Starting from today, together with Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, Estonia prohibits Russian citizens from entering the country with a Schengen short-term visa.
The restriction does not apply to all Russian citizens. If a person is visiting a family member who lives in the Schengen area on a valid legal basis or is raising a minor child with a person living in Schengen area, then exception is made.
The exception remains for diplomats, also for Russian citizens who have been granted a short-term visa by Estonia and are registered to work here or who have a short-term study visa, as well as employees directly involved in international freight and passenger transport.
As an exception, people are also allowed into the country on humanitarian grounds, including dissidents.
People who need to reach their home country via this route can pass through Estonia immediately as a transit. Exceptions also apply when crossing the borders of Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.
According to Interior Minister Lauri Läänemetsa, Estonia has already imposed sanctions on Russian citizens with Schengen visas issued by Estonia, but it does not restrict the travel of Russian citizens with visas issued by other Schengen countries or the use of Estonia as a transit country.
With the government's decision, the current restriction on entering Estonia in the Russian and Belarus sanctions regulation is invalidated, new travel restrictions will be established on the basis of the State Border Act.