Current affairs

Our intern Josefina has worked at the Embassy of Finland in Nicosia and lived in the interesting city for three months. Josefina shares experiences of her autumn, which has included many events, reporting, and travelling around the island after the ease of the Covid restrictions.

In line with the Government decision of 16 December, the restrictions on entry at Finland’s external borders will continue and health security measures will be tightened as of 20 December. The decision will remain in force until 16 January 2022

In the lead-up to Christmas 2021, Santa and Mrs Claus have confirmed that the distribution of presents will go ahead as planned, and that the delivery route includes all locations around the globe, regardless of the coronavirus situation.

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus Dr. Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis has a personal and warm relationship with Finland. When moving to Finland with her husband in January 1975 as young students, Marcoullis and her husband were two of the few Cypriots in Finland. They also had a unique chance to meet the then President of Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios, who arrived to Helsinki to attend the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (now OSCE) Summit in July 1975. This remains very vividly in the memory of Marcoullis, as she now supports strongly the initiative of President Sauli Niinistö on bringing back the Helsinki Spirit to the international cooperation agenda.

Are you planning to travel abroad? The Foreign Ministry’s Consular Services want to remind travellers of the importance of a passport. This letter gives tips on what to do if you lose your passport during your journey.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has issued a Decree on the Amendment of Fees for Services Produced by the Foreign Service for 2020–2022. The amendment will enter into force on 1 January 2022 and will remain in force until 31 December 2022.

If you wish to apply for a passport, ID-card or Schengen visa (Finland / Sweden) before Christmas holidays, we recommend that you apply for it as soon as possible.

In its session on 25 November 2021, the Government appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Jukka Salovaara to serve as Permanent State Secretary at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs starting on 1 May 2022.

Administrative and Consular Services Coordinator of the Embassy of Finland in Nicosia, Suvi Terävä-Petrikkou is a well-known contact person for many Finns living in Cyprus. Suvi first started working at the Honorary Consulate General of Finland in Nicosia, and since 2004 at the Embassy of Finland, altogether for more than 20 years.