ARRANGING A VISA and ensuring you have all documentation, stamps and verifications required is a hassle to many people.
- There is a lot to consider and visa applications keep changing. In most cases, regulations are complicated regarding travel documents and legalisation of documents, explains Mats Collberg. He has been in the visa and legalisation business for almost 20 years.
FOR EXAMPLE, export and patent documentation is extensive and have to be stamped and approved. Regarding visa applications, one of the problems is that application documents keep changing depending on diplomatic relations between countries.
-Visa applications have been affected by the deteriorated relations between Russia and Europe.
WITH CONSTANT CHANGES in relations between countries and regions, people working with visa applications need to redefine the situation each morning. Mats Collberg informs us that his staff at Comet Consular Service starts every day with a discussion on what’s going on in the world right now. A country with liberal requirements one day may quickly change their visa regulations the next day.
APART FROM TAKING current diplomatic relations around the world into account, there are also practical matters to consider when applying for a visa.
- You have to make sure you have a valid passport and a visa valid for the entire period you’re in the country. If not, you are illegally in the country which may cause major problems. We have had clients stuck in Russia because of cancelled flights due to a snowstorm creating chaos. The problem was that his visa expired that same day which prevented him to leave the country. However, it all ended happily since we had good contacts in Russia to assist him. In certain cases it may get extended with interrogations etc. Mats Collberg’s advice is, if possible, to apply for some extra days in case something unexpected happens.
WHEN APPLYING FOR a visa, you also need to consider lengthy turnaround times.
- Our steady embassy relations often shorten turnaround time, however if you choose to go to the embassy yourself, you need plenty of time.
DESPITE THE FACT that Sweden is an EU member and there is a lot of talk about deleted borders around the world, Mats Collberg conceives stricter visa regulations in many countries.
- After the Soviet Union dissolution, I expected an easier entry to Russia but it has become rather the contrary. And after September 11, the US has tightened requirements. I don’t expect any changes in the near future in countries with a compulsory visa system.
Emelie Ring