SDEK: Torfyanovka border checkpoint intentionally delays goods at the border for several days

Perhaps the most serious test for a tourist going shopping or for a walk in one of the Finnish cities is crossing the border with Finland. Since the situation at border checkpoints greatly depends on the time of day, day of the week and even time of year, it is worth taking seriously the choice of travel time. For example, during the Christmas sales period, and on other holidays, the queue at the border with Finland can stretch for kilometers. Unfortunately, nothing can be done about this, since many of our compatriots prefer to spend weekends or holidays in the nearest European country.

Changes due to quarantine

Due to the coronavirus epidemic, entry restrictions into Finland will be introduced from March 19. After the introduction of restrictions, when crossing the Finnish-Russian border it is allowed:

1. Return to Finland: Finnish citizens and their family members,
2. EU and Schengen citizens and their family members living in Finland,
3. third-country nationals residing in Finland with a residence permit.

Dear travelers, the Finnish Consulate is temporarily suspending the acceptance of new visa applications. All applications already accepted will be considered taking into account that the visa period will begin no earlier than May 1, 2021.

The Russian Embassy in Finland has opened a 24-hour hotline on issues of returning to the Russian Federation:

+ 358 50 476 83 28 + 358 9 278 40 23 + 358 9 607050

Consultations on returning to the Russian Federation can also be obtained by calling the Rostourism hotline +7 and the Department of the Situation and Crisis Center of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Customs broker services

• Personal customs clearance specialist;
• We prepare and execute the necessary documentation - declarations, applications, various permitting forms, documents, reporting;
• Recommendations on HS codes for goods;
• Preliminary calculation of customs value and amount of advance customs payments;
• Drawing up DT projects and related documents;
• Document flow with customs;
• Submission of information at the request of the Customs post of MAPPA Torfyanovka;
• Representation of the Customer's interests in the customs authorities of the Russian Federation;
• Organization, if necessary, of preliminary customs inspection of goods and vehicles before submitting the DT;
• Drawing up a declaration of intent under the seal of the customs representative;
• Consulting in the field of foreign economic activity (FEA);

How to behave on the border with Finland

To help Russian travelers cross the border quickly and without problems, Finnish border guards made a video that clearly and in detail shows how to behave at customs.

Now the Finnish border service is introducing a new border crossing scheme: now tourists who are not carrying declared goods do not need to get out of the car. This will significantly save time and reduce queues at the border.

At the border the driver must present:

• International passport valid for at least three months after the end of the trip
• Medical insurance valid for at least the duration of the trip (if asked)
• Valid Schengen visa or residence permit
• Vehicle registration certificate
• Green Card Policy
• Driver's license (if asked)

Checkpoint on the border with Finland

You can cross the border in three places: the border posts of Torfyanovka (Vaalimaa), Brusnichnoe (Nuijamaa) and Svetogorsk (Imatra). The choice of checkpoint depends only on the final destination. For example, when going shopping in Imatra, the Finnish city closest to Russia, you are better off passing through the border post in Svetogorsk, and from there it is about 15 kilometers to Imatra.

Since the flow of travelers in both directions is quite large at any time, the border service tries to work as efficiently and quickly as possible. Therefore, in order to avoid delays along the way, it is worth studying the rules for crossing the border in advance and preparing the necessary documents. At the border with Finland you will need a passport with a valid Schengen visa, car insurance (green card) and a car registration certificate, as well as, if necessary, declarations for the export of currency, animals or goods.

Below you can find information about checkpoints on the border with Finland.

Online queues at the Torfyanovka checkpoint

The daily throughput capacity is 5,000 cars and the size of this complex occupies an area of ​​32 hectares. It must be said that the largest queues occur during the New Year and May holidays. On weekends the situation is more or less stable.

At the entrance to the Torfyanovka checkpoint there are many gas stations, and directly in front of it there is a gas station. We recommend filling your car to a full tank on Russian territory, since gasoline prices in Finland are quite high. We also draw your attention to the fact that you can take 10 liters of fuel with you duty-free.

