Norway to tighten entry rules for travellers from Russia starting next week

Norway will further restrict its entry conditions for Russian tourists from May 29, a decision the government said backed its allies’ reactions to the war being waged in Ukraine.

Russian citizens whose purpose is tourism and other non-essential travel will be rejected upon entry, according to a website statement on Thursday. Exceptions will be granted in certain cases, for instance to visit close family residing in Norway and for Russian citizens who will work or study in Norway or other Schengen countries, it added.

The change follows a previous tightening in the spring of 2022 when tourist visas for Norway were generally not granted to Russians.

On Thursday, Norwegian authorities said they will “keep a close eye on the border and border traffic at Storskog, and will take action if necessary,” referring to the only border crossing point on the land border with Russia. That is also the only checkpoint in the region that can still be used by Russians entering the Schengen area after neighboring Finland shut its border points with Russia last fall.