All travellers arriving in Finland required having a COVID certificate or a test

All travellers arriving in Finland who were born in 2005 or earlier will be required to show a COVID certificate, or if they do not have such a certificate, they will have to undergo a COVID-19 test. The Government has issued a decree that repeals the Government Decree on exceptions to the obligation to present the EU Digital COVID Certificate or undergo a COVID-19 test.

The decision to repeal the Government Decree is based on a statement issued by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare on the new Omicron variant. The institute maintains that currently no traveller arriving from any country or region can be exempted from the health security measures required upon arrival under section 16c, subsection 2, of the Communicable Diseases Act.

The Government repeals the decree to protect the health of the population against the threat posed by the Omicron variant by imposing more efficient health security measures in cross-border traffic.

Before repealing the decree, those exempted from the obligation to show a COVID certificate or undergo a test included people who had stayed for the last 14 days prior to their arrival in Finland only in Bhutan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Japan, China, Kuwait, Macao, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, New Zealand, the Vatican or the Norwegian municipalities of Sør-Varanger, Karasjok, Storfjord, Nordreisa or Tana. After the decree is repealed, even people who have stayed in these countries or regions are required to follow the same health security measures as any other traveller arriving in Finland. Repealing the decree will not cause any other changes.

The decree will enter into force on 4 December 2021. 

Inquiries:

Maija Neva, Lawyer, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, [email protected]
Ismo Tuominen, Senior Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, [email protected]

Correction 3 December 2021 at 3.00 p.m.: Year added to the headnote. Full third paragraph added.