Russians and Belarusians will be banned from buying real estate in Finland

Citizens of Russia and Belarus will be banned from carrying out real estate transactions in Finland. This was announced by the Finnish Ministry of Defense on May 23.

"Applications for permits submitted by citizens of Russia and Belarus before the date of entry into force of the decree will be considered in accordance with the standard procedure. After the decree comes into force, individuals and organizations subject to a complete ban will no longer be able to buy real estate in Finland," the agency's website said.

It is reported that the ban should come into force in June. A permit to purchase real estate will not be issued to a person whose country of citizenship may allegedly pose a threat to Finland's national security.

Northern veto: Finland discusses banning Russians from buying apartments

Who may be affected by the new restrictions and how does this affect the dialogue between Moscow and Helsinki

On February 6, the Finnish government submitted to parliament a bill that would restrict the purchase of real estate by Russians. The country's Defense minister, Antti Hakkianen, said that real estate could allegedly be used by Russian citizens to "exert hostile influence."