From September 1, Finland will officially make life more difficult for Russian tourists with new visa rules. According to information from the country’s Visa Center, whose role is performed by visa operator VFS Global, Finland will now accept applications for tourist visas only once a week and only at four visa centers in four cities.
Tourists from Moscow, St. Petersburg, as well as Murmansk, and Petrozavodsk found themselves in a privileged position.
As a result, experts note, about 2,000 slots for tourist visas will be opened for Russian tourists every month. At the same time, visa applications can be submitted only for the corresponding purpose of the travel category. Anyone who tries to circumvent this rule, book a slot on other days and submit documents for a tourist visa, will simply not be approved.
The first day of accepting documents for visas under the new rules will be Monday, September 5. According to experts, there are no more free slots for recording.
At the same time, applications for a Finnish visa were once accepted at 23 visa centers in different cities of Russia. What will happen to the remaining 19 is still unclear.