Three days processing of visa-applications is history. “Always apply at least 15 days prior to scheduled departure. Our processing time is 10 days,” says Marit Egholm Jacobsen, head of the visa section at Norway’s Consulate General in Murmansk.
Norway has spent €1.5 million on demanded temporary expansion of the Storskog border passing point in order to meet the increased traffic across the border to Russia.
Finland is Tuesday announcing the opening of a dedicated visa center in Murmansk. Norway’s Consul General Øyvind Nordsletten hopes to join, but are awaiting formalities.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov praises Finland for its positive attitude toward granting visas. Not everyone is similar happy about Finland’s visa approach.
KIRKENES. The Russian prime minister wants to see new joint projects within the field of industry and transportation and proposes the introduction of Barents regional visa-free traveling.
Russia’s Christmas season is normally peak hour for cross-border shopping, but not so today. Traffic from the Murmansk region to Kirkenes was down 30 percent in December.
More and more refugees from Syria and other countries choose to come to Norway via Russia. In the border town of Kirkenes a second refugee reception center is opening.
