Finland Considers Restrictions on Tourist Visas for Russians

Finland is considering limiting the issuance of tourist visas to Russians. This was reported by Helsingin Sanomat, citing the country's Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto.

“The idea is to limit the application time for obtaining tourist visas, with priority given to visas that are necessary but not tourist-related. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs could implement such an agreement. Our understanding is that this would be in line with the Schengen system regulations,” the media quoted Haavisto as saying.

The official noted that the Schengen system does not allow for the complete blocking of visa applications for Russians; such a decision would need to be made at the level of the European Union.