Checkpoint Imatra (Svetogorsk)

Located 50 kilometers from Vyborg, Svetogorsk (Imatra) is one of three checkpoints on the Russian-Finnish border in the Leningrad region. Unlike the busier checkpoints Torfyanovka and Brusnichnoye, Svetogorsk serves on average about one and a half thousand cars per day.

Opening hours, contacts and coordinates of the Svetogorsk/Imatra checkpoint

MUMILAND.RU

This post will focus on customs posts located on the land border of Russia with the Republic of Finland (Suomen tasavalta). I hope this information will be useful to those who are planning to visit our Northern neighbor, and will help in choosing the most optimal route for your trip.

The most popular among Russians (residents of the North-West) are two customs points: Torfyanovka/Vaalimaa and Brusnichnoe/Nuijamaa . But, as I wrote earlier, the choice of where to cross the state border with Finland depends on the direction in which you are going to move in Finland. For example:

• if we are moving in the direction of the cities of Kotka, Hamina or Helsinki, then it is better to cross the border at the Torfyanovka/Vaalimaa checkpoint (Vaalimaa)
• if your route in Finland is planned through Lappeenranta (and further to Kuolovo, Lahti or in the direction of Tampere), then - Brusnichnoe / Nuijamaa (Nuijamaa)
• if you are heading towards Imatra, Savonlinna, etc., then it is better to go through the Svetogorsk/Imatra checkpoint (Imatra)

Torfyanovka/Vaalimaa checkpoint

Located about 60 km from the city of Vyborg. Customs post address: 188900, Leningrad region, Vyborg district, Torfyanovka village. Phones: (8-81278) 5-93-21, 5-93-22, 2-84-70. Management telephone numbers: head of the customs post - (8-81378) 5-94-21, deputy head of the customs post - (8-81378) 5-94-23, (8-81378) 5-94-24. Fax: (8-81278) 5-93-32. To get to Torfyanovka village you need to follow the E-18 highway. On the Finnish side the track number changes to No. 7.

Customs post address (VAALIMAA TULLI) from Finland : 49930 Vaalimaa, Vaalimaantie 2990 (Virolahti municipality, Kymi province). Phones: 020-492-5511, 020-492-5530.

Opening hours of the Torfyanovka/Vaalimaa checkpoint : daily, 24 hours a day.

International checkpoint Lingonberry/Nuijamaa (Nuijamaa)

Located about 30 km from the city of Vyborg. Customs post address: 188900, Leningrad region, Vyborg district, Brusnichnoe village. Phones: (81278) 70-646. Management telephone numbers: head of the customs post - (8-81378) 5-94-60, deputy head of the customs post - (8-81378) 5-94-64, (8-81378) 5-94-63. Fax: (81278) 70-646.

Customs post address (NUIJAMAA TULLI) from Finland : 54230 Nuijamaa, Nuijamaantie 1740. Telephones: 020-492-5850, 020-308-851, 020-308-852. Fax: 020 492 5869.

The most popular customs checkpoint among our tourists, especially among those who go for cross-border shopping. Just a few minutes drive after crossing the Finnish border, there is a large Lapland store.

Opening hours of the Brusnichnoe/Nuijamaa checkpoint : daily, 24 hours a day.

International checkpoint Svetogorsk/Imatra (Imatra)

The third most popular border crossing point. Customs post address: 188961, Leningrad region, Vyborg district, Svetogorsk, Vokzalnaya str., 4. Phones: (81378) 44-353, 42-570, fax: (81378) 43-720, 44-026. Management telephone numbers: head of the customs post - (8-81378) 5-94-75, deputy head of the customs post - (8-81378) 59463, (8-81378) 59477, (8-81378) 44353.

Customs post address (IMATRA TULLI) from Finland: 55610 Imatra, Pietarintie 1 Telephones: 020-492-5800, 020-492-5829. In 2012, the Finnish Ministry of Finance decided to allocate funds for the modernization of this customs post (from the Finnish side, of course); the repair work is planned to be completed by 2014. Let's see what they will please us with)))

Opening hours of the Svetogorsk/Imatra checkpoint: daily, around the clock.

