Category: Finland

Visas, Immigration & Nationality

EU Lifts Visa Requirements for Kosovo Citizens with Serbian Passports

Kosovo citizens who hold Serbian passports issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate (Koordinaciona uprava) can now enjoy visa-free travel to the Schengen Zone for short-term stays. This long-awaited change, implemented on October 13, 2024, aligns the visa regulations for all citizens of the Western Balkans, granting them similar travel rights. The new regulation was signed…
Read more

Finland Tightens Citizenship Rules

Finland’s new citizenship rules, effective from October 1, 2024. The required residency for citizenship has been extended from five to eight years, with the aim of promoting integration through language proficiency and long-term commitment. While most applicants must now reside in Finland for eight years, the requirement drops to five years for those fluent in…
Read more

EU Pushes Back November Launch of Electronic Border Checks

Once again, the launch of the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES), designed to streamline border checks for non-EU travellers, has been delayed. It was previously set to launch on November 10, 2024 but the rollout has been pushed back due to continued technical challenges in numerous member countries At a recent meeting of EU interior ministers,…
Read more

EU Commission Proposes Digital Passports and IDs to Simplify Schengen Travel

The European Commission is taking steps to revolutionise travel within the Schengen zone by proposing digital versions of passports and identity cards.  Announced on 08 October, this initiative aims to make travel easier and more efficient by providing digital credentials that can be accessed via mobile phones, complementing the traditional physical documents. These digital IDs…
Read more

EU’s Entry/Exit System Faces Fresh Delays Ahead of November 2024 Launch

The European Union’s much-anticipated Entry-Exit System (EES), which aims to revolutionise the way non-EU travellers enter and exit its borders, is once again under scrutiny as doubts grow over its readiness for the November 10 launch. EES, a cutting-edge biometric system designed to streamline border crossings, will use digital photographs and fingerprints to register travellers…
Read more