The number of visas processed in 2014 decreased by 23 per cent compared to the previous year
Press release 9/2015
14 January 2015
Last year, Finnish missions abroad and the Kouvola Visa Service Centre processed a total of 1 204 948 visa applications, which is 23 per cent less than in 2013 and comparable to the number of visas processed in 2011. During the past year, changes caused by the unfavourable economic situation in Russia led to a fall in the number of visa applications. The decrease in the number of tourists was specifically due to the depreciation of the rouble.
Over 90 per cent of all visa applications were received in Russia.
Number of visa applications in Russia in 2014 |
Decrease compared to the previous year |
Consulate General in St Petersburg 914 309 |
-27% |
Embassy in Moscow 112 720 |
-21% |
The branch offices of the Consulate General in St Petersburg |
-27% |
Murmansk 47 163 |
|
Petrozavodsk 65 323 |
Over 6 000 applications were processed in 2014 also in the following missions |
Number of visa applications |
Embassy in Kiev |
13 773 |
Consulate General in Shanghai |
7 224 |
Embassy in Bangkok |
7 447 |
Embassy in Beijing |
7 165 |
Embassy in New Delhi |
6 115 |
A total of 11 296 visa applications were rejected in Finnish embassies, representing about one per cent of all applications.
There was a steady increase in the number of visa applications until 2013. In 2009, the number of applications was 795 936 and in 2010 the threshold of a million visa applications (1 020 400) was exceeded. The current record number of visa applications was reached in 2013 with over 1.56 million applications.
Additional information: Deputy Director Kim Kuivalainen, Unit for Passports and Visas, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 295 351 793.