Russia plans to cancel the requirement for two tests for vaccinated or ill citizens

From May 1, Russian citizens entering Russia from other countries are required to take two coronavirus tests and upload their results to the State Services portal.

Russian the authorities plan to exempt Russian citizens vaccinated or ill with COVID-19 from the obligation to take two tests upon arrival from abroad. This was reported by the consular department of the Russian Foreign Ministry. A condition for exemption must be the availability of information about a past illness or vaccination on the State Services portal. As a rule, information on vaccination with Sputnik (and, more recently, Epivac Corona) is automatically entered by a medical institution. Whether it will be possible to add information about the vaccination course carried out in other countries to the State Services is still unknown.

The requirement for Russian citizens entering the Russian Federation to undergo two tests for coronavirus was introduced on May 1. The first test should be done within three days of arrival, the second within five. In this case, the interval between tests should be at least a day. The test results must be uploaded to the State Service portal, and until they are received, observe the self-isolation regime. In some cases, Russians who enter the country for one day are exempted from the requirement for two tests.

For foreign citizens, the requirements for crossing the Russian border are different: they need to present a negative test made before entering Russia. Citizens of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan were exempted from this, but from July 1, it is planned to apply to them the requirement for a test passed in advance. In addition, random screening tests of foreign citizens are now being carried out at Russian border checkpoints.

Finland tests at the border

In Finland, the border crossing rules will also soon be changed in connection with the introduction of a single European coronation certificate. Its meaning is that it should give EU residents the same entry rights as citizens of an EU member state.

This means that Finland will no longer be able to restrict entry to Europeans vaccinated against COVID 19 who have had an illness or test negative for coronavirus. Now this is not enough to enter the country: it still needs a good reason.

At the same time, the rules for testing and self-isolation for those entering are unlikely to change in the near future. At the border, you must pass a test or present a fresh certificate of the absence of coronavirus, and then remain in self-isolation for ten days. However, it can be shortened by going for a second test 72 hours after arrival. The fact of being vaccinated or having antibodies after an illness does not exempt one from a mandatory test. These rules are the same for everyone, regardless of citizenship.

The current restrictions on entry into the country are valid until June 27. Full rules can be found on the Finnish Border Guard website. The strict Finnish restrictions are extremely unhappy in Estonia, whose ordinary citizens have actually not been able to visit Finland since the end of January, and those who work on this side of the Gulf, but Estonians registered at home do not have the right to free movement between countries by sea, even if they have a negative coronavirus test.