Despite Finland’s 18-month-old suspension of all passenger traffic at the eastern land frontier, new data released by Russia’s border service show that 1,087 Finnish citizens entered the Russian Federation between January and March 2026. The figures, first reported by the daily *Moscovskiy Komsomolets* on 10 May, confirm that travel has not ground to a complete halt even after Helsinki shuttered every crossing point in December 2024 in response to a surge in asylum-seekers arriving from Russia. The statistics reveal that nearly half (481) of the journeys were made on foot along forest tracks and back roads—routes that technically remain illegal but are hard to police along the 1,340-kilometre frontier. A further 399 Finns drove across the border during brief windows when small service gates were opened for local residents, while 201 opted to fly via Moscow or St Petersburg airports. Only a handful used rail or ferry links. Most travellers cited family visits (451) or business reasons (344); tourism accounted for 208 entries. Although the numbers are down 13 % on the same period of 2025, the persistence of cross-border traffic underscores the limits of unilateral closures within the Schengen Area. Finnish authorities can fine citizens who ignore official travel advisories, yet—unlike incoming foreigners—they cannot legally bar nationals from leaving the country. For companies with operations on both sides of the border, the data illustrate that staff movements, spare-parts deliveries and site inspections are still feasible, but now require circuitous planning and higher compliance costs. Logistics experts warn that the ad-hoc nature of today’s crossings creates additional security and insurance liabilities. Employers must verify that their personnel carry the correct multiple-entry Russian visas, understand that Finnish consular assistance inside Russia is severely restricted, and arrange contingency communications.
![Finns continue to cross the closed land border into Russia on foot, cars and flights]()
To streamline that paperwork, travellers and firms alike can lean on VisaHQ’s online portal (https://www.visahq.com/finland/), which provides real-time guidance on Russian visa categories, Schengen humanitarian options, document translation and courier services from Finland, helping cut lead times and reduce compliance risks.
Conversely, Russian suppliers who need to visit Finnish plants must still apply for humanitarian-category Schengen visas in third countries such as Estonia or Turkey, as Finnish missions in Russia remain closed. Looking ahead, Helsinki has tied any reopening of the road checkpoints to “clear evidence that Moscow is no longer instrumentalising migration flows”. With EU interior ministers set to review the bloc’s new Crisis and Force Majeure Regulation in June, multinational firms should monitor whether Finland receives Commission approval to maintain the closure into a third winter or is asked to adopt targeted screening instead of a blanket ban.
To streamline that paperwork, travellers and firms alike can lean on VisaHQ’s online portal (https://www.visahq.com/finland/), which provides real-time guidance on Russian visa categories, Schengen humanitarian options, document translation and courier services from Finland, helping cut lead times and reduce compliance risks.
Conversely, Russian suppliers who need to visit Finnish plants must still apply for humanitarian-category Schengen visas in third countries such as Estonia or Turkey, as Finnish missions in Russia remain closed. Looking ahead, Helsinki has tied any reopening of the road checkpoints to “clear evidence that Moscow is no longer instrumentalising migration flows”. With EU interior ministers set to review the bloc’s new Crisis and Force Majeure Regulation in June, multinational firms should monitor whether Finland receives Commission approval to maintain the closure into a third winter or is asked to adopt targeted screening instead of a blanket ban.
