It’s the dream of many to witness the aurora borealis and if you’re one of them, visiting Finland will make your dream come true. Vast wilderness, thick ice blankets, deep dark forests are some of the phrases that best describe Finland. It experiences extreme temperatures and yet it has visitors from all around the world.
In the year 2016, Finland embassies around the world received 558,101 visa applications inexact. The visa rejection was 8.73% and that is quite high keeping in mind the other Schengen nations.
More than 600 people applied for Finland Schengen visa at the consulate in New York. And if you’re planning to do the same, it’s important that you do it in the right way.
Update : It is now mandatory to get COVID Insurance when you travel Abroad. Click the below link to get your COVID Insurance at cost price.
Follow this guide to make the entire process of Finland Schengen visa application easy.
There are four steps that you need to keep in mind to apply for your Finland Schengen visa. They are:
- First, you need to know whether you need a visa to enter Finland
- If you need, then you’ll have to make an appointment with the consulate general of Finland in New York ( Get Schengen visa appointment for $ 10 )
- Have all the documents ready that you need to submit to the consulate
- Submit the documents to the consulate on the day of your appointment and wait for the consulate to say whether your Finland Schengen visa got approved or not
Below, we’ve explained each of these steps in details.
Do I need a visa to enter Finland?
Well..this depends on your nationality. If you’re a US citizen, you won’t need a visa to enter Finland, if your stay is for a period less than 90 days.
All you’ll need is a valid passport. The validity of this passport needs to be at least three months from the date you plan to return to the US.
Do permanent residents in the US need to apply for a Finland Schengen visa?
Unfortunately yes. If you’re a green card holder, you’ll need a visa to enter Finland and all the other Schengen nations.
I’ll be visiting Sweden along with Finland. Where should I apply for my Schengen visa?
This depends on your travel itinerary. You need to apply at the consulate general of Finland if you plan to stay in this country longer than that of Sweden.
However, if your stay in Finland will be for the same duration as in Sweden, then you need to apply at the consulate of the country you plan to enter first.
Take a look at this image for a better understanding.
How can I book an appointment with the consulate general of Finland in New York?
Booking an appointment with the consulate general of Finland isn’t difficult.
Visit the consulate general of Finland in the US website, first.
On the left, you’ll find the ‘Visas and residence permit‘. Click on it.
You will get redirected to a new page. You will find all visa-related information on this page.
April onwards, Finland will outsource their visa requirements to VFS global. So, you will have to register on this website.
Scroll down on the page to find ‘Customer Service‘.
It’s a small box with the contact information of all the Finnish consulates in the states.
Inside the box, you’ll find ‘Consulate General, New York‘. Under that, you’ll get the link to the ‘online reservation system‘. Click on it.
You’ll get directed to the VFS Global registration page.
Click on ‘New User’. Register as one to get access to the online appointment booking system.
Select a date and time slot on which you are available, and schedule an appointment.
Want temporary flight, hotel or insurance for your Finland Schengen visa appointment?
Documents required for Finland Schengen visa
You’ll need to submit the following documents on the day of your appointment:
-
Visa application form
-
Photograph
-
Passport
-
US Visa or Green Card
-
Proof of employment
-
Flight reservations
-
Hotel reservations
-
Proof of sufficient fund
-
Cover letter
-
Travel insurance
[media-downloader media_id=”1578″ image_url=”https://travelvisabookings.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/download_ebook.jpg”]
Still, have questions. Read on to have all your doubts solved.
Visa application form: Download the form and fill it. Take its print-out. Sign it after you’re asked to do so at the consulate.
Download Schengen visa application form
Photograph: The photo shouldn’t be more than 6 months old and it should be a coloured one. The face expression should be neutral.
Passport: The validity of your passport should be three months from the date you plan to leave Finland. It should not be more than 10 years old and it should have at least two blank pages.
Green Card: Green card or your proof of being a permanent US resident. The validity of these documents should also be three months from the day your trip ends.
Proof of employment: A document with your company seal mentioning your name, designation, date of employment, current salary etc. If you’re self-employed, you need to bring your business registration card along with the IT documents.
Flight reservations: This needs to be your round-trip flight reservations. You don’t have to book them before getting your visa approved. What you can do is opt for temporary airline tickets. We offer you temporary flight tickets that you can show at the consulate.
What is flight itinerary? Is it accepted by the Finland Schengen consulate ?
