Visa procedure announced

Taiwanese nationals applying for a Shengen, or pan-European, visa from Finland for a short stay of one to 90 days within one year should send their applications to the Swedish Trade Council in Taipei, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The ministry in a press release issued yesterday said the one-year trial went into effect on July 1, according to the information the Finnish foreign ministry sent the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Helsinki. Taiwanese nationals intending to apply for a Shengen visa from the Finnish government for a stay exceeding 90 days a year should turn to Finland's embassies in Japan or the Philippines for application information, the press release said. As of June 1 last year, travelers to Europe on business or tourism purposes may receive a visa for a short stay of one to 90 days, valid for countries including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden.