Finland has refused entry to Russian tourists starting Friday midnight, following an increase in arrivals after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ‘partial mobilisation’ orders. In a press conference on Thursday, September 29, Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Havisto said Finland’s borders will be closed down in light of the current situation.

On September 21, President Putin announced that a “partial mobilisation” will take place in Russia that will see 300,000 Russian citizens being called up to serve in Ukraine. This development would mark a powerful expansion of troops to escalate Russia’s war on Ukraine.

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“The entry of Russian citizens (for) tourist purposes into Finland endangers Finland’s international relations,” Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said at the press conference. “The decision aims to completely prevent the current situation of Russian tourism to Finland and the related transit through Finland,” he added.

Havisto, however, added that Russians will still be able to travel to Finland to visit their families, study, or for work. Russians visiting Finland now need to apply for a visa in advance at a center in Russia, with an invitation either from a business or personal contact, and specify the reason for travel.

As per Finnish authorities, there was an 80% rise in the number of Russians who crossed the border into Finland over the weekend, tallying close to almost 17,000 people.

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The decision comes into force at midnight. The order will also ban Russians with Schengen tourist visas from entering Finland. Finland becomes the last EU neighbour of Moscow to take this decision. Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia had all closed their borders to Russian nationals earlier this month.

This major change in the new visa guidelines will prevent Russians from entering Finland — and moving within the 26-nation Schengen area with only a tourist visa. The new rules will now enable authorities to invalidate almost all of the currently-valid tourist visas issued to Russians.