Foreign nationals arriving in Finland

Entry documents required of foreign nationals
 

The entry into and residence in Finland of foreign nationals is subject to the provisions of the Finnish Aliens Act and Aliens Decree and the Schengen Agreement and Convention. Entry documents refer to visa, residence permit and work permit. Nationals of some countries are required to present a visa, while others are granted access without a visa. Foreign nationals need a visa in the Schengen area and travel documents in Finland.

Some of the new Member States of the EU: Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania, do not yet apply the Schengen Convention, which is why the border controls will be kept between the borders of the new and old Member States for the time being.
 

Finnish nationals are advised to contact the mission in Finland of the country where they are going to travel or the country's mission abroad that is the nearest to Finland.

These instructions are meant to apply to foreign nationals travelling or planning on travelling to Finland. Separate instructions are given on entry that requires a visa and on entry without the visa requirement.

As a rule, foreign nationals who require an entry visa are requested to apply it from either the Finnish mission or a mission of a Schengen country that represents Finland in their home country.   In exceptional cases, residence permits and work permits as well as extension of visas can also be applied in Finland.

General information

The Schengen Agreement permits a visa that is valid in the following European countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland , the Slovak Republic and Slovenia.

A Schengen Visa must be applied at the Embassy of the country of your MAIN DESTINATION. If you do not have a main destination, you should apply at the Embassy of the country of your FIRST DESTINATION.

A Schengen Visa to Finland  should be applied for in person at the Finnish Embassy.

If the intended length of stay in Finland and within the Schengen area exceeds 90 days within a period of six months, a residence permit is required; further information from the  Finnish Immigration service.

Depending on the travel document, the visa process at the Finnish Embassy can take approximately one to three weeks.

Applying for a Schengen Visa

The following documents are required to support the visa application to Finland. Please note that the applicant has to submit photocopies of supporting documents with his/her application. The Embassy does not make copies.

• A fully completed visa application form.  (Download the visa application form.  Note that sections marked with a star (*) do not apply to spouses and dependants of EU nationals).
• One passport sized photograph. 
  Passport photo guidelines
  
• A valid passport or other acceptable travel document.
• Cyprus residence permit (The passport and Cyprus residence permit must be valid for at least three months after the visa expiry date).
• Confirmed hotel reservation or invitation letter where applicable.
• Flight itinerary - Only if and when the visa is granted, paid return tickets must be presented when collecting of the visa.
• Valid travel insurance for the whole period of travel covering medical expenses and transportation / repatriation to the country of origin to 30 000 euros (not required for the dependent family members of EU citizens).
• Proof of funds to support the travel.
• Letter from employer/school/university/college where applicable.
• In some cases, further documentation may be requested.
• Visa fee

Visa  fees

• The fee must be paid at the time of application in cash. The fee is NON-REFUNDABLE if the visa application is withdrawn or the visa is refused. The fees are subject to change in accordance with the internal exchange rate.

More information: tel. 22 458 020