to enter Finland if the residence period allowed by the visa has expired. A person who is not required to have a visa for Finland can return from outside the Schengen zone directly to Finland if the stay period allowed by the visa has expired. Staying in Finland with a residence permit is not considered short-term residence.

 

5.2 Interpretation guidelines: Entry into Finland from countries and regions for which restrictions are still enforced

 

Compelling family matters 

Persons travelling from countries or regions for which travel restrictions are still enforced may be granted entry into Finland for compelling family reasons. Pressing family matters include, for example, the birth of one’s own child, serious illness of a close relative, or one’s own wedding, meeting a relative, or courting relationship.

Meeting relatives 

For the purpose of meeting a relative, the entry into the country is applied to the following persons: 

• Relatives of Finnish citizens residing or staying in Finland arriving in the country
• Relatives of EU/Schengen citizens and their family members arriving in the country
• Relatives of third-country nationals residing in Finland with a residence permit by Finland arriving in the country

Relatives include spouse, children, parents, parents-in-law, and grandparents, including the family members (spouses and minor children) of the above-mentioned persons. As a rule, authorities assume that the traveller’s own notification of the kinship is truthful. The guardian or trustee of a dependent person is also treated as a relative in this purpose of entry.

Relationship

Persons travelling from countries or regions for which travel restrictions are still enforced may be granted entry into Finland on the basis of a steady personal relationship. 

Relationship refers to a marriage or people living continuously in a marriage-like relationship within the same household regardless of their sex. In this case, it is not mandatory that the couple has lived together continuously for two years. Additionally, relationships between people who live in different countries (“long-distance relationships”) are accepted, as are other committed ways of being together.

Fundamentally, border inspectors trust the words of travelers. More detailed information may be inquired in isolated cases. The regulations for entering Finland on a basis of a dating relationship apply to partners of Finnish citizens and to partners of EU/Schengen citizens residing in Finland and their family members as well as partners of third-country nationals residing in Finland with a residence permit. A dependent of a person who is entering the country on the basis of a dating relationship may also enter Finland.

Pressing personal reasons

Persons travelling from countries or regions for which travel restrictions are still enforced may be granted entry into Finland over the external borders for compelling personal reasons. 

A pressing personal reason should involve a compulsory or unpredictable cause which requires personal attendance, which cannot tolerate delay, and which would cause undue harm within the context in question if the person concerned would not tend to it. A pressing personal reason can be, for example, participation in the funeral of next of kin. Compulsory personal reasons are assessed on a case-by-case basis in connection with the border check.

If the person can bring documents with him or her that prove the situation, this may streamline the border check.

In addition, participation in an entrance examination of an educational institution, if such participation requires physical presence, is considered a justified personal reason to enter the country.

Entry of a person who owns property, a residence or a secondary residence in Finland

A person who owns property, a residence or a secondary residence in Finland may also arrive in Finland from third countries in external border traffic. The owner's family (spouse and minor child) may also enter the country.

Work significant to the functioning of society and the security of supply

In external border traffic from third countries an essential reason is considered to be work that is significant in terms of the functioning of society and the security of supply, if the implementation of the work requires that the work be performed by a person or persons arriving from another country and the performance of the work cannot be delayed.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment has overseen the process of defining the types of work that are important for the functioning of society or security of supply and cannot tolerate delay. This list of critical tasks does not constitute an advance decision granting entry into the country. The employer or the client must use a separate form to justify the necessity of an employee entering the country. In addition to the other documents required for border crossing, the employee seeking to enter Finland presents this form at the border check.

The border control authority will consider the list of critical tasks and the employer's explanation when assessing a necessary reason for entry.

Seasonal workers (third-country nationals)

The admission of seasonal labour critical to security of supply is permitted during the growing season 2021.

The seasonal work permit must be granted before entering the country, so that the employee has a real opportunity to carry out work that is critical to security of supply that cannot be delayed.

The employer must fill in the employer's justification form with the reasoning for the seasonal worker’s entry to the country. In addition to the other documents required for border crossing, the seasonal worker seeking to enter Finland must present this form at the border check. The border inspection authority takes into account the employer's justification when assessing the entry of a seasonal worker.

A minor child of a third-country national may accompany a seasonal worker arriving in the country for seasonal work, if the best interests and care of the child so require.

For seasonal workers arriving on a seasonal work certificate or a seasonal work visa (third-country nationals), work critical to the security of supply covers work on farms, gardens and in farm forestry. Work carried out at fur farms is not considered as critical to the security of supply.  

