Effective September 1, 2023, the customer service counter at the Finnish Consulate general in St. Petersburg, Russia, will be closed. This follows the Russian government’s announcement on July 6, 2023, that the Consulate General will close on October 1, 2023.
- From August 1, 2023, the St. Petersburg office of Visa Facilitation Services Global (VSF) will not receive applications for visas and residence permits to Finland.
- Moreover, due to limited resources, applications for visas and residence permits to Finland will not be received at the Embassy of Finland in Moscow or at any of the VFS offices in Russia between August 1 – 31, 2023. Applications submitted before August 1, 2023 will be processed as normal.
From September 1, 2023, the Finnish Embassy in Moscow will assume the duties for consular and immigration matters previously handled in St. Petersburg (all passport and notarial services and all cases of Finnish nationals needing help in Russia).
The Foreign Ministry will provide updates regarding the possible submission of applications for visas and residence permits at the VFS office in St. Petersburg from September 1, 2023.
Erickson Insights
Erickson Immigration Group will continue monitoring developments and sharing updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or case-specific questions.