Estonia tightens border controls to curb sanction evasion

You now have to wait several or even dozens of hours to leave Estonia. Estonian customs officers have begun meticulous checks of travellers and vehicles at the border with Russia. Ultimately, every pedestrian, bus passenger, piece of baggage, and transported goods will be thoroughly checked.

The new regulations signify a shift from the previous random control based on risk to full control of all travellers crossing the Estonian-Russian border. These regulations came into force on 8 August.

Prime Minister Kristen Michal emphasized that Estonia must take all necessary measures to ensure that sanctions on restricted goods passing through the eastern border are not bypassed.

The current approach of Estonian authorities is connected to the EU's 14th package of sanctions against Russia, responding to a growing number of attempts to circumvent these restrictions and an expanding list of sensitive items. Voldemar Linno, who leads the customs control department at the Tax and Customs Board, indicated that the movement of any goods potentially aiding Russia's war efforts is under especially rigorous scrutiny.

On the first day of intense checks, several hundred pedestrians were waiting in line to cross the border in Narva. Meanwhile, hundreds of cars and lorries were lined up on the southern section of the border in Koidula, where it is possible to cross by car. According to customs officers, the waiting time could be extended from several hours to even 24 hours.

Since Finland closed its border with Russia at the end of last year, the route through Estonia has also become the shortest for Finns and citizens of other countries. According to Estonian services, at the Narva crossing this summer alone, every third traveller carried a passport other than Estonian or Russian.

In June and July, Estonians and Russians crossed the border at Narva 120,000 times, while citizens of other countries crossed 70,000 times. Meanwhile, a Finnish passport was checked about 30 times more often this year than last.

In 2023, Estonian customs officers recorded about 5,000 cases of sanctions violations, meaning at the Narva crossing at least one traveller was turned back every hour.