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Imposition of temporary restrictions on crossing the state border and establishment of quarantine upon crossing the state border in order to prevent a new outbreak of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 causing the COVID-19 disease

Passed 16.05.2020 No. 169
RT III, 17.05.2020, 2
Entry into force 18.05.2020

Amended by the following legal instruments (show)

Under § 17 (1) 1) and 2) of the State Borders Act:

1. In connection with the worldwide pandemic spread of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 causing the COVID-19 disease and identification of the spread of the virus within Estonia and in order to prevent new mass infections, the crossing of the external border for the purpose of entering Estonia and, if the border control is temporarily reintroduced on the internal border, the crossing of the internal border are temporarily restricted.

2. Crossing of the state border for the purpose of entering Estonia is allowed for persons who have Estonian citizenship, Estonian residence permit or right of residence or whose permanent place of residence according to the population register is in Estonia.

3. Crossing of the state border for the purpose of entering Estonia is allowed for foreigners who are asymptomatic and who are employees of diplomatic missions or consular posts of foreign states in Estonia or their family members or foreigners arriving in Estonia in the framework of international military cooperation.

4. Crossing of the state border for the purpose of entering Estonia is allowed for foreigners who are asymptomatic and who are directly involved in transporting goods and raw products, including loading of goods or raw products.

5. Crossing of the state border for the purpose of entering Estonia is allowed for foreigners who are asymptomatic and who are providing health services or other services necessary for responding to an emergency.

6. Crossing of the state border for the purpose of entering Estonia is allowed for foreigners who are asymptomatic and who are directly involved in international carriage of goods and passengers, including a crew member and a ship’s crew member servicing an international means of transport and a person performing repairs or warranty or maintenance work on such a means of transport.

7. Crossing of the state border for the purpose of entering Estonia is allowed for foreigners who are asymptomatic and who are servicing travel groups and who are directly involved in the provision of passenger transport services.

8. Crossing of the state border for the purpose of entering Estonia is allowed for foreigners who are asymptomatic and whose purpose for arriving in Estonia is related to ensuring the continuity of a vital service.

9. Crossing of the state border for the purpose of entering Estonia is allowed for foreigners who are asymptomatic and whose arrival in Estonia is related to the maintenance or repair of or warranty or information and communication technology work on equipment of a company operating in Estonia if this is necessary for ensuring the operation of the company.

10. Crossing of the state border for the purpose of entering Estonia is allowed for foreigners for immediate transit through the territory of Estonia for reaching their country of residence, provided they are asymptomatic.

11. Crossing of the state border for the purpose of entering Estonia is allowed for persons who are asymptomatic and who hold a citizenship, residence permit or right of residence of the Republic of Latvia or the Republic of Lithuania or whose permanent place of residence according to the population register is in the Republic of Latvia or the Republic of Lithuania.

12. In addition to the provisions of clauses 2 through 11, crossing of the state border for the purpose of entering the Republic of Estonia from the Republic of Finland is allowed for a person who holds a citizenship, residence permit or right of residence of the Republic of Finland or whose permanent place of residence according to the population register is in the Republic of Finland and who is asymptomatic if:
1) the person’s purpose for arriving in Estonia is work or performance of other contractual obligations;
2) the person is studying in an educational institution registered in Estonia;
3) the person arrives in Estonia for urgent family reasons, above all to meet a close relative, a funeral, a wedding or cases of illness.

12¹. Crossing of the state border for the purpose of entering Estonia is allowed for persons who are asymptomatic and who arrive in the Republic of Estonia from a Member State of the European Union or a Schengen Member State or the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
[RT III, 28.05.2020, 1 – entry into force 01.06.2020]

13. By way of an exception, the Police and Border Guard Board may allow the state border to be crossed for the purpose of entering Estonia by a foreigner:
1) who is asymptomatic and whose direct blood relative in the ascending or descending line or spouse is an Estonian citizen or a person holding an Estonian residence permit or right of residence;
2) who is asymptomatic and whose entry in the country is justified under a special request.

14. In order to prevent the mass spread of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 causing the COVID‑19 disease within Estonia, a quarantine of 14 calendar days is imposed on a person permitted to enter Estonia at the state border of the Republic of Estonia. Within 14 calendar days after arrival in Estonia the person may leave their place of residence or permanent place of stay on the order of a health care professional or a police officer or in the event of an emergency that puts the person’s life or health at risk or to buy food, essentials or medicine.

15. The restriction set out in clause 14 does not apply to asymptomatic persons in the following cases:
1) persons referred to in clauses 2 through 12 who were abroad and have arrived in Estonia for a purpose set out in clauses 3 through 10, and persons referred to in sub-clause 2) of clause 13;
2) persons referred to in clause 2 if the Police and Border Guard Board has not applied the restriction set out in clause 14 to them upon crossing of the state border;
3) persons referred to in clauses 11 and 12;
4) persons referred to in clause 2 who arrived directly from the Republic of Latvia or the Republic of Lithuania;
[RT III, 28.05.2020, 1 – entry into force 01.06.2020]

5) persons referred to in clause 2 who arrived directly from the Republic of Finland and the purpose of their stay in Finland was work or performance of other contractual obligations, studies in an educational institution registered in Finland or urgent family reasons, above all meeting a close relative, a funeral, a wedding or cases of illness;
[RT III, 22.05.2020, 2 – entry into force 21.05.2020]

6) persons referred to in clause 2 who arrived directly from the Republic of Finland and who stayed in the territory of the Republic of Finland for at least 14 consecutive days immediately before arriving in the Republic of Estonia;
[RT III, 22.05.2020, 2 – entry into force 21.05.2020]

7) persons referred to in clauses 2 and 12¹ who have been in a Member State of the European Union or a Schengen Member State or the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland within the past 14 days, provided the cumulative number of positive tests for the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 causing the COVID-19 disease per 100,000 inhabitants in said country for the past 14 days is equal to or less than 15.
[RT III, 28.05.2020, 1 – entry into force 01.06.2020]

15¹. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs publishes on its website a list of the countries referred to in sub-clause 7) of clause 15 and of countries where the cumulative number of positive tests for the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 causing the COVID-19 disease per 100,000 inhabitants for the past 14 days is greater than 15.
[RT III, 28.05.2020, 1 – entry into force 01.06.2020]

16. A person subject to a prohibition on leaving their designated place of residence or permanent place of stay as of 4 May 2020 is required to keep complying with this restriction until the passing of the relevant term.

17. [Omitted from this text.]

18. This Order takes effect on 18 May 2020.

This Order is issued considering the fact that under § 2 2) of the Communicable Diseases Prevention and Control Act the COVID-19 disease corresponds to the signs of a new dangerous communicable disease because COVID-19 is a disease with a high level of infectiousness which spreads rapidly and extensively and which may be serious or life‑threatening. There is also no effective treatment or it is not available and the spread of the disease may exceed the hospital treatment capacity.

For the protection of the life and health of people and overriding public interest, this Order establishes restrictions for preventing the spread of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 causing the COVID-19 disease. The reasons and considerations are set out in the explanatory memorandum to the Order, which will be published on the website of the Government of the Republic.

This Order can be appealed against by filing a challenge pursuant to the procedure provided by the Administrative Procedure Act within 30 days as of the day the relevant person became or should have become aware of the Order. This Order can also be appealed against by filing an action with the administrative court pursuant to the procedure provided for in the Code of Administrative Court Procedure within 30 days as of the day of announcement of this Order.