Finland will tighten visa regulations for Russians

Starting September 1, 2019, Finland will expand the list of documents required for the Russians to obtain a visa. This was reported by the Finnish Foreign Ministry on its website. To obtain a visa to Finland, the Russians will need to provide the same documents which are required to obtain Schengen visas to other countries. Up to now, it was enough to present a completed application form, a valid passport, a color photo, a payment receipt for visa fee, an insurance policy, a copy of an internal passport and consent to the processing of personal data. 

Now, in addition to these documents, the Russians need to provide documents proving their stay during the trip, travel tickets, a written description of the travel route, a certificate of employment with salary information and an extract from the bank for the previous three months or a certificate of ownership of real estate in Russia. Previously, these documents were requested only in exceptional cases. 

In April 2019, the European Union decided to simplify obtaining Schengen visa for tourists with a good visa history. The changes will also concern the Russians: they will be able to apply for a visa six months before the trip (instead of three). Tourists with a “positive visa history” can obtain a multiple entry visa up to 5 years.