Persons who have a residence permit for seasonal work may arrive in Finland in a similar manner as persons who have a residence permit.   

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry instructs employers on health-secure entry into Finland of seasonal workers, and seasonal workers on health security: Instructions for health-secure entry of seasonal workers in primary production.

Visa-free entry is allowed before the seasonal work permit already issued becomes effective in order to conduct self-quarantine.

Border crossing outside the opening hours of border crossing points in some cases 

The opening hours of the border crossing points of Vartius, Niirala, Nuijamaa and Vaalimaa are restricted. The Vartius border crossing point is open for passenger traffic from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., the Niirala border crossing point is open for passenger traffic from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and the Nuijamaa and Vaalimaa border crossing points is open for passenger traffic from 7 a.m. to 9.30 p.m. The border crossing point of Imatra is closed for passenger traffic. The restrictions on opening hours do not apply to freight traffic or persons who have a necessary and urgent need to cross the border outside the opening hours. In addition to goods transports, the following cases are considered necessary and urgent:

• The movement of winter maintenance personnel working in accordance with the obligations included in the State agreement on the Saimaa Canal lease area:
• A pressing and surprising work task that cannot be delayed (e.g. to prevent significant additional damage or harm); 
• Urgent medical transport or other rescue personnel tasks;
• The necessary and urgent professional tasks of authorities;
• Other, case-by-case, particularly pressing, necessary and urgent reason that cannot be delayed. 

Family member of a Finnish citizen

A family member of a Finnish citizen may enter Finland if they fit the definition of a family member as laid down in Section 37 of the Aliens Act. However, a family member of a Finnish citizen may be a family member of a Finnish citizen living in Finland or abroad. The family member must also have the required travel documents and, if required, a visa or residence permit.

The provisions on freedom of movement will apply to a family member of a Finnish citizen if the Finnish citizen has exercised their right of movement under the Directive on the right of citizens of the Union and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States by settling in another Member State and the family member comes to Finland with them or follows them later. A family member of a Finnish citizen may arrive in the country if they have the required document proving their right of residence in Finland or another EU or Schengen country.

Transit of regular scheduled air services at an airport

For external border traffic, the transit on regularly scheduled routes is permitted. As a rule, during the transit journey, a person must remain in the transit area of the airport, but in isolated cases, a person may also be permitted to enter the country for the purpose of the transit referred to above. For example, a person may stay at a hotel near the airport especially if the waiting time at the airport would prove to be lengthy. Such situations include unreasonable waiting times resulting from a cancelled connecting flight.

Destination countries may also require passengers to take a coronavirus test at transit airports. Waiting for the test and the test results is not in itself a ground for allowing entry during transit.

Picking of natural products

The entry of wild berry pickers, wild produce pickers and related workers into the country is allowed on the basis of an invitation from a company that is committed to a letter of intent.

Special groups

In external border traffic entry to Finland may be permitted for special groups, such as representatives of culture, sports and business life if entry is justifiable for those persons or groups of persons. These kinds of tasks include activities essential for ensuring revitalization, new growth, regional economy or long-term operating conditions as well as arrangements based on reciprocity.

Applications relating to special groups should be sent by email directly to the Finnish Border Guard ([email protected]). The application is made by the party extending the invitation.

If you have received a complete and approved covid-19 vaccine series at least 14 days prior to your arrival in Finland, there is no need to apply for a special group permit. A list of vaccines accepted in Finland is provided by the Finnish institute for health and welfare here: Which vaccines are accepted at the points of entry into the country? - Infectious diseases and vaccinations - THL

The applications must include justification regarding the national significance of the activities as well as the reasons why other procedures cannot be observed and a description of the procedures that will be employed to ensure health security. The employer or other such party inviting the person or persons to enter the country must be able to present a health security action plan that complies with the national instructions for them.

If the health security measures are at least in accordance with currently valid national recommendations from the health authorities, the application does not require a separate statement from the health authorities on these measures. In cases where the health security measures presented in the application contain deviations from the current recommendations or an application is otherwise different (e.g. a large group size or several separate groups), a separate statement from the local infectious disease authority (municipality or hospital district) must be included in the application.

The applications are sent from the Finnish Border Guard to the relevant government ministries and, if necessary, also the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, who then issue a statement on them. After receiving the statement, the Finnish Border Guard will prepare a policy concerning the necessity of entry to Finland and inform the applicant of that policy. The processing time of the application is estimated to be 2 weeks. However, the final decision on entry to the country is made during the border check.