Of course, in fact all the embassies mention the same. We have added links to the official visa pages which you can verify.
France Consulate
Your travel itinerary : you MUST BOOK your airline ticket but do not purchase until the visa has been approved.
We recommend that you do not purchase travel tickets until your visa has been approved. On the other hand, you may provide us with a reservation, a planned itinerary or an online printout of a roundtrip ticket.
Travel reservation to and from schengen area, not a ticket. Note: Make travel reservation which you can cancel
Flight (roundtrip)/travel reservations and full itinerary (if several Schengen States will be visited or if the trip covers several Schengen States and non-Schengen countries) with the name of passenger and one copy
Round trip ticket/reservation, originating in this jurisdiction to Europe (and ultimately to Italy) and back, including internal entry and exit points of travel i.e. EURORAIL tickets, car rental, internal flights. The names on reservations have to reflect the names on passports.
We can provide you with flight itineraries which is accepted by not only for Schengen visa but for all visas. We have customers using the same flight itinerary for Malaysia visa, Singapore visa, India visa, UK visa etc.
In fact the European union visa requirements for visa states the same.
As per the official document,
Round trip reservation or itinerary with dates and flight numbers specifying entry and exit from Schengen state.Schengen authorities accept the itinerary when applying for the visa but request the original air ticket when visa is collected.
That is why we have 100% visa acceptance rate although some of our customer have been requested to provide “additional documents”,none of their visa has been rejected for providing fake documents.
With 80% of our customers being return customers or companies which process visas for their employees/clients, our approach is the best approach if you want to ensure the safety of your visa.
This is our orders screen for this month. Most of the orders have been placed by repeat customers.
The best part about our service is along with getting a flight reservation without payment, you can also get confirmed hotel bookings, personal cover letter, leave/no objection letter for your visa consulates.
Hotel reservation: The hotel reservation you show should contain your name and address. For this also, it’s always better to opt for temporary bookings. What will happen if your visa request gets rejected? You’ll have to pay high cancellation charges.
Proof of funds: You’ll need money to sustain in Finland. If you’re working somewhere, you can show your latest bank statements. Entrepreneurs need to show their tax documents, if not shown already. Credit card statements and travel cards are also considered to be valid proofs.
Cover letter: A detailed cover letter is what these consulates expect. It should your entire travel plans along with the names of the documents you’re submitting.
Travel Insurance: A travel insurance worth EUR 30,000 is what is required. We offer Schengen travel insurance as well.
Bring the original as well as one photocopy of all these documents mentioned.
What is the Finland Schengen visa fee?
This visa depends on the type of visa you’re applying for. Check the table for more details.
As you’re visiting Finland for tourism purpose, you’ll need to apply for a short-stay visa. Along with the visa fee, you’ll also have to bear the following costs:
Why should I take temporary hotel and flight bookings from you?
Only because, we offer the best deals when it comes to temporary bookings for Schengen visas. We have been doing this for more than 5 years now. We don’t only offer temporary flight and hotel bookings for Schengen visas but we also offer travel insurance. We can even plan your travel itinerary and write a cover letter for you.
I am an H1B visa holder. Can I apply at the consulate general of Finland in New York?
Sadly no. If you’re planning to visit Finland, then you’ll have to apply it from the Finnish consulate in your own country.
Can I book an appointment by making a call or send my application via mail?
No, you can’t. You’ll have to book an appointment through the online portal and attend the appointment in person to get your Finland Schengen visa done.
Do minors need a visa to enter Finland?
Yes, they do. Along with the documents mentioned above (obviously not employment documents), they will need to submit copies of their birth certificate.
How long is the Finland Schengen visa processing time?
The visa processing usually takes around 15 days. Sometimes, it can take as much as 60 days. So, make sure you apply for your Finland Schengen visa early.
You can’t apply for it 3 months before the day of your trip.
Does the consulate submit the original documents? How are the documents returned?
The consulate will let you know when your visa is ready. You can collect it along with your passport yourself.
The consulate will mail you the visa and passport if you wish to. Just ensure that you submit a prepaid envelope with your address on top it, along with your application. DHL/USPS/Fed envelopes are accepted.
Consulate General of Finland in New York Information
Address:
Consulate General of Finland
866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 250 (1st Avenue & 48th Street)
New York, NY 10017
USA
Telephone:
+1 212 750 4400
Fax:
+1 212 750 4418
E-mail:
consulate.nyc@formin.fi
Related Finland Schengen visa articles