Finland will start issuing five-year multi-visas to Russians from 2020

ATOR reports that the Finnish Consulate General is planning innovations.

From November 11, 2019, a visa stamp (sticker) will appear in the Finnish visa, and from February 2, 2020 a new EU visa code will come into force, within the framework of which the EU countries will be able to issue long visas to Russians.

Anneli Nummelin, head of the visa department, said that the Consulate General Finland will start issuing multiple-entry visas for five years. They can be obtained by applicants who have been issued a Finnish two-year visa for the last three years, which “was used according to all rules without violations.”

Currently, the five-year visa of Finland can be obtained by employees of national and regional governments and parliaments, members of the Supreme Courts, their families, as well as spouses and children of persons with citizenship of the Russian Federation and the European Union.

Since September 1, Finland has been asking Russians to submit their Schengen visa applications with supporting documents under EU directives.

The innovation provoked an avalanche of visa applications for eight months of this year: the number of applications in August exceeded the same figure in 2018 by 150%.

The nearest peak period of appeals is expected before the New Year holidays.

Source: ria