Finland Times

     The new centers in Vyborg, Vologda, Novgorod and Pskov will allow travelers in those centers to obtain their Schengen visa documentation without going to St. Petersburg or Moscow, the Itar- Tass news agency reported.

     In particular, the new centers will ease the burden on the Finnish Consulate General in St. Petersburg, which has recently held the record for the largest number of Schengen visas issued at any consulate in the world.

     Around 1.2 million Schengen visas were issued to Russian citizens to enter neighboring Finland in 2013. An estimated 680, 000 visas have been issued so far this year, as European Union sanctions and travel restrictions have contributed to a drop in demand in 2014, the report said.

     The highly prized visas allow Russian citizens to travel across the 26 Schengen member states, including France, Germany, Italy and Spain as well as Finland.

     The first of the new visa centers will open its doors in Vyborg on Sept. 26, the report said.