Restrictions placed on entry of Russian athletes into Finland

Finland is tightening restrictions on the entry of Russian citizens into the country. On 12 November 2026, the Government issued a resolution, which stated the threat that the entry of Russian citizens into the country poses to Finland’s international relations. The new restrictions apply to short-term work carried out under a visa, including professional sports. As of 16 November 2026, public authorities will take the new resolution into account when considering visa applications and assessing the conditions for entry and short-term stay.

Finland tightens restrictions on entry of citizens of the Russian Federation into the country. In a resolution issued on 12 November 2026, the Government stated that the entry of citizens of the Russian Federation into Finland for non-essential purposes, including short-term work under a visa, poses a threat to Finland's international relations.

Under the EU Visa Code and Schengen Borders Code, a visa shall be refused and entry denied if the applicant is considered to be a threat to the international relations of any of the Member States.

“As long as Russia’s war of aggression continues, Russian athletes have no business in Finland. Their entry into the country would be a threat to Finland’s international relations. The same is true of other short-term work under visas that is not essential to Finland’s national interests,” said Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen.

The guidelines of the government resolution are taken into account in decisions by public authorities. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Finland’s missions abroad will be responsible for implementing the restrictions on the issuance of visas, while the Finnish Border Guard will be responsible for matters relating to entry into the country. The Finnish Border Guard and the police will assess conditions for short-term stay in connection with monitoring of foreign nationals.

Public authorities will implement these restrictions regardless of the country from which a Russian citizen is travelling to Finland or through Finland to other parts of the Schengen area. Under the Aliens Act, a foreign national can be denied admittance or stay if they do not meet the conditions for stay. This may apply to a person staying in Finland under a Schengen visa issued by another Member State contrary to Finland’s national restrictions. In future, Russian citizens will only be allowed to work under a Schengen visa in tasks that are essential to Finland’s national interests, such as security of supply. These restrictions also apply to the entry of Russian athletes and other sports professionals into Finland. The entry restrictions also apply to athletes competing under neutral status. Russia uses sports as a propaganda tool and seeks to use sports to promote the goals of its illegal war of aggression.

The new resolution supplements the resolution issued by the Government on 6 July 2023.  It will be taken into account by public authorities when considering visa applications and assessing the conditions for entry and short-term stay as of 16 November 2026.