News, 29.12.2023

Visa liberalization for Kosovo from 01.01.2024 – instructions for travelers

Read the instructions for travelling carefully. The entry to Finland and to the Schengen-area is always decided by the border control. Visa free travel enables you to travel without visa for short stays up to 90 days in any 180 day period. If you plan to stay in the area longer, find out if you need to apply for a residence permit beforehand. If you plan to work in Finland, you need to apply for a residence permit for work beforehand.

Calculating travel dates

Visa free travel enables you to stay up to 90 days in a 180 day period in Finland and in the Schengen area. When you enter the area, the days are calculated from this date. You will receive an entry stamp to your passport.

You are responsible for making sure you travel within the dates of your visa or within the dates of visa free travel.

You can also use the visa calculator of the European Commission:

Calculator of travel days remaining under a Schengen short-stay visa https://ec.europa.eu/assets/home/visa-calculator/calculator.htm?lang=en(Link to another website.)

 

I travelled to Finland already before 01.01.2024. When do I need to exit the country?

The travel days are calculated from the date that you have entered the Schengen-area. The start of visa liberalization does not extend your legal stay in the area.

If you have any questions about using your travel days, please contact the Finnish Border Guard https://raja.fi/en/contact-information(Link to another website.)

 

I have already used all the 90 days of visa free travel. When can I travel again?

If you have already used the 90 days, you must wait outside the Schengen-area for another 90 days before you can travel visa free again. Pay attention to the 90/180 day rule.

 

I have already used the 90 days of visa free travel but I have to go back to Finland or to the Schengen-area again. What should I do?

If you have used all of your visa free days and you must travel again due to for example work or study, you must apply for a long term permit from your country of destination. In Finland this means a residence permit. Contact the Embassy.

More information on residence permits is available on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service https://migri.fi/en/residence-permit(Link to another website.)

 

What will they ask me at the airport?

More information about the border crossings is available on the website of the Finnish Border Guard https://raja.fi/en/guidelines-for-travellers-at-border-crossings(Link to another website.)

Make sure that you have the necessary travel document with you and prepare to answer questions about your stay in Finland.

Check that your passport is valid. Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after you exit Finland and/or the Schengen area.

The Embassy of Finland in Pristina can not affect the decision of the border guard. All questions about entry to Finland should be directed to the Finnish Border Guard.

 

What should I do, if I am travelling to Finland through some other Schengen country?

If you plan to travel to Finland through some other Schengen country, the border guard of that country will decide on your entry to the area. If you for example enter the Schengen-area through Hungary, you can be in contact with the Hungarian border guard. The Embassy of Finland in Pristina can not affect the decision of the border guard.

 

What if I want to stay in Finland for more than 90 days?

If you go to Finland for more than 90 days, you must apply for a residence permit. You need to apply for your residence permit personally. You cannot for example apply for a residence permit for your spouse or employee. If you are in Kosovo, book an appointment at the Embassy of Finland in Pristina. If you are in Finland, book an appointment at the Finnish Immigration Service.

More information on residence permits is available on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service https://migri.fi/en/residence-permit(Link to another website.)

 

I have a job offer from Finland. What should I do?

If you plan to work or to engage in business activities in Finland, you will usually need a residence permit. If you are abroad, book an appointment at an Embassy. If you are in Finland, book an appointment at a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service.

Read more on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service https://migri.fi/en/coming-to-finland-for-work(Link to another website.)

More information on residence permits for employed persons can be found from the website of the Finnish Immigration Service. The list of required documents is also available in Albanian on the left side of the page https://migri.fi/tyontekijan-oleskelulupa(Link to another website.)

 

Seasonal work during 2023-2024

If you are coming to Finland to do seasonal work, you must apply for the appropriate permit for it. The different kinds of seasonal work permits are

  • visa for seasonal work,

  • certificate for seasonal work, and

  • residence permit for seasonal work.

The duration of your work will affect which seasonal work permit you need to apply for. Read more on the application process from the website of the Finnish Immigration Service https://migri.fi/en/seasonal-work#duration(Link to another website.)

Seasonal work refers to work in agriculture and tourism that is tied to a certain time of the year. The maximum duration of seasonal work is nine months within a 12-month period. If your employment lasts over 9 months, you must apply for a regular residence permit for employed persons.

Before 01.01.2024

If seasonal workers start their employment before the visa liberalization, they must apply for the suitable seasonal work visa or a residence permit for seasonal work.

If the employment lasts maximum 90 days and starts before the visa liberalization, the employee can apply for a seasonal work visa. The application must be submitted through the Visa Application Center of Finland in Pristina https://visa.vfsglobal.com/xkx/en/fin/(Link to another website.)

If the employment lasts over 90 days, the employee must apply for a residence permit for seasonal work before they enter the country and start employment.

Read more on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service https://migri.fi/en/seasonal-work(Link to another website.)

 

After 01.01.2024

If the employment lasts maximum 90 days and starts after the visa liberalization, the employee can apply for a certificate for seasonal work from the Finnish Immigration Service.

Make sure that you have visa-free days at your disposal for the whole period of validity of your certificate for seasonal work. A certificate for seasonal work does not extend your visa-free stay in Finland.

More information on seasonal work certificates can be found on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service https://migri.fi/en/seasonal-work-certificate(Link to another website.)

 

Where can I pick up my residence permit card?

If you submitted your application outside Finland, you will receive the card via the Finnish embassy.

If you submitted your application in Finland, the card will be sent to your nearest DB Schenker collection point within 2 weeks. 

More information on the delivery of the cards can be found from the website of the Finnish Immigration Service https://migri.fi/en/residence-permit-card(Link to another website.)

 

European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS)

The timetable for the deployment of the ETIAS is currently under evaluation. Please follow updates from the website of the Finnish Border Guard.

ETIAS is a pre-registration system similar to ESTA in the United States. Visa-free third-country nationals coming from outside the Schengen area must apply for a travel authorisation in advance, in which case the entry conditions of the person can be assessed even before the person arrives at the border.

The Finnish Border Guard is the national ETIAS authority in Finland. Read more on the website of the Finnish Border Guard https://raja.fi/en/etias-project(Link to another website.)

 

Who is exempted from the visa requirement?

The exemption from the visa requirement applies to holders of biometric passports issued by Kosovo in line with the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). All questions about Kosovo passports must be directed to the Kosovo authorities.

Read more on the website of Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kosovo https://mpb.rks-gov.net/?culture=en-gb(Link to another website.)

 

Useful sources