Terms of Shengen visas force Russians to make repeat shopping trips to Finland
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By Anneli Ahonen
A scarf, fresh salmon, tar-scented shampoo, and dishwashing liquid were items that St. Petersburg resident Anastasija Sjomova, 26, brought with her from her shopping trip to Lappeenranta, in the southeast of Finland.
“This time it was hard to find anything to buy. Usually the sales are very good in Finland.
The day trip to Finland was Sjomova’s third under her current visa. The six-month multiple entry visa, which she acquired in March, will soon expire, and she was in a hurry to visit Finland while it was still valid.
“I got the visa so that I could make shopping trips to Finland. It is close, it is easy, and it is fast, then I was also able to travel much more, and I went to Spain, Germany, Norway, and Estonia.”
Sjomova was worried, because a Schengen visa acquired at the Finnish Embassy in Russia is supposed to be used primarily for travel to Finland. It is permissible to travel to other Schengen countries as well, but the number of visits to Finland has to be greater than to any other country.
Although Sjobova had visited each of the other countries only once, and had been to Finland already twice, she decided to visit Finland one more time.
Sjomova knows several people who are in a similar situation. The more they travel to other countries on a visa acquired in Finland, the more visits they make to Finland as well. However, the rules seem to be a bit vague.
“In principle I have the right to travel in the whole Schengen zone, but that is not really the case. It would be good if the rules were clearly stated somewhere.”
Neither the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, nor the Finnish Consulate-General in St. Petersburg have any idea how widespread the issue is.
“In any case, most of those who get a visa genuinely do travel to Finland. These one-day shopping trips are a very positive thing from our point of view”, says Deputy Consul Harri Heikkinen.
Finland easily grants long-term multiple entry visas of six months or a year, and Finland does not require the applicant to show an invitation or a hotel reservation, as many other countries do. Consequently, other countries have criticised Finland for a lax policy on visas.
Sjomova says that flexibility and fast service make the Finnish Consulate General the most attractive place for applying for a visa.
“In Finland they understand that you can’t plan travel in advance to the most minute detail, and they treat the applicants well. After all, we aren’t criminals.”
Sjomova’s visa will expire this month.
“If someone comes with me, I’ll make one more shopping trip to Finland next Saturday. I would like some more fresh salmon”, she laughs..
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 12.9.2009
A scarf, fresh salmon, tar-scented shampoo, and dishwashing liquid were items that St. Petersburg resident Anastasija Sjomova, 26, brought with her from her shopping trip to Lappeenranta, in the southeast of Finland.
“This time it was hard to find anything to buy. Usually the sales are very good in Finland.
The day trip to Finland was Sjomova’s third under her current visa. The six-month multiple entry visa, which she acquired in March, will soon expire, and she was in a hurry to visit Finland while it was still valid.
“I got the visa so that I could make shopping trips to Finland. It is close, it is easy, and it is fast, then I was also able to travel much more, and I went to Spain, Germany, Norway, and Estonia.”
Sjomova was worried, because a Schengen visa acquired at the Finnish Embassy in Russia is supposed to be used primarily for travel to Finland. It is permissible to travel to other Schengen countries as well, but the number of visits to Finland has to be greater than to any other country.
Although Sjobova had visited each of the other countries only once, and had been to Finland already twice, she decided to visit Finland one more time.
Sjomova knows several people who are in a similar situation. The more they travel to other countries on a visa acquired in Finland, the more visits they make to Finland as well. However, the rules seem to be a bit vague.
“In principle I have the right to travel in the whole Schengen zone, but that is not really the case. It would be good if the rules were clearly stated somewhere.”
Neither the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, nor the Finnish Consulate-General in St. Petersburg have any idea how widespread the issue is.
“In any case, most of those who get a visa genuinely do travel to Finland. These one-day shopping trips are a very positive thing from our point of view”, says Deputy Consul Harri Heikkinen.
Finland easily grants long-term multiple entry visas of six months or a year, and Finland does not require the applicant to show an invitation or a hotel reservation, as many other countries do. Consequently, other countries have criticised Finland for a lax policy on visas.
Sjomova says that flexibility and fast service make the Finnish Consulate General the most attractive place for applying for a visa.
“In Finland they understand that you can’t plan travel in advance to the most minute detail, and they treat the applicants well. After all, we aren’t criminals.”
Sjomova’s visa will expire this month.
“If someone comes with me, I’ll make one more shopping trip to Finland next Saturday. I would like some more fresh salmon”, she laughs..
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 12.9.2009
ANNELI AHONEN / Helsingin Sanomat