The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Estonian foreign representations continue to work with travel agencies and transport companies to find and mediate options for Estonians to return home.
We are sharing the latest information available to us.
The following additional flights have been added:
- Tomorrow 22 March at 13.30, a special flight by Atlantic Travel departs from the Tenerife South Airport (Tenerife Sur) to Riga. There are some seats available; those wishing to purchase a ticket should contact [email protected] immediately. At around 22.00, a special Lux Express bus will take people from the Riga Airport to Estonia, please contact [email protected] to book a seat.
- A special flight by Nordica from Malaga to Tallinn is scheduled for Tuesday 24 March at 12.45. Please book your tickets directly on Nordica’s website www.nordica.ee/lendamekoju. Those wishing to return home to Spain from Tallinn can also take the Tallinn-Malaga flight. The Tallinn-Malaga flight departs on 24 March at 08.00.
- On Monday 23 March at 15.50, a special Air Baltic flight departs from Istanbul to Riga. Please call +371 6710 7771 to book a ticket.
- On Monday 23 March, an evacuation flight is organised by Lithuania from Bali to Vilnius; please book immediately at https://www.kidytour.lt/skrydis-balis-vilnius or notify the Estonian Embassy in Canberra (name, personal identification code, passport number, telephone number): [email protected]
- On Friday 27 March, an evacuation flight organised by Lithuania departs from Hanoi to Vilnius with a stopover in Bangkok. You can register here https://www.vietnamballoons.com/book-online for boarding from Hanoi or Bangkok. The ticket costs €999.
Important consular information:
- For those wishing to return from New Zealand, the good news is that yesterday 20 March at 21.00 (local time), Australia extended the transit window to 72 hours, which means that transit through Australia’s airports is allowed until 23 March at 21.00 (local time). Transfers must be made on the same day. The initial transit window announced covered 36 hours.
- We continue to remind you that those flying back to Estonia via Helsinki should be prepared to present a certificate (such as a ferry ticket) at the start of your journey, proving your final destination is Estonia. Regardless of the new border crossing guidelines introduced by the Finnish government that come into effect at midnight on Sunday, Estonian citizens and permanent residents can still return home through Finland. Transit through the international airports and ports of Finland is still allowed. For example, from the Vantaa Airport or the Port of Turku, people are free to proceed to the Port of Helsinki to board a ferry to Tallinn.
- We recommend the following options for coming to Estonia from Riga: a) take the train from Riga to Lugažin (near Valka); departures are at 10.34 and 18.15 (the first option would allow you to change to a Valga-Tallinn train the same day); b) if you are travelling with a larger group, you can contact Lux Express ([email protected]) to let them know about your arrival time and organise shared bus transport if possible; c) take a taxi to the Estonian border in Ikla or Valka and ask someone (friends or family) to come and pick you up; d) rent a car in Riga and return it in Tallinn.
Previously announced special flights and boat departures:
- Today 21 March at 14.00, a special flight in cooperation with the Estonian Track and Field Association departed from Faro and arrives in Tallinn at 20.40. The flight is operated by SmartLynx Airlines Estonia. Additional information: https://www.wris.ee/est/avalehe-kategooriad/top-tooted.p/evakuatsioonilend-faro–tallinn-21-03-2020-2347
- On 21, 22, 24 and 25 March, special Air Baltic flights depart from London Gatwick Airport to Riga. Please call +371 67207771 to book a ticket. Additional information: https://www.airbaltic.com/et/airbaltic-lisab-lennuliine-et-tuua-tagasi-koju-baltimaade-elanikud
- On Sunday 22 March at 14.00, a flight departs from the Kyiv Boryspil Airport to Tallinn, picking up all Estonian citizens who wish to return to Tallinn. The flight is operated by Skyup Airlines and the direct link to the Tallinn flight is as follows: https://skyup.aero/uk/results?departure_city=IEV&arrival_city=TLL&date_forward=2020-03-22&adults=1&children=0&infants=0. Regular flights from Kyiv were suspended on 17 March and as of now, this is the only option for flying to Tallinn from Kyiv in the immediate future.
- On Sunday 22 March at 17.40, a special Air Baltic flight departs from Abu Dhabi to Riga. More detailed information is to follow.
- On Monday 23 March, a chartered flight organised by Germany departs from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Frankfurt; those interested in booking a ticket should call +372 5301 9999 immediately.
- On Monday 23 March, a special Air Baltic flight from Tbilisi departs to Riga. Please call +371 67207771 to book tickets.
- On Tuesday and Wednesday, 24 and 25 March, special Air Baltic flights are departing from Amsterdam to Riga. Please call +371 67207771 to book tickets.
- At the request of the Foreign Ministry, Tallink altered the time of the last departure of the Megastar vessel from Helsinki to Tallinn between 19-22 March (inclusive). The Megastar will now depart at 23.00. Tickets can be purchased at the port until 22.50.
According to our information, regular flights can still be used to return to the Baltic States:
- From more distant locations, you can fly to Helsinki and then take a ferry to Tallinn
- Edinburgh (Ryanair, 23 March)
- Frankfurt (Lufthansa, until 23 March, as well as on 25 and 27 March)
- Düsseldorf-Weeze (Ryanair, 23 March)
- Istanbul (flights by Turkish Airlines on 22 and 24-26 March are currently on schedule. Turkish Airlines has suspended flights to 46 countries and this continues to change constantly)
- London (Ryanair, last flight on 23 March; Easyjet has some departures, the first available flight is on 29 March)
- Minsk (Belavia, next flights on 26 and 28 March)
- Stockholm (the first available option is a LOT flight on 29 March; the special Nordica flight on the Norwich-Stockholm-Tallinn route on 21 March is sold out)
- Several regular routes still operate between the United States and Europe, including daily Delta Air Lines flights from New York to London. More details are available on the company website.
- Flights between India and Europe will continue until at least 22 March.
- Qatar, Emirates, Turkish and China Airlines continue to fly between Vietnam and Europe. Flight schedule information with on a day-to-day basis: http://noibaiairport.vn/HOME/Lichbay.aspx; Noibai Airport helpline: 1900 636 535
Please contact your travel agency for booking tickets. Contacts of travel agencies:
Estravel: [email protected], telephone: +372 6 266 266
Baltic Tours: [email protected]
CWT Estonia: [email protected]
Go Travel: [email protected]
Atlas Travel Agency: [email protected]
WRIS: [email protected]
The Foreign Ministry is in constant contact with travel agencies and other European Union states to make sure that Estonians stranded in more distant locations without any other options for returning can get on possible evacuation flights. You must be aware that the cost of flights varies and depends on the number of passengers.
If you are stranded abroad and cannot find any other options for returning, please get in touch by calling +372 5301 9999 (24h).
Due to potential new travel restrictions or disruptions to transport links, we ask all Estonians who are currently travelling to return home at the earliest opportunity or prepare for an extended stay at their current location.
Additional information:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia
Communication Department
[email protected]