Where to apply for a visa?
If your country of destination is Finland, apply for a visa from the nearest Finnish mission or the visa centre that the mission advises to you. Honorary consuls and consulates cannot grant visas.
It has been agreed with some countries that Finland may be represented by another Schengen state(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window). In such cases, apply for a visa to Finland from the mission of that Schengen state.
Submit your visa application at a mission or visa centre in person. An application cannot be sent by e-mail or telefax.
Apply for a visa to Finland in South Africa
Finland has outsourced the submission of visa applications in South Africa. Finland Visa Application Centres maintained by VFS Global in Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town serve visa customers.
An appointment for the Visa Application Centre can be booked in advance and the application can be filled online. The appointment booking at the Visa Application Centre is not mandatory and the Centres also serve walk-in customers.
The applicant must always submit the application in person and must give his or her biometrics. Applications can be submitted from Monday to Friday 8.00 - 12.30 and 13.30 – 15.00. The Visa Application Centre charges a service fee for each application.
The Embassy of Finland in Pretoria processes the applications and makes all the visa decisions. The Embassy accepts applications by appointment only. Appointments can be booked via VFS website or call centre mentioned below.
To submit a visa application, the applicant may book an appointment on the website http://visa.finland.eu(Link to another website.) or by calling the Call Centre +27 (0) 12 425 3010. The Call Centre operates in English (Monday-Friday 8.00 – 12.30 and 13.30– 16.00).