Indian citizens can travel to Finland to explore its natural wonders, start a business venture, or continue an educational program. However, this requires them to fulfill an important requirement, i.e., to get a visa.
Finland is a part of the Schengen Area. Therefore, this requires travelers from certain countries such as India to get a permit to enter the country legally.
This article will help you identify all the requirements and guidelines necessary to start your journey. So, let’s dive into the basic details of a Finland visa from India.
Details About Finland
The Republic of Finland is a country located in the Northern Part of Europe. Moreover, it is surrounded by Sweden, Norway, Russia, and the Baltic Sea. In addition, it is famous for its lakes, Northern Lights, and landscapes.
Ethnically, the majority of the population is Finns. Besides, Finnish and Swedish are the official languages of this country.
Historically, Finland became a part of the Schengen Region after signing a contract in 1996.
Do You Need a Visa to Travel to Finland?
Yes, Indian citizens need to apply for a visa to travel to Finland. Unfortunately, the nationals of India cannot get a visa on arrival in the target destination country. Moreover, Finland does not offer e-visa services to Indians.
So, the only available method is the embassy or paper method.
Also, note that Finland is a Schengen country, therefore, the most common visa type is the Schengen visa. This permit allows you to stay in the country for almost three months in 180 days. Other visa categories are also available considering the purpose of your visit to Finland.
Important: The Schengen Area consists of 29 member states including Finland. The rest of the countries are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
Finnish Visa Types
Several types of Finnish visas are available that you can choose from considering the purpose of your visit. This section discusses the major visa types and their subcategories.
Type C
A Type C or Schengen visa allows you to stay in the country for up to 90 days within six months. It is the most common category of the visa used for short-stay purposes such as tourism, business, or medical treatment.
The following are its subclasses.
Seasonal work visa
Usually, a work visa is valid for up to one year and requires you to have a residence permit. However, a seasonal work visa falls in the category of Type C visas and allows you to work in agriculture, tourism, forestry, festivals, and plant production departments for at least 90 days. Moreover, it is valid for up to one hundred and eighty days.
Tourist visa
If you want to travel to Finland to explore the country and for purposes including leisure and sightseeing, you will need a tourist visa. This visa has a validity of 180 days, allowing you multiple entries to the target country.
Business visa
Furthermore, a business visa grants you access to Finland to attend a business meeting or a conference. Besides, you can also participate in seminars, meetings, and other business-related activities.
Type A
While transiting from one country to another through Finland, you must have a transit or Type A visa. This allows you to stay in the country for almost 30 days while waiting for your next flight. Surprisingly, Indian citizens do not need a transit visa.
However, the nationals of the following countries are supposed to get an airport transit visa to travel through Finland.
- Afghanistan
- Bangladesh
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Ghana
- Iraq
- Iran
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Somalia
- Sri Lanka
Type D
Lastly, you can apply for a Type D or National visa if you want to live in Finland for more than 90 days. This visa type is more common among frequent travelers and businessmen, allowing you to enter the target country multiple times.
Some of its subcategories are as follows.
Work visa
A work visa for Finland from India allows you to travel to the destination country for long-term work purposes. However, to legally start working as an employer in the host country, you will need a work and residence permit.
Student visa
On the other hand, Indian students can visit Finland to continue their academic courses or programs in a chosen educational institute to develop their careers by applying for a student visa. For this purpose, they must have a residence permit.
LTV (Limited Territorial Validity)
As the name implies, this visa type restricts your entry to the Schengen member states. You can only travel to those countries that are mentioned on your visa. Usually, the embassy issues a limited territorial validity visa in case of national interests, humanitarian reasons, or international obligations.
What Are the Documents Needed for a Finland Visa from India?
Make sure to fulfill the following requirements (supporting documents) when applying for a Finland visa from India.
Travel document/passport
You must have a passport with a validity of three months after you return from Finland. Moreover, it should be issued within the last ten years.
Application form for visa
The second most important requirement is filling out the application form for a visa. You can download it from the embassy’s website and complete it carefully.
Pictures
Moreover, the Finland visa application requires you to submit two recent pictures according to the Schengen photo guidelines.
Evidence of play of stay
The embassy may sometimes ask you to submit proof of accommodation to determine that you have a place to stay in Finland. For this purpose, you can either submit a hotel reservation or a rental contract for an apartment or house.
For this purpose, you can read this article to learn how to book a hotel with RFV Travels.
Proof of flight reservation
Furthermore, the embassy officials need you to share your travel plans with them. This requires you to reserve a flight to show your flight details including departure and arrival dates and times, flight number, destination country, airport terminals, IATA codes, etc.
Cover letter
In addition, you can disclose your reason for visiting the country, the duration of your stay, when you will return, etc. by writing a cover letter.
Besides, you can get a well-drafted cover letter from coverletterforvisa.com at a minimal price.
Travel health insurance
Moreover, traveling to a Schengen country such as Finland requires you to purchase travel health insurance. This will help you bear unexpected medical emergencies such as accidents, surgery, evacuation, repatriation, luggage or passport loss, etc.
Invitation letter
If a Finnish host such as a friend or a family member invited you to Finland, you will need to submit an invitation letter or a sponsorship letter. The document must include information about the host, your relationship with them, your name, date of birth, passport number, etc.
Proof of financial means
You are required to provide proof of financial resources to represent that you are eligible to manage the expenses related to food, accommodation, and transportation. Moreover, Finland requires a minimum of 30-50 euros per day.
Civil status document
Furthermore, submit documents showing your civil status such as a marriage certificate, birth certificate of children, or a death certificate of a spouse.
