Estonia will temporarily restore border check on internal borders

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Photo: Elmo Riig / Sakala

In connection with the visit of Mr Barack Obama, the President of the United States of America, Estonia will temporarily restore border check on internal borders.

From 31 August -3 September passengers will have to undergo border checks at the airports and harbours and Estonian - Latvian land border can only be crossed through temporary border points.

Temporary border check will be enforced on Sunday, 31 August at 14.00 and it will continue until the end of the visit of the President of the United States of America on the evening of 3 September. During the given time period also passengers travelling within the European Union need to undergo border checks at airport and harbours, generally only when entering Estonia.

Re-establishment of border check does not change much for the passengers, however, we advise you to plan more time than usual. Please be prepared for delays when arriving in Estonia on a cruiser, as there might be queues at the harbour. All passengers should make sure that they have a valid passport or ID card with them, and when travelling by car, also vehicle documents.

We will set up ten border check points, operating 24 hours a day on Estonian-Latvian land border during the period of temporary border checks, three of them will be located in Valga. Border check on passenger trains travelling between Estonia and Latvia will be conducted in railway carriages and on the waiting platform.

From 31 August-3 September the following temporary border points will be operating on Estonian -Latvian border:

Ikla border point on Tallinn-Pärnu-Ikla Highway in Pärnu County

Vana-Ikla border point on Rannametsa-Ikla Highway in Pärnu County

Mõisaküla border point on Mõisaküla Road in Viljandi County

Lilli border point on Karksi-Nuia-Lilli Highway in Viljandi County;

Holdre border point in Holdre Village in Valga County;

Vastse-Roosa border point on Mõniste-Ape Highway in Võru County;

Murati border point on Riia-Pihkva Highway in Võru County;

Border points on Raja and Sepa Street and on Valga-Uulu Highway in Valga County.

FAQs

Why the border control will be reinstated?

Border control will be reintroduced in order to ensure safety and public order during the visit of the President of the United States of America.

Will the border control be applied both on people arriving the county and departing travelers?

Mostly only people entering Estonia will be checked.

Can I travel from Latvia to Estonia at night time?

Yes, all the ten temporary border crossing points are working 24/7

How can I travel between Valga and Valka?

There will be three temporary border crossing points opened in Valga: on Raja and Sepa street and on Valga-Uulu highway. All the three points are working 24/7.

How the border check in Estonian-Latvian trains will be organized?

Travelers are controlled in train cars and on the train platform.

What about small harbors, fishermen and boats?

Border control is not mostly applied to local fishing boats. There will be random checks at small harbors

Will there be customs procedures done during the four-day period?

All the border regime rules will not be implemented, because that would cause disproportional costs for the state. Therefore customs procedures or-, sanitary-, veterinary- and fytosanitary control will not be implemented during temporary border check.

Has Estonian reinstated Schengen border control before?

After joining the Schengen area in 2007, Estonian has once re-established border control during the unofficial meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers from 17 - 23 April in Tallinn.

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