If you are travelling abroad, return to Finland!

Due to the prevailing emergency conditions based on the Emergency Powers Act, the Government has decided to restrict traffic at Finland’s external borders starting on Thursday 19 March at 00.00. Finns travelling abroad are encouraged to return to Finland as soon as possible.

Updated  7.4.2020

On 7 April 2020, the Government decided to prolong the validity of the decision on the temporary reintroduction of border control at internal borders and the restrictions on traffic. The validity period was extended from 14 April 2020 to 13 May 2020.

The Government recommends that shipping companies operating to Finland from Sweden, Estonia and Germany stop the sale of passenger tickets for ships departing on or after 11 April 2020, with the exception of goods and freight transport. The recommendation will be in force until 13 May 2020.

Read more: Government Press Release 7.4.2020(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window)

Many countries are closing their borders and imposing restrictions on internal movement. Many countries are placing travellers arriving from Finland under quarantine for 14 days. Travellers returning to Finland from abroad should stay at home in quarantine-like conditions for 14 days.(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window) The measures being taken at the airport to guide people safely home or into quarantine have been tightened considerably. More information: Prime ministers office(Link to another website.)

Because of this very exceptional situation, we recommend that you avoid travel abroad until further notice. This applies to travel to all countries and to both road, sea and air transport. Foreigners travelling in Finland can leave the country.

Seek advice online – the phone number of the Foreign Ministry’s 24/7 Service Centre is for emergencies.

If you need to change your flight reservations, visit the website of your airline to do so. Do not call, because telephone services are crowded. If you cannot rebook, consider buying your return ticket from another airline.

To help avoid backlogs, do not call the Ministry’s 24/7 Service Centre for advice on flight reservation matters. The telephone service is for emergencies only. In case you do not manage to find a flight connection back home, send email to [email protected] (Opens New Window), and we will do our best to help you.

If you do not have enough money for a new ticket, your last resort is to seek help from the local Finnish mission or honorary consul. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs cannot book flights or make payments for you. More flights are cancelled every day but Finnair is still flying from many travel destinations.

The Foreign Ministry's 24/7 Service Centre has received many enquiries from concerned citizens but it does not have the resources to respond to all of them. Please note that the Foreign Ministry’s 24/7 Service Centre should be contacted only in the event of an emergency. If you need to cut your trip short or you have difficulties arranging return home because of the coronavirus situation, that is not an emergency. Non-urgent enquiries should be sent via email to [email protected] (Opens New Window).

If you are currently travelling, follow the local news to get the latest information. The means at our disposal are limited. Try to sort out your trip back home through your travel organiser, airline or insurance company.

Finnish embassies and honorary consulates are doing their best to help Finns and foreigners with a permanent residence in Finland travelling abroad, but please be patient. Travellers are now required to be resilient and able to deal with uncertainty. Many travellers may have to stay at their travel destination until airlines resume their regular operations. Travel organisers and airlines are trying to help all Finns return home.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Finnish missions abroad are updating information on their social media channels, Facebook and Twitter. Follow these.

We recommend that you submit your travel details at matkustusilmoitus.fi. We will update our travel advice by issuing a more long-term notice when more detailed information about the situation becomes available. In their travel notices, all countries advise against all travel for the time being.

Before considering a phone call to the Foreign Ministry’s 24/7 Service Centre, read the Q&A on the Latest news section on the Foreign Ministry’s website and find out about the situation from the news and social media.