Last year Finland issued 790 000 Schengen visas to Russians

The Finnish representative offices in Russia issued a total 790 000 Schengen visas last year. “Finland issued 18% more visas than in 2018. Among the Schengen countries, Finland is the undisputed leader in the number of visas issued in Russia last year,” the press service of the Consulate General of Finland in St. Petersburg said.

According to the Finnish ambassador in Moscow, Mikko Hautala, the increase in the number of issued visas is primarily connected with stable ruble and the expansion of tourism services offered by Finland.

“The strengthening of the ruble last year was reflected in the increase in the number of tourists. Last year, tourists were also attracted to Finland by new points of interest, also, since the UN in 2019 called Finland for the second time as the happiest country in the world, Finland often appeared in the headlines of the media in Russia,” he said.

In addition, the department noted that 83% of all visas issued in Russia were issued in St. Petersburg. The number of visas issued in St. Petersburg increased by 19%.

“The vast majority of Russian tourists come from St. Petersburg region, from where you can reach Finland by car or train in a couple of hours. The results of a study show that 95% of St. Petersburg residents have a positive attitude towards Finland. In addition, today tourists know Finland better and make trips to cities that are not in the closest distance from the border,” said Anne Lammila, Consul General of Finland in St. Petersburg.