Finland bans Russian cars from entering the country

Finland follows the Baltic states in banning Russian passenger cars from entering the country.

This was announced at a press conference by Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen.

The ban will come into force on 16 September at 00:00.

Now, only EU citizens with permanent residence in Russia, their family members and diplomats can import cars with Russian licence plates into Finland.

It will be recalled that on September 13, the Baltic states adopted the relevant decision. 

On September 8, the European Commission published clarifications on sanctions against Russia, according to which the Commission recommends that the entry of cars registered in Russia be treated as prohibited imports. However, each country has the right to make the final decision independently.

Cars with Russian licence plates must leave the territory of Finland within six months, i.e. by March 16, 2024.