Finland will resume accepting visa applications in St. Petersburg

Russians will be able to apply for a visa to Finland through VFS (Visa Facilitation Services Global) visa centers in St. Petersburg and a number of cities in the North-West of the Russian Federation, informed Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs on its website.

“Visa applications for Finland can be submitted at VFS Global Visa Application Centers…in St. Petersburg and other cities in the North-West of Russia…From September 1, 2023, visa applications will be accepted five days a week from Monday to Friday “, the message says.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic explained that the VFS Global visa centers will only accept applications for a visa. At the same time, the ministry warned of a significant reduction in application slots due to “limited resources.”

The Embassy of Finland in Moscow will accept applications for a residence permit three days a week. The diplomatic mission in the capital will also assume responsibility for consular and entry issues, which were previously handled in St. Petersburg.

In August last year, the Finnish government announced a reduction in the number of visa applications accepted in Russia to 500 per day. Since September of the same year, VFS Global began to accept tourist visas only on Mondays in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Petrozavodsk and Murmansk. At the end of September 2022, the country’s authorities announced the cessation of issuing tourist visas to Russians. At the end of July 2023, the embassy of the republic in the Russian Federation reportedthat VFS in St. Petersburg will not accept applications for visas and residence permits from 1 August.

On July 6, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Russia recalls from October 1, consent to the activities of the Finnish Consulate General in St. Petersburg. Finnish Ambassador Antti Helanterya was summoned to the ministry. He was strongly protested in connection with Helsinki’s anti-Russian policy. The Foreign Ministry also pointed to the June decision of the Finnish side to expel nine people who worked in the Russian embassy in the country. In response, Russia also decided to expel nine employees of the Finnish Embassy in Russia and the Finnish Consulate General in St. Petersburg. Later it became known that the Consulate General will be closed from September 1.