How to apply for a visa?

Submit your visa application in person.  An application cannot be sent by post, e-mail or telefax.

Please book an appointment for your visa application through the Finland Visa Application Centre(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window) well in advance, preferably at least three weeks before the planned start of your journey. Submit your visa application no later than 15 days before your planned trip.

Visa application form

To apply for a visa you need the following

1. The visa application form completed and signed

2. One photograph

Include a colour photograph from which you are recognizable. Please visit the EU website (Link to another website.) (Opens New Window)for guidance.

3. A passport

Make sure your passport is valid for at least three (3) months after the end of your intended travel and that it has been issued no later than ten (10) years ago. The passport must have at least two blank pages.

Foreign nationals residing in Tanzania must provide proof of legal stay (i.e. Tanzanian residence permit) with a validity of at least three months after the intended departure date from the Schengen area.

4. Travel insurance

Your travel insurance must be in force for the period of the validity of the applied visa and cover the entire Schengen area. The minimum coverage of the policy must be EUR 30,000 and the insurance must cover expenses arising from a sudden illness and accident (also the patient's repatriation) and repatriation expenses in case of death.

5. Supporting documents

As the required appendices vary by country, please see the Finland Visa Application Centre website for detailed information on the required documents:

Finland Visa Application Centre(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window)

The mission may request that you append certain documents to the application to show the purpose, conditions and duration of the visit. Examples of such documents are flight ticket bookings, a confirmation of hotel reservation, a private invitation letter and an official invitation.

Submit all your application documents, including originals and copies, in person at the time of your appointment. Invitations or other documents should not be sent by the applicant or the inviter by email or by post prior to the applicant's pre-booked appointment.

The invitation is a free-form letter indicating the contact details of host organization or private host and the details of the invited person details, such as name, date of birth, address, passport number, and purpose and length of visit.

In case of a private visit, it is advisable to mention if your host is a friend or your spouse or relative. Please note that an invitation does not guarantee that a visa will be issued. The wealth of the host is not taken into account when the economic situation of the applicant in the home country is assessed (a business visit, for example, is an exception to this, because the applicant is not responsible for the travel costs).

In addition to the above, you may be asked to provide information concerning the itinerary, means of transport, return trip, financial means of support and assets and employment.

Do not purchase flight, train or ship tickets before receiving the visa decision in order to avoid any financial loss in case a visa cannot be issued.

The applicant must have proof of sufficient financial means to cover the duration and purpose of the stay and the cost of living in the country. In Finland a minimum of EUR 30 a day is required.

6. Parental consent is required for minors

Unaccompanied minor children need a parental consent for their travel. If a minor is travelling without one legal guardian or both legal guardians, the written consent of the legal guardian(s) for the travel must be provided along with the minor's birth certificate. The consent must be signed in person in the Finland Visa Application Centre or in the Embassy upon lodging the application of the minor or it must be signed and stamped by a notary public.

7. Interview

The mission can ask you for a personal interview to find out about the purpose of your visit.

Processing time of the application

Submit your visa application no later than 15 days before travel. You may submit an application no more than six (6) months before the start of the intended visit.

The processing time can be longer if e.g. the central authorities of other Schengen states need to be consulted:

Expedited requests are not taken into consideration for example in case of flight tickets bought in advance. The embassy does not reply to inquires considering the remaining processing time of an application.