Safety requirements (last changed on 29 October 2021)

All the passengers arriving in Estonia by plane must complete the traveller’s questionnaire before their arrival in Estonia (including children, on behalf of whom their parent will present data). You can do this up to three days before arriving in Estonia. Border guards or the airline company may ask you to present the confirmation of the border-crossing declaration sent to your e-mail address either electronically or on paper. Those who arrive by ship, bus or car, are required to complete the traveller’s questionnaire when they arrive from countries that are not member states pursuant to the Schengen Agreement and the Convention Implementing the Schengen Agreement.

As the COVID-19 related travel conditions differ by country, depending on the constantly changing figures, travellers should review the tables on the webpage of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before crossing the border. The webpage also includes information about the general isolation requirements and exceptions upon crossing the state border.

General requirements can be found here.

The tables change according to the situation and include the requirements for entry into the country across all the countries depending on the vaccination/recovery/absence of the two.

NB! In the last table about third countries that are not listed in the EU Council’s Annex 1, attention should be paid to the last line, ‘Travelling only for work, studies, joining the family or on the basis of a special permit’ – it is possible that at least some people coming from those countries need a special permit for entering the country.

If necessary, further information can be obtained about special permits:
Police and Border Guard Board
Customer support (Mon-Fri 09:00 to 17:00): 612 3000
E-mail: ppa@politsei.ee

PÖFF only receives those foreign guests who present a certificate of vaccination against COVID-19 or recovery from COVID-19.

Ordinary arrivals, i.e. most of our Festival guests:

Guests who present a COVID certificate get a green mark or free movement mark on their badge, which allows them to move around without restrictions in the Festival territory. Outside the territory they have to present their COVID certificate together with their personal identity document if asked.

For every film delegation or foreign guest, the Festival has appointed a volunteer contact person who helps guests to comply with safety requirements. Guests who have to meet the audience or take part in one-on-one Industry meetings or in small indoor spaces, will be equipped with our partner Respiray’s wearable air purifiers and they carry a BioBlock nose spray in their bag. Instructions on how to use these will be provided by the contact person.

The Festival will guarantee the possibility of rapid testing at the expenses of the guests. Tests can also be ordered to the hotel rooms using our partner Certific.

In the interest of the safety of PÖFF’s guests, medical technology company Certific offers coronavirus testing via Certific’s phone app for a discount price of 9 euros using the code ‘PÖFF2021’. You can buy the test beforehand on Certific’s homepage and it will be delivered to your chosen Itella parcel machine on the following working day. Certific’s app instructs you on how to do the test correctly and you will receive the result on your phone along with a QR code. The test result is valid for 48 hours.

The Festival cooperates with Sinu Arst health centre, should anyone need medical aid or consultation.

  1. If a guest has only had one shot or vaccination is contraindicated for him or her for any reason, the guest must do a PCR test up to 72 hours before leaving the country of location or residence. The negative test result must be proven by a certificate in English, which must be forwarded to PÖFF’s guest department before the flight. The 72 hours is internationally calculated from the moment of providing the test sample.
  2. Before their arrival to the Republic of Estonia, foreign guests shall complete the form ‘Data for Coronavirus test’ which the guest department has previously sent to them. The data in the form are necessary for the nasopharyngeal swab and analysis (at SYNLAB’s lab).
  3. After the arrival of the guests in the Republic of Estonia, PÖFF will organise their reception and transport.
  4. Guests are required to move around indoors, wearing a mask or a Respiray wearable air purifier (masks and air purifiers are provided by the Festival) and complying with all the safety requirements (disinfecting hands, the 2 + 2 rule, staying only within the Festival territory).

During PÖFF
All the accredited guests of the Festival must comply with the organiser’s instructions:

  1. All the restrictions are in accordance with the restrictions and recommendations established in Estonia. When these change, the organiser will make changes in the restrictions of the event.
  2. Regular disinfection of hands.
  3. The obligation to correctly wear a mask or a Respiray wearable air purifier.
  4. Maintaining social distance (the 2 + 2 rule).

Instructions on acting in the case of a positive coronavirus test result:

  1. If the test result is positive, the guest must stay in his or her hotel room in self-isolation, until Sinu Arst health centre that monitors the guest grant permission to return home. The guest will be hospitalised, if necessary.
  2. All the healthcare service costs, additional hotel nights and other cost items related to falling ill or the coronavirus will be covered by the guest and/or his or her health insurance.
  3. Upon taking out travel insurance, the Festival’s foreign guests must take into account the possibility that they might have to pay for all the healthcare services. Costs related to a possible quarantine situation (on the average, an additional 14-day stay in Estonia) must be covered, as well as a medical evacuation to their home country, or hospital treatment, if necessary.
  4. No one who has contracted the coronavirus may leave Estonia before a doctor has declared them recovered.

Return of foreign guests to their home country:

Guests have to check the homepage of the foreign ministry of their home country for coronavirus requirements and obligations related to their return from the Republic of Estonia to their home country. The Festival provides the possibility to do PCR tests for guests whose home country so requires upon entry in order to avoid quarantine. The costs are generally covered by the guest, but can in exceptional cases be covered by the Festival.