Finland Schengen Visa

Land of thousands of lakes, Finland is a sparsely populated Nordic nation sharing borders with Russia, Sweden, and Norway. Also known as the happiest country in the world, this Schengen nation is home to some of the most attractive tourist spots like the sea fortress of Suomenlinna, Santa Claus Village, the Aland Islands, and Olavinlinna Castle.

If you plan to travel to the Nordic nation to explore these tourist spots from the UAE or for work, education, and so on, you would first need to figure out whether you would require a Schengen visa. In this article, we will this question as well as other aspects related to a Finland Schengen visa such as the requirements to apply for the visa, processing time, fees, and more.

Do You Need Schengen Visa for Finland?

UAE nationals having valid passports can enter Finland and stay up to 90 days there without a Schengen visa. However, due to the duration of the trip or the applicant’s nationality, a visa may be required in some cases.

The following are the categories of individuals who would need to apply for a Finland Schengen visa in the UAE-

• UAE nationals who have been denied entry into a Schengen nation without a visa
• UAE nationals visiting Finland for more than 90 days
• UAE residents with temporary or permanent residential allowance who are –
  • Passport holders of a nation that does not belong to Schengen visa-exempt category
  • Passport holders of a nation that is part of the Schengen visa-exempt category but have been denied entry in the Schengen region

Requirements to Apply for Finland Schengen Visa

You can keep a few general documents prepared to apply for a Finland Schengen visa like the following-

• A valid passport – this document should not be older than 10 years and possess a validity of a minimum of 3 months post the date of departure from Finland 
• Two recent passport-sized coloured photographs – the photographs should not be older than 6 months and should be clicked against a bright-coloured background 
• A document verifying that you are a UAE resident – a residence permit that is valid for minimum 3 months from the date of departure from Finland can work here 
• Finland Schengen visa application form – provide accurate details, print the form upon completion, and sign the document at the end 
• Flight itinerary – this document should contain all the information about your flight bookings to and from Finland. It should include the flight number and your boarding details clearly.
• Document verifying your accommodation to show where you will be residing during your stay in Finland. It could be hotel booking, rental agreement, or an invitation letter from the host at whose place you would stay.
• travel insurance – you would be required to carry your travel insurance certificate while travelling

Note: A Schengen travel insurance plan must also fulfil a few conditions specifically applicable to the region. These will be discussed later in the article.

• Cover letter – a document stating the purpose of your visit to the Schengen country, the duration of your stay, your accommodation, and more
• Proof that you can afford to stay in Finland. For this, you would need to provide any or both of the following – 
  • Bank account statement – should reflect that you have sufficient funds to afford the trip and be as recent as the last three months
  • Sponsorship letter – to be provided by the sponsor or a third party that is financially assisting your stay in Finland. It must be noted that the bank statements (for the previous 3 months) of the sponsor would also be required in such a case

Besides these basic documents, you may also need to provide a few documents as per your employment status.

For Salaried Individuals

• Employment contract
• Leave allowance from the employer
• Recent bank statement of up to last 6 months

For Self-Employed Individuals

• A copy of trade or business license
• Company’s bank statement for the last 6 months

For Students

• Proof of enrolment (admission acceptance or enrolment number)
• Advertisements
• No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the university or school

For Retired Individuals

• Pension slips of last 6 months

Finland Schengen Visa Additional Requirements for Minors

The legal guardians or parents can also apply for Finland Schengen visa on behalf of the minors. For this, they would be required to provide the following documents –

• Birth certificate
• Family court order – if only one parent has the custody of the child 
• A filled in Finland Schengen visa application form
• In case the minor is travelling alone or with an accompanying person, these documents would have to be presented –
  • A copy or original passport of the companion – it should contain the passport holder’s information, passport’s expiration date, a recent photograph, and a valid copy of the visa
  • A notarized parental authorisation to visit Finland – it should be signed by both parents or guardians

How to Apply for Schengen Visa for Finland?

Just like a few other Schengen nations, the Finnish embassy has outsourced the visa application process to VFS Global in the UAE. You can submit your forms at any licenced Visa Application Centre (VAC) in Abu Dhabi or Dubai. 

Given below are the addresses for the same -

• Dubai - Joint Visa Application Centre, Wafi Mall, Level 2, Falcon, Phase 2, Umm Hurair 2
• Abu Dhabi - Level 25, Shining Tower, Mubarak Bin Mohammed Street, 26th Street, Adjacent to Khalidyah Mall, 30023

These Visa Application Centres are open from Sunday to Thursday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. For submitting your applications, you can visit these centres at any time between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm on business days.

To get further information, you can connect with the authorised personnel at -

• Phone number - +971 4 205 5907
• Email - info.FinlandUEA@vfshelpline.com 

The visa application centre in Abu Dhabi accepts Finland Schengen visa applications from

• Abu Dhabi
• Al Ain 

The Dubai VAC, on the other hand, accepts Schengen visa applications from the Emirates of

• Dubai
• Fujairah
• Ajman
• Ras Al Khaimah
• Umm Al-Quwain
• Sharjah 

To apply for a Finland Schengen visa, follow the steps mentioned below:

• Based on the Emirate you reside in, check the VAC where you need to submit the application form
• Fill in the Finland Schengen visa application form after getting it from the respective VAC or website. Print out two copies of the form and fill up the information in the required fields. Sign the form properly wherever asked.
• Fix an appointment at the VAC
• Attend the visa interview and carry all the mandatory documents in the suggested order

After completing all these steps, you would need to await the visa authorities’ response. 

