How to Apply for a Finland Schengen Visa from the UK

If you are a UK citizen, remember that the rules on travel to Europe and the Schengen Area have now changed due to Brexit.

Many non-EU nationals who reside in the UK are still required to get a Schengen visa to travel to Finland.

Citizens of the following countries residing in the UK and planning to visit Finland are required to get a Finland visa to be able to enter Finland.

The main requirement if you want to apply from the UK is that you must have a UK residence permit valid for at least another 3 more months beyond the date you plan to leave Finland/the Schengen Area.

On the visa application form, you will be prompted to indicate the purpose of your travel to the Schengen territory. Here are some purposes to help you apply for the correct visa:

• Tourism – This is the most popular purpose of travel to Schengen Countries. Applicants, who intend to travel purely for tourist purposes, i.e. sightseeing, leisure, and experiencing their culture, architecture, foods, and much more, need to indicate this on the application form.
• Business – If you intend to travel for business purposes, i.e. visiting a business/company for meetings, recruitments, training, or any other work-related activities, then you need to indicate Business the purpose of your travels. Every Business visa application has to be confirmed by an invitation letter from a business/company based in Finland, if not, you will be required to apply as a Tourist.
• Airport Transit – Certain nationalities have to apply for an airport transit visa in order to be allowed to make a stopover at an airport in a Schengen Area, without entering the Schengen Country. You need to indicate airport transit as the purpose of travel on your application form.
• Transit – This is similar to the above-mentioned purpose of travel, popular among sea travellers that need to stop over at the seaport of one of the member states.
• Visiting Family or Friends – If you need to visit and stay with your family or friends that legally reside in the Schengen Area, you can then indicate this as your purpose of travel. You’ll, however, be required to provide a letter of invitation among other documents.
• Study – Students wishing to attend any type of educational institution in the Schengen area need to indicate this on their application. They can either choose to apply for a short term 3-month Schengen study visa or National Visa (category “D”) if they plan on being in the country longer.
• Medical – Indicate this as your purpose of travel if you are travelling to any of the member states of the Schengen territory to seek medical treatment. This visa will allow you to get the medical care you need at any medical institution for a period of 90 days within a 180-period.
• Official Visit – Tick this as your purpose of travel if you are travelling to the Schengen region in an official capacity.
• Cultural, Sports, and Film Crews – this visa is for people wishing to travel to a Schengen member country for the purpose of attending a cultural / sports / religious event or they are part of a film crew. The applicant should be part of the event, i.e. a performer at a concert, or a writer presenting their book at a book event, or an athlete participating in a sports event and not only as a mere audience.
• Other – If the purpose of your travel does not fall under any of the mentioned categories, you’ll have to choose the “other” option on the application form. You will, however, be required to specify the purpose of your visit in a few words.

Step 2: Identify where to make the application and book an appointment

To apply for a Finland visa, you must book an appointment with the Finland Embassy in London. You can do this through VFS Global.

You should apply for a Finland visa at the appropriate Finland Embassy/Consulate or Finland visa application centre in the UK if:

In case you plan on staying in Finland for more than 90 days you must apply for a residency permit, not a Finland Schengen visa.

If you are not a resident in the United Kingdom, you should apply for your visa at the Finland Embassy/Consulate/VAC in your home country of residence. You can apply for your Finland visa from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, the USA, and elsewhere.

Step 3: Complete your application form

The Schengen Visa application form contains questions about you including:

• Name and surname
• Date and place of birth
• Nationality
• Sex and marital status
• National Identity number
• Passport number
• Home address and email
• Purpose of trip
• Question regarding previous trips to Schengen, if any
• Intended date of arrival in Schengen area you are visiting, and the intended period of stay
• Cost of traveling and remaining in Schengen area you are visiting, who will cover them, etc.

Make sure your answers are correct and that they comply with the information in the rest of the documents. Complete the form, print it twice, and sign both copies at the end.

Find out more about how to complete a Schengen vis application form in this blog post.

Step 4: Prepare your documents

The following list of documents are required in order to obtain a visa to Finland in the UK:

• A valid passport or travel document. Please make sure:
  • Your passport has been issued within the previous 10 years,
  • Your passport has 2 full blank pages, one for the visa stamp and an additional spare page,
  • Your passport will be valid for at least three (3) months after the date you exit the Schengen Area.
• A valid UK residence permit or another form of Identity Card.
• The UK residency permit must be endorsed in the actual passport (or on a new biometric ID card)
• The UK residence permit must be valid for at least another three more months beyond the date you plan to leave Finland.
• One Finnish Schengen Visa application form filled out completely and signed by the applicant.
• One recently taken passport format photo with a blank background and where all your facial features are clear, which must be glued to the application form. Applications with stapled photographs will be rejected.
• A cover letter explaining the purpose of the visit to Finland.
• Biometric data (applies only if you haven’t provided biometric data within the last 59 months):
  • Fingerprints – This requirement only applies if you haven’t provided biometric data within the last 59 months.
    Note: Children under the age of 12 are exempted from providing fingerprints.
• A copy of the passport bio page where the photo is included.
• Proof of travel arrangements:
  • Round trip flight/travel reservations or other proof of intended transport
  • A complete itinerary of your visit to Finland (if several Schengen States will be visited or if the trip covers several Schengen States and non-Schengen countries).
• Travel Insurance stating that you are covered in case of a medical emergency and repatriation not just in Finland but in the whole Schengen zone (minimum coverage of €30,000).
  • Holders of diplomatic passports and family members of EU/EEA citizens are exempted from providing proof of travel medical insurance
• Proof of accommodation in Finland:
  • Evidence of a hotel booking or rental agreement, or
  • Invitation from your Finnish host (family member, friend) with a copy of their passport
• Proof of financial subsistence: Proof of financial subsistence:
  • Original recent Bank Statement (covering the last 3 calendar months. The last transaction must be no more than 1 month old)
  • Finland requires €30 per day you intend to spend in the country.
  • Traveller’s Cheques
    Note: Cash is not considered proof of financial subsistence.
• Certificate of criminal record of the home country– showing that candidate has no open crime case involvement
• Proof of paid Finland visa fee.

