Following Latvia and Lithuania, Estonia banned the entry of cars with registration numbers issued in Belarus, regardless of the reasons for the ownerʼs or userʼs stay in Estonia or the European Union.
This was reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia.
The decision is related to the strengthening of EU sanctions against Belarus, which include, in particular, a ban on the import of cars with Belarusian license plates. In some cases, an EU member may make an exception, for example, for humanitarian reasons and for cars with diplomatic license plates.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna stated that the ban on the entry of cars with Belarusian license plates is justified, as the Belarusian regime is helping Russia in the war against Ukraine. At the same time, he added that Estonia will continue to help Belarusians who are forced to leave their country due to repression.
Now the owners of cars with Belarusian license plates need to re-register them in Estonia. It takes from five days to 12 months, depending on the situation. If this is not done, the vehicle will be confiscated and the owner will be fined.
- In 2023, EU countries banned the entry of cars with Russian license plates. Poland, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia introduced the ban in September, and Norway in October.
- On June 26, 2024, EU ambassadors agreed to strengthen sanctions against Belarus to prevent the circumvention of restrictions by Russia and Belarus.