What is the situation at the border?
The land border between Finland and Russia has been fully closed since 15 December 2023. The closure covers all eight road crossing points: Vaalimaa, Nuijamaa, Imatra, Niirala, Vartius, Kuusamo, Salla and Raja-Jooseppi. The Finnish government has extended the decision several times, most recently on 4 June 2026, and it remains in force until further notice.
Passenger rail service between Helsinki and St Petersburg has been suspended since spring 2022, and the Vainikkala crossing serves freight only. The maritime border points are closed to leisure boating; freight traffic runs normally.
How do you get to Russia now?
There are no direct flights from Finland to Russia. In practice the trip goes through a third country: the most common connection points are Istanbul, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, all with daily services to Moscow and St Petersburg.
Some travellers use the Baltic land crossings, but their status and practices vary. Always check the current situation before travelling; we are happy to tell you which routes our customers have used recently.
The e-visa pitfall
Russia's electronic visa system lists Finnish-side border crossings as valid entry points. That list reflects readiness on the Russian side, not the Finnish side: these crossings cannot be used from Finland. Do not plan your route based on the e-visa service's list.
What does this mean for visa applicants?
You apply for the visa exactly as before, and the border situation does not affect processing at the consulate in Helsinki. A visa is not tied to an entry point, so the same visa is valid whether you arrive by air or by land through another country.
We recommend planning the route before ordering the visa. We flag any problem in the plan right away and help you pick a route that works.
Your Russian visa, handled
We take care of the application, the invitation and the insurance, and we tell you which route works right now.
See the Russian visa service