Note: Photocopies of the original documents should also be submitted and documents should not be more than one month old.

The documents listed above are documents required in all cases, regardless of the purpose of your visit in Finland.

Additional documents required based on your employment status

For employees:

• Employment contract
• Current bank statement of the latest 6 months
• Leave permission from the employer
• Income Tax Return (ITR) form or Certificate of Income Tax deducted at the source of salary

For the self-employed:

• A copy of your business license
• Company bank statement of the latest 6 months
• Income Tax Return (ITR)

For foreign students in the UK:

• Proof of enrollment
• No-objection certificate from school or university

For retirees:

• Pension statement of the latest 6 months

If unemployed and married to an EU citizen:

• A recent (less than 3 months old) Confirmation of Employment letter from their spouse’s employer stating the position held within the company as well as the starting date,
• Spouse’s valid passport
• An officially translated marriage certificate. The translation must be in English or Finland and must be certified as a true copy by the Embassy of the country where the marriage took place or by the Legalization Bureau of the Foreign Office in UK

Requirements for children under the age of 18:

Parents or an adult guardian are required to accompany their underage children to the application centre at the Embassy of Finland in London. Also, minors who are granted a Finland visa are not allowed to travel to Finland by themselves. They should be accompanied by an adult during their stay in Finland.

Apart from the general documentation required, accompanying should be other additional documents depending on the purpose of your Finland Visa application.

List of additional documents required for the most frequent purposes of Finland visa application

Finland Tourist/Visitor Visa:

• Invitation letter from your family or friends in Finland with the address and phone number – if applicable
• Bank statement of the last 6 months
• Passport copies

Finland Visa for Business Purposes:

• Invitation letter from the Finnish company you will be visiting and their detailed address accompanied with the dates of your visit
• A certificate from your employer stating/allowing your business travel
• If there were previous trade relations between the two companies, proof of such events must be provided
• Business bank statement of the latest 6 months
• Memorandum and Article of Association in original certified copy (registered with joint-stock companies) Trade License (first issued and present renewal), Proprietorship/Partnership documents
• Regarding the applicant’s expenses during stay in the Schengen zone, either the employer or the partner company must state coverage of expenses on the letter or invitation.

Finland Visa for Medical Purposes:

• A local medical report
• A medical attestation from the hospital or doctor in Finland, confirming the date of your appointment as well as your medical situation
• Payment receipt of medical fees

Finland Visa for Cultural, Sports, Film Crew or Religious Purposes:

• Invitation letter from the above-mentioned authorities with details upon the nature of events or activities – purpose of visit, expense coverage
• Names of the applicants (crew members)
• Duration of stay
• Travel itinerary

Finland Visa for Members of Official Delegations:

• The official invitation copy
• Identity of applicant
• Purpose of journey (negotiations, meetings, event by intergovernmental organizations, consultations)
• Duration of stay
• Place of accommodation

Finland Visa for Study, Training, Research, or other types of Internship Purposes:

• An enrollment certificate allowing attendance of courses
• Certificate of completion or courses attended
• Financial sustenance

Finland Airport Transit Visa:

• Visa or other types of entry permit in the transit country
• Copy of your valid visa for your final destination

Required documents for visa application for underage children:

• Proof of the parent’s regular source of income, such as a work contract specifying their monthly income or a bank statement
• Notarized travel permission from the parent allowing the child to travel
• If one parent lives in another country, they also need to submit a notarized travel consent

Underage children should be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian when applying for their visa at the embassy or consulate.

Step 5: Attend your appointment

The visa interview is a meeting between you and the consular officer/interviewer. During this interview, the consular officer will ask you several questions about you and your intended trip. You will also be submitting the required documents throughout the meeting, to the interviewer.

The visa interview is a meeting between you and the consular officer/interviewer. During this interview, the consular officer will ask you several questions about you and your intended trip. You will also be submitting the required documents throughout the meeting, to the interviewer.

Find out more about the Schengen visa interview here: Schengen Visa Interview Questions and Answers and How to Prepare for it

Finland Visa Fees for UK Residents

Step 6: Receive your visa

Finland Schengen Visa Application Processing Time in UK

You can apply for a Finland Schengen Visa 6 months before your planned trip. Depending on the nationality of the applicant, the processing time may take at least 15 days from the day of application. In some cases when required documents are missing from the application, this process may take longer.

Therefore, to avoid unwanted complications, the Finland Consulate General in London advises that you provide all required documents and submit your application at least 20 workdays (4 weeks) before the day you leave for Finland.

What are common Finland Schengen visa rejection reasons?

What If Your Finland Schengen Visa Is Rejected?

Finland Schengen Visa Extension

According to the Schengen visa policy, acceptable reasons to extend a Schengen short-stay visa are:

Finland Schengen Visa Extension Application Process

You need to make sure to read your Schengen visa sticker carefully so that you do not overstay your visa and avoid the penalties that come with doing so, which can include anything from a fine, deportation from the Schengen zone, and even being outright banned from the area.

Read more about the step by step process involved in extending your Schengen visa in our blog post: Overstaying in the Schengen Zone? Here’s How to Extend Your Schengen Visa.

Contact Details for the Embassy of Finland in London

Frequently Asked Questions About Finland Schengen Visas

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