Norway to Apply Tightened Visa Rules for Nationals of Russia

According to NRK, siblings and other relatives of Russians who already reside legally in Norway will find it harder to enter Norway as applications for tourist visas will be generally rejected, AtoZSerwisPlus.com reports.

The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration said for NRK that the country had taken such a decision due to the fear that Russians who reach Norway will not return back.

“The decision is based on the assessment of whether it is probable that the visa applicant will return to his home country after the visit to Norway,” Håvard Sæthre, a spokesperson of the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration, said.

In addition, it was explained that when taking this decision, the Norwegian authorities took into account all different conditions, including political, economic, and social ones.

“In the assessment of the emigration potential from Russia, we have made an overall assessment of the political, economic and social conditions in Russia,” Sæthre added.

Those reaching Norway for business or other purposes other than those related to travel will also have a hard time obtaining a visa.

Nonetheless, despite the changes that are to be made, the authorities have emphasised that Russians will still be able to apply for asylum. Yet, in order to do so, Russians need to enter Norway first and then submit their application.

The data from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration shows that the number of Russians applying for asylum in Norway has significantly increased this year. The Directorate revealed that a total of 13 Russians applied for asylum in Norway in 2021. On the other hand, so far this year, around 126 applications have been received.

Previously, atozserwisplus.com reported that Norway would close its Consulate General in Murmansk, Russia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway said that starting from July 1, the Consulate will be closed for public services.

The Ministry explained that the Consulate would be reopened once the situation allows and, at the same time, emphasised that the Embassy in Moscow and the Consulate General in St. Petersburg will continue to function as per usual.

“We cannot have normal operations when there is virtually no activity. Therefore, we will close the Consulate General in between but will reopen it as soon as the situation allows,” Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt said.

However, she noted that there are few prospects that the situation will improve, suggesting that the Consulate will remain closed for quite some time.