Authorities in Finland have decided to permit entry for the citizens of 12 European countries, asserting that these countries currently have the Coronavirus situation under control in their territory.
The decision was announced by Finland’s Interior Minister Maria Ohisalo who also noted that from July 13, citizens from Austria, Germany, Italy, Greece, Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Croatia, Cyprus and Ireland will be eligible to enter Finland, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
According to Finland’s government, restrictions will be lifted for the countries with fewer than eight new infections per 100,000 people over the preceding 14 days.
Since last week, Finland no longer advises its nationals against non-essential travel to Norway, Iceland, Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania or Latvia.
In a press release issued in mid-June, the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the situation no longer requires for the citizens of Finland to avoid travelling to these countries. However, a recommendation for Finnish citizens to avoid non-essential travel to other countries remains in place.
“If your trip abroad is essential, bear in mind that the restrictive measures imposed by different countries may change rapidly and come as a surprise: local quarantine regulations, restrictions on movement, disruption of traffic, restrictions on leaving the country, reduced availability of healthcare services, closures of services, including the availability of food services, concern everyone,” states the press release of the MFA announcing the decision.
Whereas last month, Finland’s government relaxed some of its preventive measures, which have been imposed as a part of the country’s efforts to stop the further spread of the Coronavirus pandemic.
In an announcement, the government clarified that the opening of the country’s borders would facilitate the movement of travellers, especially for students who are studying in Finland and international journalists and seasonal workers.
Finland’s borders have been reopened, from May 14, for international workers from the Schengen zone countries, including citizens of Estonia who work in Finland, which borders had been closed since March 19, due to Coronavirus developments.