Do I Need Travel Insurance for Finland Schengen Visa?

Schengen travel insurance plan is mandatory for individuals requiring a Schengen visa to visit Finland or the region. Moreover, as mentioned earlier, this travel insurance must fulfil Schengen-specific requirements – minimum coverage of EUR 30,000 and validity across all the Schengen countries.

Having a travel insurance plan for a Finland Schengen visa can be beneficial for you, as you would be financially covered for any kind of medical emergencies or travel inconveniences that you might face on your trip like illness, injury arising from accident, repatriation, and more.

Discussed below are the key benefits of purchasing a travel insurance plan for a Finland Schengen visa in detail:

• Completes the visa requirements – A travel insurance certificate is a necessary document when sending your application for a Finland Schengen visa
• Cover for emergency medical expenses – You are financially covered in case a medical emergency arises while travelling in Finland. With such a plan, you can go for the direct billing option in any of the network hospitals and avail of the necessary treatment for your injury or illness
• COVID-19 coverage – Most of the travel insurance plans from the UAE provide COVID-19 coverage. The insurance provider can cover all the expenses related to the mandatory quarantine and the associated treatment if you are diagnosed with the disease. Moreover, you can also be covered for the costs of RT-PCR tests in such cases.
• Loss of luggage cover – With travel insurance for a Finland Schengen visa, you would be reimbursed in case you lose your baggage in transit or if there is a delay in receiving it.
• Travel inconvenience cover – Under this coverage, you can be compensated in case of theft or personal liability during the trip to Finland. Moreover, you can also be reimbursed in case of unwanted inconveniences like trip curtailment.

Based on the purpose and the frequency of the visit to Finland, you can apply for either of the following travel insurance plans for Finland Schengen visa -

• Single-Trip Schengen Travel Insurance – This travel insurance plan is suitable for people who need to travel to Finland only once in a given year. It plan can be bought by solo travellers, group travellers, and senior citizens. This type of travel insurance covers an entire trip of the policyholder and expires once the trip is over or if its validity period ends.
• Annual Multi-Trip Travel Insurance – This type of travel insurance is designed for individuals travelling to Finland more than once a year and can be bought for a Type C multiple-entry Finland Schengen visa. With an annual multi-trip travel insurance plan, all your trips made in a year are covered.

Processing Time for the Finland Schengen Visa

Usually, a Finland Schengen visa can be processed within 15 days. However, the period can extend to 30 days in case of peak season or an unusually high number of visa applications. Under special circumstances, like cases where the Finland embassy has to consult other Schengen consulates, the processing time for your Finland Schengen visa can go up to 60 days.

When Should You Apply for Schengen Visa to Finland?

The allotted time frame to submit your Finland Schengen visa is as follows –

• Earliest time to file the application for Finland Schengen visa – 6 months prior to the planned trip
• Latest time frame within which you should file the Schengen visa application – 15 business days before the date of travel

As we saw earlier, it can take up to 30-60 days in some cases for the processing of your visa application. To ensure that you have an adequate time margin, it is advisable to apply for a Finland Schengen visa at least 3 weeks before the trip.

Finland Schengen Visa Fees

SCHENGEN VISA CATEGORY	VISA FEE (AED)	VISA FEE (EUR)
Adult	340	80
Children aged between 6 to 12 years	170	40
Children younger than the age of 6 years	Free	Free
A family member of an EU or an EAA national	Free	Free
Diplomatic and service passport holders	Free	Free

How Long is Your Finland Schengen Visa Valid?

The validity of your visa would depend on the type of Finland Schengen visa you apply for. Single-entry and double-entry visas allow visa holders to stay up to 90 days within a 180-day time frame. The maximum validity for a multiple-entry Finland Schengen visa is 5 years, although the condition of a 90-day stay in a 180-day tenure would apply here as well.

To extend your stay in Finland, you can extend your Schengen visa validity at a Finnish police station nearby. However, extension is possible only in special cases where certain reasons to stay in the country arise once you are there in Finland.

It is important to note that your Finland Schengen visa can be revoked if you don’t meet the conditions for the issuance of the visa.

Key Takeaways

To visit Finland, you may require a Finland Schengen visa if you are a passport holder of a nation that does not belong to the Schengen visa-free category or are a UAE citizen but have to visit Finland for more than 90 days at a time.

To apply for a Finland Schengen visa, you would be required to provide documents like a valid passport, flight itinerary, residential visa, passport-sized photographs, proof of accommodation, and travel insurance plan.

Travel insurance, besides being mandatory to fulfil the Finland Schengen visa application process, is also beneficial as it provides financial assistance in case of medical emergencies and travel inconveniences. You can purchase a travel insurance plan for a Finland Schengen visa from Policybazaar UAE, which hosts insurance plans from the top insurance providers in the UAE at reasonable rates. We also help you in case you face any difficulty at any point of the visa application via our customer care team as well as insurance experts.

Policybazaar UAE – Helping you navigate the wilderness of the insurance world!