Finland clarifies new rules for visa application
From 1 September Finland will request a similar list of visa documents as required by other Schengen states, but there are differences.
According to the representatives of the Finnish side, the changes cannot be considered as toughening on Russian citizens.
Consul General of Finland in St. Petersburg Anne Lammila says: “Russians for us belong to the first class of travelers, and we are waiting for them in the future.”
Finland complies with the general requirements of the Schengen Agreement at the request of the European Commission. In the summer of 2018, the EC checked the issuance of visas at the St. Petersburg Consulate General and gave a conclusion.
“Finland has been required to follow the general rules of the Schengen Agreement when issuing visas. It was necessary to change the procedure for issuing visas, said Anna Lammila.
According to Pasi Tuominen, director of the consular services department of the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there is no need to “accelerate the application for a visa.” He advised the citizens of the Russian Federation to use the possibility of online registration to submit documents to save time, or to come outside the peak hours (from 12.30 to 14.00).
From September 1, citizens of the Russian Federation to apply for a visa to Finland need to provide a description of the route in free form, a bank statement on the movement of funds for the last three months, a certificate from work or documents for ownership of real estate. Previously, such documents were requested “if necessary”.
If the applicant travels to Finland in his car for a day on a shopping tour, he describes the route: the border crossing point, the region of the route, the intended shops, the road home.
If a person assumes that his first trip to Finland will be such a short visit, then the description of this route is enough to obtain a multiple-entry visa.
To submit a visa application, you need a bank statement or a printout from a card account on the movement of funds for the last 3 months. It is not necessary to certify the document with the bank seal. The statement should be “fresh”: 1-2 days.
There is no answer yet about the required amount of funds in the bank account for obtaining a visa.
Minors and students will need to prove the possibility of financial security: a certificate of income of parents, inviting friends or relatives.
Speaking about pensioners, the Finnish side has not yet given an unambiguous answer, what to do if the pensioner does not have a bank account.
The changes will not affect the procedures for issuing business visas, since applicants still provide a document from the place of work and the invitation of the host party.
When submitting a package of documents for a tourist tour operator, travel agencies must attach a voucher or an agreement with the client, a route plan, a schedule of arrivals.
If customers in the regions make mobile biometrics, and are going to travel to Finland through Moscow or St. Petersburg, then this should be noted in the route description.
“There will be no transition to single-entry visas under any circumstances. The new rules will not affect the issuance of multivisas for two years, says Pasi Tuominen.
Source: atorus