Visa fee
After depositing the visa fee, make sure to attach the payment receipt as proof that you have paid the amount.
Documents for minors
If a minor is traveling with you, ensure to submit the following documents.
- Permission letter from the parents
- Birth certificate of the child
- Family court order
Additional documents
Lastly, depending on your employment status, you must have the following documents in hand.
- An employment letter, bank statement, no objection certificate, or salary slip if you are employed.
- In case of self-employment, submit a business registration certificate, bank statement, or an income tax return.
- In addition, a retired employee needs to submit their pension slips to apply for a Finland visa from India.
Where Can I Submit My Finnish Visa Application?
There are two centers where you can submit your Finland visa application in India. The first one is the Embassy of Finland in New Delhi, India. Secondly, you can visit the visa application center (VFS Global) to officially start your visa application process.
You are required to submit your application in person and provide your biometric data at the same time. If fingerprints submitted for previous visa applications are 59 months old, you need to submit the new ones.
It has been acknowledged that if the Finnish embassy in the home country is absent, a mission of another Schengen country will work on its behalf.
Do you know? If you are traveling to Finland, you can apply for a visa at the embassy or the visa application center authorized by the Finnish mission. Note that no honorary consuls and consulates grant visas.
How to Apply for a Finland Visa from India?
The following brief overview will help you understand the application process for a Finland visa from India. You can either submit your application to the embassy or VFS Global.
Step 1: Select the visa type
The first step is about selecting the visa type keeping in mind the purpose of your trip. For tourism, you will need a Schengen visa. On the other hand, if you want to work in Finland, you need to apply for a Type D visa.
Step 2: Collect the documents
Secondly, make sure to collect all the supporting documents including your passport, proof of flight reservation, proof of financial means, etc. Additionally, you will need other documents considering the visit’s purpose. For more details, check this official website.
Step 3: Fill out the application form
Furthermore, download a visa application form from the official website of the Embassy of Finland in India after creating an account. After that, print and complete it by providing accurate details.
Step 4: Schedule an appointment
Once done, you need to schedule an appointment with the diplomatic mission or the application center to submit your documents and application form. Moreover, you are also required to provide your biometric data.
Step 5: Pay the fee
On the same day of your appointment, you need to deposit a non-refundable fee. You can either pay in cash or through a credit card.
Step 6: Wait for the answer
Lastly, wait for the answer as the processing time for a Finland visa application is two weeks. The period gets extended during peak travel season. Meanwhile, you can visit the tab of VFS Finland appointment in India to check the status of your application. Once approved, you can get your visa from the same center or embassy.
Processing Fee for a Finland Visa from India
The Finland visa fees for Indian are charged for processing the application. In case you apply for a visa through a visa application center (VFS Global), you need to pay the service charges as well.
You can pay the fees either in cash, bank transfer, or credit card, depending on the available payment method.
| Service | Price in Euros | Fee in Indian Rupees |
| Schengen visa/Type C | 90 € | 8,050 INR |
| Children between the ages of 6 & 12 | 45 € | 4,025 INR |
| National visa/Type D | Paper application= 120 € | Paper application= 10,734 INR |
| Electronic application= 95 € | Electronic application=8,498 INR | |
| Transit visa | 80 € | 7,156 INR |
| The visa fee for the nationals of the following states: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cape Verde, Georgia, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Russia, Serbia, Ukraine | 35 € | 3,131 INR |
| The following categories of applicants are exempted from paying the visa fees: Children below six, family members of EU citizens, teachers, students, researchers, scientists | 0 € | O INR |
Finnish Visa Processing Time
The standard Finland visa processing time India is usually 15 working days. However, the time may be longer if the embassy needs additional documents to review your application in detail.
So, make sure to submit your application as soon as possible before your intended departure date. The ideal time limit to visit the embassy to submit your documents is at least six months in advance of your trip to Finland.
Reasons for Finnish Visa Application Refusal
A Finnish diplomatic mission in India may deny your application for some of the following reasons.
- The reason for your trip to Finland is not clear.
- Your passport (travel document) is expired or will expire during your trip.
- You have insufficient financial resources.
- Moreover, you are banned from entering Finland or the Schengen Area due to some serious offense.
- Lastly, your documents show that you will overstay your visa to Finland.
FAQs
- Can I extend my Finnish visa?
Usually, you cannot apply for a Finnish visa extension unless you are in dire need. Therefore, the local police authorities may extend your visa’s validity if you cannot leave Finland and the Schengen Area due to last-minute flight cancellation or acute illness. This extension is free of charge.
On the other hand, if you are extending your visa because of personal reasons such as sudden illness, you need to pay an additional 30 euros. The visa extension decisions will be made by the police.
- Is it possible for Indians to get a visa on arrival in Finland?
No. Indian citizens cannot get a visa on arrival in Finland regardless of the purpose of their trip. Therefore, they are required to apply for a visa using the paper or embassy method. So, they must have a pre-approved permit before traveling to Finland.
- Can I use my Finnish visa to travel to another country?
Yes, you can use your Finnish visa to travel to other Schengen countries. However, make sure to keep in mind that you can tour the neighboring states for only 90 days.
- Can I apply for Finland visa online?
The application process for a Finland visa from India requires you to submit the documents along with the visa application form at the nearest Finnish Embassy or Consulate in India. You can complete the application forms online through the target’s country official website.
- Will I get my application fee back if my Finnish visa is rejected?
No. The application fee is non-refundable. This means that you cannot get your money back if your visa is rejected. That is why you are advised to complete the application form and submit all the requested documents to the embassy.
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