Finland has issued 790,000 visas for Russian citizens last year, 18 per cent more than in 2018, the press service of the Consulate General of Finland in St. Petersburg revealed, adding that Finland remains an undisputed leader in the number of visas issued in Russia last year among the Schengen countries.

The Finnish ambassador in Moscow, Mikko Hautala, pointed out that the increased number of issued visas came as a result of the increment of tourism and the stable ruble, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

“The strengthening of the ruble last year was reflected in the increase in the number of tourists. Last year, tourists were also attracted to Finland by new points of interest, also, since the UN in 2019 called Finland for the second time as the happiest country in the world, Finland often appeared in the headlines of the media in Russia,” Hautala highlighted.

According to the Consul General of Finland in St. Petersburg Anne Lammila, the majority of Russian tourists to Finland come from St. Petersburg.

“The vast majority of Russian tourists come from St. Petersburg region, from where you can reach Finland by car or train in a couple of hours. The results of a study show that 95% of St. Petersburg residents have a positive attitude towards Finland. In addition, today tourists know Finland better and make trips to cities that are not in the closest distance from the border,” Lammila said.

According to Schengen Visa Statistics, in 2018, 87 per cent of visa applications came from Russia, even though the total number of applications dropped by seven per cent, compared to the previous year, 2017.

In 2017, the number of visa applications was 730,962; meanwhile, the number of foreigners who wanted to enter into Finland in 2016, was 464,899. A record number of the visa application in Finland was marked in 2012, with up to 1.5 million visa applications processed.