Finland Considering Visa-Free Travel for Russian Rail Passengers

Sunday saw the inauguration of the high-speed Allegro rail service between Helsinki and St. Petersburg. Photo: YLEPresident Tarja Halonen believes that Finland could consider limited visa-free travel for Russian rail passengers. During her visit to St. Petersburg on Monday, she said that extending the three-day visa-free arrangements from cruise ship passengers to include rail ones could advance visa-free movement between EU and Russia.

According to Halonen, talks on the issue could be started immediately. However, a timetable for visa-free travel by Russian citizens on the new Helsinki – St. Petersburg Allegro rail service has not been set.

The head of the Russian railways, Vladimir Jakunin, has presented an initiative to the Russian government concerning the matter. The Russian Embassy in Helsinki told YLE that so far the matter is still at the stage of the initiative.

Putin positive

The Russian press attaché in Helsinki, Dmitri Suvorov, did note that Prime Minister Vladimir Putin considered the matter worth examining when it came up in a meeting with his Finnish counterpart, Mari Kiviniemi, last Friday.

Russia could unilaterally decide to offer a 72-hour, or three-day, visa-free stay for Finnish citizens travelling to St. Petersburg. So far, Russians cannot enter Finland without a visa, as Finland belongs to the Schengen zone.

If visa-free arrangements are made as envisaged, it is expected that more travellers would take advantage of day trips between Helsinki and St. Petersburg. Next summer, the number of fast runs between the two cities will be increased from two to four, including an early morning departure from Helsinki. Travel time on the new route, which opened last weekend, is about three and a half hours.

Nearly one million visas

Finland has issued a record number of visas to Russians this year. According to the Finnish Foreign Ministry, the number issued by the embassy and consulates in Russia is approaching the one million mark. In 2009, they totalled around 740,000.

This year, the Finnish Consulate in St. Petersburg alone has granted over 700,000 visas. Visas are also issued for travel to Finland in Moscow, Petrozavodsk and Murmansk.

Yle News

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