Originally Posted by
MLTR
Hello everyone,
I am planning a trip on Finnair from Russia to the US with a layover in HEL. I have two questions: First, since the origin and destination countries are both non Schengen, do I have to go through the custom/border control at HEL? Do I need a transit visa? Second, I have a tight connection time of 50 minutes. Do you think it's enough at HEL? I want to understand what I should expect before making my reservation, so your answers will be highly appreciated. Thanks.
Best,
MLTR
There will be no border control and no health checks at HEL. There will be security control both ways (pre-covid, US arrivals were exempted from security checks and poured straight into the gate area).
Few nationalities require transit visas. Some do, like Somalis, I believe. Russians do not need a transit visa.
The non-Schengen side is very empty and it is very likely that transit security will be deserted. 50 minutes is more than enough. Of course, if the inbound is delayed, that is a different matter. Sometimes AY waits for connecting pax, and considering the circumstances, I would guess that they might wait if the delay is not too long.
When would you be flying? Right now, the Kamala-Schengen-Travel-Ban would prevent you from flying via Finland to the US unless you are an American citizen (or a few other exceptions).