Based on the novel coronavirus infection rate, starting from Monday, 5 October, of European countries, only people from Finland and Latvia arriving in Estonia don’t have to self-isolate for two weeks.
The self-isolation requirement also doesn’t apply to people arriving from the Vatican, but realistically no one can come to Estonia directly from the Vatican without passing through other countries.
A two-week self-isolation requirement will apply to passengers arriving from Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Some exceptions apply to people arriving in Estonia from Lithuania, namely if they arrive for the purpose of working, studying or receiving health services or for family reasons or transit and they have no symptoms and known contacts with infected persons. The same exemptions will apply to Latvia and Finland, should their infection rate surpass 25.
Testing available at the airport and the seaport
On 7 August, the Council of the European Union reviewed the list of third countries included in its recommendation on the gradual lifting of the temporary restrictions on non-essential travel into the EU, and according to the list, it is possible to travel to Estonia from Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay.
Passengers arriving from Canada, Georgia and Tunisia are subject to a two-week self-isolation. Anyone arriving in Estonia from any of the remaining countries on the list is not obligated to isolate for 14 days from next week.
From 1 September, people arriving in Estonia from high-risk countries can shorten the mandatory self-isolation and return to work by testing for COVID-19 at the airport and seaport.
Due to the spread of the novel coronavirus, the Estonian foreign ministry advises against any non-essential international travel.
The foreign ministry also points out that countries can change their conditions for entry and stay at short notice. “We recommend contacting the representation or the relevant authorities of your destination country for more detailed information about the conditions that apply there,” the ministry says.
Cover: A woman hugging a tree in Järvselja, Estonia. Photo by Kristin Wilson/Unsplash.
