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Finland Expands Restrictions on Russian Athletes Amid Pushback Over Their Return to Competition
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Finland is preparing to tighten visa rules to prevent Russian athletes from entering the country for short-term work, with the government expected to approve the restrictions this week, Yle reported on November 9.
According to Yle, Finland’s Foreign Ministry is urgently preparing an amendment to the government’s existing policy on entry by Russian citizens.
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The change is expected to prevent Russian athletes from receiving short-term work visas for stays of less than 90 days, which are currently covered by an exemption to Finland’s broader restrictions on Russian travel.
Yle reported that the Finnish government is expected to approve the measure during a plenary session on November 12.
The restrictions would not apply retroactively to Russians who already hold valid visas. Yle noted that this would include Russian athletes traveling to Finland this week for NHL games.
Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen announced last week that the government would amend its existing policy on Russian entry, which was last updated in summer 2023.
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Finland has restricted non-essential travel by Russian citizens for several years, with the government arguing that such travel harms the country’s international relations, Yle noted.
The current policy still contains several exemptions, including for family members of Russians permanently residing in Finland, transport workers, business travelers, and people entering the country to maintain property they own.
Yle emphasized that Finland is not planning to close its borders to all Russian citizens, with many of the existing exemptions expected to remain in place.
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The government policy itself does not carry the force of law or regulation, meaning parliament does not need to approve the change. Individual visa decisions will continue to be made by the Foreign Ministry in accordance with Finnish law and government visa policy.
Finland’s resistance to Russian participation has also extended to international hockey. In November, the Finnish city of Turku warned it could withdraw from hosting the 2028 IIHF World Junior Championship if Russia is allowed to compete, stating that Russian participation would contradict the city’s values while the war against Ukraine continues.
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