Current affairs

We have put together frequently asked questions with answers about travel and coronavirus.

Due to the prevailing emergency conditions based on the Emergency Powers Act, the Government has decided to restrict traffic at Finland’s external borders starting on Thursday 19 March at 00.00. Finns travelling abroad are encouraged to return to Finland as soon as possible.

Owing to the coronavirus outbreak, Finland, in line with the rest of the Schengen countries, has suspended the reception of normal visa applications in Finland’s missions with immediate effect from 19 March until further notice.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Finland’s Missions are monitoring the impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic in cooperation with the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), and they are in constant contact with key actors with regard to the situational picture and any necessary measures.

Finland's Embassy in Lusaka, Zambia, will be responsible for all consular matters relating to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DCR), including consular assistance and crises, reception of residence permits, and legalisation of documents.

The EU is revising its Visa Code in order to facilitate visa procedures for travellers and to respond more effectively to the challenges posed by illegal migration. Finland will start applying the new Visa Code on 2 February 2020 together with other Schengen countries.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs will phase in a new visa system during February and March 2020. After its introduction, visa applications can be processed efficiently, fast and reliably.

In recent years, African countries have increased their visibility in the eyes of the international community. This trend can be seen also in the priorities of the European Commission’s external relations and Finland’s foreign policy. In the fifth part of the “Sustainable Foreign Policy” series, Maria Kurikkala who leads the Africa Policy Team sheds light on the reasons underlying the current interest.

All Finnish missions abroad and organisations issuing visas, including the Border Guard, Finnish Customs and the Police, started to use the new EU visa sticker on 11 November 2019