Finland’s Ministry of the Interior confirmed on 26 May 2026 that it has launched a fast-track legislative project to keep the so-called Border Security Act (rajaturvallisuuslaki) on the statute book beyond its current sunset date of 31 December 2026. First adopted in July 2024, the law allows the government—under exceptional circumstances—to restrict the lodging of asylum claims at land crossing points on the 1 340-kilometre frontier with Russia and to funnel all applications to designated air- and seaports. Interior Minister Mari Rantanen told reporters that intelligence services still judge the risk of “instrumentalised migration” from the Russian side to be high. Although the border has remained closed to passenger traffic since December 2023, she warned that “rapid and serious changes” cannot be ruled out, especially in light of Russia’s war in Ukraine and tense bilateral relations. Extending the Act’s validity is therefore deemed a necessary insurance policy while longer-term EU-level measures under the new Pact on Migration and Asylum are phased in. Under the draft timetable, a government bill will be tabled in Parliament in September 2026; if approved, it would shift the final expiry to 31 December 2028, giving Helsinki the legal flexibility to reopen—or keep closed—individual crossing points depending on the security picture.
![Finland moves to prolong Border Security Act amid ongoing Russia-related migration pressure]()
At any stage, travelers and employers needing up-to-date guidance on Finnish entry requirements can streamline the process through VisaHQ. The platform’s Finland portal (https://www.visahq.com/finland/) tracks regulatory changes in real time and offers application and courier services for visas, residence permits, and travel documents—helping companies pivot quickly if land-border restrictions tighten again.
Business travellers and logistics operators should note that the emergency powers can also be used to reroute freight traffic and to concentrate visa services at specified missions abroad. For multinational companies with staff transiting through Finland or relying on Russian supply chains, the announcement signals that the land route will remain unpredictable at least through 2027. Employers planning assignments that require entry via the eastern border should build contingencies—such as routing via Helsinki-Vantaa Airport or Baltic Sea ferries—into mobility budgets. They should also monitor forthcoming implementing decrees, which could delineate which categories of travellers (for example, essential maintenance crews) might receive exemptions in a crisis scenario.
At any stage, travelers and employers needing up-to-date guidance on Finnish entry requirements can streamline the process through VisaHQ. The platform’s Finland portal (https://www.visahq.com/finland/) tracks regulatory changes in real time and offers application and courier services for visas, residence permits, and travel documents—helping companies pivot quickly if land-border restrictions tighten again.
Business travellers and logistics operators should note that the emergency powers can also be used to reroute freight traffic and to concentrate visa services at specified missions abroad. For multinational companies with staff transiting through Finland or relying on Russian supply chains, the announcement signals that the land route will remain unpredictable at least through 2027. Employers planning assignments that require entry via the eastern border should build contingencies—such as routing via Helsinki-Vantaa Airport or Baltic Sea ferries—into mobility budgets. They should also monitor forthcoming implementing decrees, which could delineate which categories of travellers (for example, essential maintenance crews) might receive exemptions in a crisis scenario.
