Finland will shut border to Russian tourists from midnight
Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto and Interior Minister Krista Mikkonen address a news conference on the government's resolution regarding the right of Russian citizens to enter Finland as tourists, in Helsinki, Finland September 29, 2022. Roni Rekomaa/Lehtikuva/via REUTERS
Finland will close its border to Russian tourists from midnight local time (2100 GMT), which is expected to lead to a significant drop in cross-border traffic, the government said on Thursday.
The inflow of Russians is now seen as endangering Finland's international relations, Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto told a news conference.
Entry for family visits, as well as for work and studies, will still be permitted, he added.
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The Finnish government, wary of being a transit nation into western Europe's passport-free Schengen zone, on Friday said it planned to halt tourism from Russia and that a decision would be finalised in the days that followed.
