Estonia keeps Russian border crossings open 12 hours a day

Estonia will keep its road border crossings with Russia open for 12 hours a day indefinitely, ERR reported. Railway border crossings will operate on the same schedule.

The government approved the Interior Ministry’s proposal to extend the temporary opening hours at the Narva, Koidula and Luhamaa border crossings from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The arrangement had initially been set to last until the end of August, but no end date has now been specified.

Interior Minister Igor Taro said the decision reflected the broader context of relations between Russia and the European Union, shaped by Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. He said the restrictions were also intended to improve border security, the response to border incidents and customs controls.

The Interior Ministry said keeping the border closed late in the evening and overnight had allowed the Police and Border Guard Board and the Tax and Customs Board to use staff more efficiently. The Tax and Customs Board has increased daytime staffing at border crossings to carry out full customs inspections.

Passenger numbers at the Narva, Luhamaa and Koidula road crossings have fallen significantly compared with previous years. In the first half of 2025, 512,000 people crossed the land border points, compared with 444,000 in the same period of 2026, a decrease of 13 percent.

The number of vehicles crossing fell from 43,500 to 35,000, or by 20 percent. The number of trains using the railway border crossings has also declined significantly.

Taro said there was currently no need to close Estonia’s eastern border completely. He said such a decision would require a serious need confirmed by a threat assessment, and no such assessment currently existed.