COVID-information for travellers

Border checks in Finland have returned to pre-pandemic procedures in June 2022

All visa applications are submitted at VFS Global visa application center, by appointment. Appointments can be booked on VFS website(Link to another website.). 

Passport and residence permit applications are submitted at the embassy, by appointment. Appointments at the embassy can be booked via email ([email protected]).

The office of the Finnish Embassy in Pretoria is still partly distance working, but the staff can be contacted on the same phone numbers and email addresses as usually. The contact information can be found on our website.

International flights

Please contact your airline for the most updated information. Check also the regulations of the country where you will be changing flights.

For entering South Africa, there is at the moment no requirement of a vaccination certificate or COVID test. Also obligatory use of the mask in public places inside has been lifted in 2022. Please refer to South African authorities for more details(Link to another website.).

Arrival in Finland

Border checks have returned to pre-pandemic procedures in June 2022. Travellers arriving in Finland are no longer required to hold vaccination or COVID-19 test certificates, and COVID-19 tests are not carried out at border crossing points.

The final decision on admitting foreign nationals to enter Finland or to refuse entry is made by the Finnish Border Guard at the time of entry on the border. More information on their site(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window).

Make sure to follow possible health protocols when arriving in Finland. Instructions below on Finnish Institute for health and welfare website. 

Other useful links related to corona virus in Finland:

-Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland(Link to another website.)
-Finnish institute for health and welfare(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window) (instructions regarding covid-19 testing, vaccines and self-quarantine in Finland)
-News in English by YLE News(Link to another website.)