2023-09-15 16:02:00
Implementation of EU sanctions Finland does not allow cars with Russian license plates into the country
September 15, 2023, 6:02 p.m. Listen to article
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Following Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine, the EU imposes a series of sanctions. Finland is now implementing one of these. Starting this weekend, no vehicles registered in Russia will be allowed to cross the border. However, there are exceptions.
After the Baltic states, Finland also prohibits entry with cars with Russian license plates. According to the Finnish government, from midnight on Saturday night it will be prohibited to enter the northern EU country with vehicles registered in Russia. Finland is thus following the line of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which had already closed their borders to vehicles registered in Russia in the past few days.
The basis for the step is a clarification from the EU Commission on September 8th on the implementation of the sanctions once morest Russia that the EU imposed in the wake of Russia’s war of aggression once morest Ukraine. Accordingly, vehicles registered in Russia are no longer allowed to enter EU territory. Finland is the EU country with by far the longest border with Russia.
There should only be isolated exceptions to the rule, for example for EU citizens and diplomats living permanently in Russia, according to a statement from the Finnish government. Cars registered in Russia that are already in Finland must therefore be taken out of the country by March 16, 2024. There will be no change to the requirements for the already highly restricted entry of people from Russia into Finland.
At the end of last week, the Russian embassy in Helsinki recommended not entering Finland with vehicles that have Russian license plates. “Taking into account the possible risks, we recommend that Russian citizens not travel to Finland in cars with Russian license plates,” the quoted Tageszeitung Vedomosti the embassy press service.
In the summer, Russian media reported on several cases in which vehicles with Russian license plates were stopped on German roads and confiscated by customs. The officials said the reason was a violation of EU sanctions.
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