Information for Finnish travellers in the Middle East
The situation in the Middle East is serious and concerning, and at this stage it is difficult to assess how long it will continue.
This notice was originally published on 1 March, and is updated as the situation develops, most recently on 18 March.
Instructions for those in the region
If you are in the Middle East, submit a travel notification and inform your family of your situation if necessary. Please update your travel notification if your return date changes.
Contact your travel organiser or airline to arrange your return journey. In an emergency, contact the Foreign Ministry's 24-hour number: +358 9 1605 5555 (phone calls are recorded).
Stay in a safe location. Avoid being near windows and avoid unnecessary movement in the city.
Follow the instructions of local authorities and rely on information from trusted sources. Local authorities are responsible for operational guidance in their respective areas.
Evacuation flights arranged by other countries
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs informs those who have submitted a travel notification in the area about other countries’ repatriation flights.
Information about flights arranged by other countries often arrives at very short notice. The flights operate to various destinations in Europe, and travellers must arrange their onward connections themselves. Arrangements such as costs and conditions vary between countries. Registration is often binding. Please read carefully the instructions provided to you.
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs is not responsible for the arrangements of these flights and is therefore unable to answer questions regarding them.
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs continuously assesses the need for repatriation flights.
Other flight connections and departing the region
As the security situation improves, flight operations will gradually resume. Flight connections are currently available to a limited extent from the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia.
Flight connections may also be available from neighbouring countries, provided the security situation allows it. If a traveller arranges their own departure, it is important to check the availability of flights in the country concerned. Finland’s embassies provide updates on the status of land borders and possible exit routes. Further information is available on the websites of the embassies: the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Israel.
Please note that due to the high demand, arranging return travel may take time. Disruptions to air traffic in the Middle East also affect other regions and may impact the travel plans of people elsewhere.
How the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Finland’s missions abroad are assisting Finnish citizens in the region
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs maintains close contact with Finland’s missions in the region and with partner organisations to support Finnish citizens and help ensure their safe return.
Additional personnel (a consular support team) has been deployed to the United Arab Emirates to assist with advising and supporting Finnish nationals.
Travel advisories are monitored continuously and updated when necessary. Determining the security level is not a mechanical process; it is always based on an overall assessment. The assessment considers, among other things, the scale and severity of risks to travellers, the capacity of local authorities to respond, and the predictability of the security environment. Any changes in advisory levels are also coordinated with the Nordic countries and other EU Member States.
At the request of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of the Interior activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism on 6 March. The EU Civil Protection Mechanism does not provide operational support for arranging repatriation flights. Repatriation flights are carried out by the Member States themselves.