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Norway will further tighten entry conditions for Russian tourists starting May 29, further restricting access in response to the Kremlin’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
From May 29, they will no longer be able to do so, the government said in a statement. Under the new restrictions, Russian citizens aiming to enter Norway for tourism or other non-essential purposes will be denied entry.
However, exceptions will be made for specific cases, such as visiting close family members residing in Norway or Russian citizens traveling for work or study in Norway or other Schengen countries.
Norway, a Nordic NATO member with a land border shared with Russia, initially imposed visa restrictions on Russian citizens in 2022 and will tighten access even further from May 29, the country’s justice ministry said Thursday.
Minister of Justice and Public Security Emilie Enger Mehl in a statement said that the decision to tighten the entry rules is in line with the Norwegian approach of standing by allies and partners in the reactions against Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine.
Although not a member of the European Union, Norway works closely with the bloc, which had already adopted similar measures toward Russians in the wake of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The Schengen border-free area includes most European countries and allows people to travel freely within its borders.
With inputs from agencies.