Despite the Russian government’s announcement last week that the temporary Covid-related border crossing restrictions will be lifted on Friday, the Border Guard has not yet detected an increase in traffic.
The Russian news magazine Fontanka reported on Friday that the Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a document on Thursday that officially lifted epidemic restrictions on land border crossings. However, Fontanka said that many Russians were still not allowed to cross.
On Friday morning, the situation on the Finnish side at the Nuijamaa border crossing was quiet, only a few individual cars were heading in either direction, according to Yle’s reporter Kalle Schoenberg.
The border crossing points of Niirala in Tohmajรคrvi and Salla in Lapland also reported a slow Friday morning.
Yle interviewed Denis Voroninwho had crossed the border from Russia at the Nuijamaa border crossing on Friday.
Voronin, who came to Finland because of family ties, said that the Russians were waiting at the border, but the Russian authorities denied them the right to cross.
Currently, dual citizens and relatives of Russian citizens can travel across the border from Finland. You can come to Finland from Russia, for example, for reasons related to family, property ownership or health.
According to the Consulate General of Finland in St. Petersburg, the number of visa applications from Russian citizens to Finland increased by 10 percent between June and early July. Tourist visas were the most popular type of travel document at that time.
Russia removed the entry restrictions for Covid in stages
Officially, the Russian government has removed entry restrictions for foreigners at air and sea checkpoints since Friday. However, the entry restrictions for foreigners remained in force.
According to the Russian government, foreigners arriving in Russia must still present a negative PCR-type Covid test result as well as a passport and visa.
Finnish citizens cannot enter
Lieutenant Otto Juusela, The deputy manager of the Imatra border inspection station told Yle on Friday that about five Finnish citizens had tried to arrive in Russia unsuccessfully in the last 24 hours.
"Of course they passed from our side, but they were turned back to the Russian side," Juusela explained.
Juusela said that the Finnish citizen who was turned back at the Russian border earlier in the morning had praised the behavior of the Russian border staff. He said Russian staff explained why he couldn’t get in, but welcomed him once the restrictions were lifted.
Traveling to Russia is not recommended
The instructions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland regarding all travel to Russia are still valid.
According to the ministry, Russia has expanded the legislation according to which foreigners can be fined or sentenced to prison for, for example, actions or speeches critical of the Russian armed forces.
Making payments can also be challenging. Visa, Amex and Mastercard have announced that cards issued outside Russia cannot be used to withdraw cash from ATMs in the country.
Source: The Nordic Page