Afghanistan
The NATO member countries signed the Accession Protocols concerning Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO membership at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on 5 February, making Finland and Sweden invitees of the Alliance. The Accession Protocols must next be ratified in each member country for Finland and Sweden to become members.
Restrictions on entry at Finland’s external borders imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic will be lifted on 1 July 2022. Third-country travellers arriving in Finland will no longer be required to hold vaccination or COVID-19 test certificates, and COVID-19 tests will not be carried out at border crossing points.
In line with the Government decision of 2 June, the restrictions on entry at Finland’s external borders will continue until 30 June 2022.
A new fast track service enables specialists, growth entrepreneurs and their family members to obtain a residence permit within 14 days. The service will be launched at the beginning of June. This service pledge is one of the Government's many measures to streamline the immigration of experts.
Finland is preparing to apply for membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). On 15 May, the Government submitted a report to Parliament on Finland’s accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and proposed that the President of the Republic decide that Finland will apply for membership in NATO after Parliament has been heard.
Statement by the Foreign Ministers of Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States
In line with the Government decision of 5 May, the restrictions on entry at Finland’s external borders will continue until 5 June 2022.
In line with the Government decision of 7 April, the restrictions on entry at Finland’s external borders will continue until 8 May 2022.
Afghanistan is on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe. At the High-level Pledging Event on Supporting the Humanitarian Response in Afghanistan held today, Finland pledged to increase its assistance to the country, for example, through the World Food Programme. In his speech, Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto, who represented Finland at the meeting, emphasised the equal rights of women and girls.