The Finnish government has decided to reimpose internal border controls with another three countries in the Schengen Area starting from Monday, August 10, as a way to preserve the situation in the country related to the Coronavirus pandemic.
During its session of August 6, the cabinet decided that border controls for arrivals from Andorra, Belgium and the Netherlands must be brought back, due to an increasing number of COVID-19 infections in these three countries.
In a press release, the government explains that currently there are no restrictions in the internal border traffic with the majority of Schengen Area countries.
“Restrictions on internal border traffic have been removed from traffic between Finland and Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Italy, Greece, Liechtenstein, Malta, Germany, Slovakia and Hungary. To the extent that internal border control continues, return traffic to Finland, commuter traffic and other necessary traffic is possible at internal borders,” the press release notes.
Previously on July 27, the Finnish authorities decided to bring back internal border controls for Austria, Slovenia and Switzerland after an evaluation that the number of Coronavirus cases in these countries had increased since the previous assessment.
As per the external border traffic, which is the traffic between Finland and a non-Schengen state, the restrictions have been removed for traffic between Finland and:
- Cyprus
- Ireland
- San Marino
- the Vatican
- Georgia
- Japan
- New Zealand
- Rwanda
- South Korea
- Thailand
- Tunisia
- Uruguay
China will also be included in this list, as soon as it removes the existing entry ban for travellers from the Schengen Area.
The country has also decided to grant with entry permission those in an established relationship with a citizen/resident of Finland. Unmarried partners will be asked to prove their relationship in order to be able to enter the country.
With the improved epidemiological situation in Sweden, during its meeting, the Finnish government also discussed a possible removal on entry restrictions for Swedes.
“The Government undertakes that, in connection with the next review of entry restrictions, the internal border controls at Sweden’s land, sea and air borders will be considered separately. If the epidemic situation allows, internal border controls between Finland and Sweden can be abolished either partially or completely, taking into account the recommendations of the health authorities,” the government notes.
The Finnish government has established a systematic reviewal of the epidemiological situation in each EU/EEA member country, through which it reassess the need and extent of entry restrictions in about two weeks.