Vyartsilya/Niirala checkpoint (Niirala)

If you are moving to Finland (in the direction of Savonlinna, Mikkeli, Imatra, Lappeenranta, etc.) from South Karelia, then the Värtsilla/Niirala international checkpoint will appear on your way. The Vyartsilla customs point belongs to the North-Western Karelian Customs Department and is convenient if you come from Sortavala, Lodeynoye Pole or Petrozavodsk.

Customs post address: 186757, Republic of Karelia, Sortavala, village. Vyartsilya. Phones: (8-81278) 5-93-21, 5-93-22, 2-84-70. Management telephone numbers: head of the customs post - (8-81378) 5-94-21, deputy head of the customs post - (8-81378) 5-94-23, (8-81378) 5-94-24 Fax: (8-81278 ) 5-93-32.

Customs post address on the Finnish side: Rajantie 821, 82675 Niirala. Phones: +358-20-492-5950, +358-20-492-5995.

Opening hours of Vyartsilya/Niirala: daily, 24 hours a day.

MAPP Lyttä/Vartius

If you are in North Karelia, then you can get to Finland through the Lyttä-Vartius highway. Kostamuksha, the nearest large city on the Russian side, is located about 40 km from this checkpoint.

Address: Kostomuksha district, Republic of Karelia, Kostomuksha customs office (approximately 650 km from Helsinki). Phone: (814-259) 22685. Opening hours: from 07-00 to 21-00. From the Finnish side - the city of Kuhmo in the province of Oulu.

When planning to cross the border with Finland on pre-holidays and public holidays, keep in mind that at such times the intensity of passenger traffic increases sharply. Prepare mentally for a large number of cars at the border, queues that can take 2-4 hours, reserve time and patience. Delays when crossing the Russian-Finnish border must be taken into account, especially in cases where you are heading to Lappeenranta airport, Helsinki-Vantaa airport or some other airport, the plane, alas, will not wait. Of course, familiarize yourself with customs rules, baggage allowances, rules for transporting pets and other useful information in advance. Remember that when crossing the Finnish border, the driver of the vehicle must present, along with a driver's license and registration document, a Green Card.

Customs points in the Murmansk region

MAPP Salla/Salla . Opened in 2002. Address: 184060, Murmansk region, Alakurtta rural territorial district. Phone: (8152) 282325. Fax: (8152) 282215. Opening hours: from 07-00 to 21-00, daily.

Lotta - Raja-Jooseppi highway (approximately 1170 km from Helsinki and 330 km from Rovaniemi). Address: 184050, Murmansk region, Kola district, village MAPP LOTTA. Phone (8152) 58-68-78. Fax: (8152) 58-68-78. Opening hours: from 07-00 to 21-00, daily.

Information about the border departments of the FSB of Russia

I will not list everything; we will limit ourselves to the Leningrad region, the Republic of Karelia and the Murmansk region.

Border Department of the FSB of Russia for the Leningrad Region

Address: 191015, St. Petersburg, Shpalernaya street, building 62. Telephones;.

Border Department of the FSB of Russia for the Murmansk Region

Address: 183038, Murmansk region, Murmansk, Severny proezd, building 5. Telephones;;.

Border Department of the FSB of Russia for the Republic of Karelia

Address: 185005, Republic of Karelia, Petrozavodsk, Varlamova street, house 27. Telephones;;.

Don’t forget that as of January 1, 2021, new restrictions on the cost of goods imported from the European Union came into force. If you cross the border of the Russian Federation either by car or by bus, then without paying customs duties you can import goods worth up to 500 euros, restrictions on total weight - no more than 25 kg (in 2021, you could import goods worth 1500 euros without paying duty, weight - 50 kg). If the specified threshold is exceeded, goods must be declared and duty paid. For example, if in your luggage you suddenly find new boxes of household appliances you just bought in Finland, then you may have questions.

If you exceed these limits, you will have to pay 30% of the difference, but not less than 4.0 euros for each excess kilogram of weight.

Before crossing the Russian-Finnish border, it is necessary to prepare all documents in advance, including a passport, driver’s license and documents for a car and insurance for Finland. The choice of insurance companies is quite large: Ingosstrakh, Allianz, AlfaStrakhovanie, Liberty Insurance, VSK, Rosgosstrakh, Reso-Garantiya and others.

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