Estonia to keep limited border crossing hours with Russia indefinitely
Estonia's government has approved an Interior Ministry proposal to make the temporary 12-hour operating schedule at road and rail border crossings with Russia permanent, with no end date set. The measure keeps crossings open only from 7:00 to 19:00.
The Estonian government has approved a proposal from the Ministry of Interior to extend indefinitely the temporary 12-hour operating hours — from 7:00 to 19:00 — at road border crossing points on the Estonian-Russian control line. Rail crossings will follow the same schedule.
This means the temporary arrangement introduced in spring at the Narva, Koidula and Luhamaa crossings, which was originally set to expire at the end of August, will now continue without a fixed end date.
Reasoning behind the decision
Interior Minister Igor Taro (Eesti 200) said the decision reflects the broader context of relations between Russia and the European Union, shaped by Russia's full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine. He noted that the original goals of the restrictions — improving border security, strengthening the ability to respond to border incidents, and reinforcing customs control — remain just as relevant.
Closing the crossings late in the evening and overnight has allowed the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) and the Tax and Customs Board (MTA) to use available staff more efficiently. MTA in particular increased the number of officers working at border points during daytime hours to ensure full customs checks.
Fewer crossings recorded
The total number of border crossings at the Narva, Luhamaa and Koidula road checkpoints has dropped significantly compared with previous years. While roughly 512,000 people crossed the land border in the first half of 2025, that figure fell to about 444,000 in the same period of 2026 — a 13% decrease. Vehicle crossings fell from around 43,500 to about 35,000, a 20% drop, and the number of trains passing through rail crossings also declined noticeably.
Taro also addressed why Estonia has not fully closed its border with Russia, saying such a step would require a more serious justification backed by a corresponding threat assessment, which does not currently exist.
The Luhamaa and Koidula crossings switched to the 7:00–19:00 schedule on 24 February, having previously operated around the clock. The Narva crossing stopped operating overnight as early as 1 May 2024, and moved to the full 12-hour schedule on 15 June this year.
