 | | | | | | | | FINLAND EMIGRATION REQUIREMENTS IMMIGRATION INFORMATION
| | One of the most important things for any travellers and yet forgotten by thousands of ardent travellers every year your passport is one thing you simply can’t leave home without. As well as remembering to take it with you, however, you also need to ensure that your current passport is valid for at least six months beyond the date of your return to your home country. You should also take at least two photocopies of the pages containing your photo and any other important information. Carry one on your person and one somewhere safe or if you’re really clever you could e-mail a copy to yourself or save it onto a floppy disk so you can access it at any time. Furthermore, in order to get into many countries on the stay abroad you will require a visa of some type, even if you are just visiting. This is usually an insert, stamp or sticker which is placed in your passport and the duration of its validity varies from place to place. If you do intend to work or study in the country to which you are traveling, however, you should organize your visa even further in advance as this can take longer to process. As well as your passport you should ensure that you have at least one other form of identification with you. This may be a driver’s license, birth certificate or any other form of ID which is acceptable worldwide. As with passports, bring at least two copies of all forms of identification in case of loss or theft. You should also find out where your embassy is in the country to which you are travelling as this will come in very handy for genuine emergencies. For example if you need to return home urgently or lose important documents or passports, your embassy should be able to help you out pretty quickly.
| VISA APPLICATIONS AND PASSPORTS | | | | | Note | | Finland is a signatory to the 1995 Schengen Agreement. | | | Passports | | Passports valid for at least 3-6 months required by all except the following nationals provided they hold a valid national ID card: (a) 1. nationals of EU countries (except Greece, Ireland and the UK), including the French Overseas Departments of Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion but excluding Greenland and the Faroe Islands; (b) nationals of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino and Switzerland. | | | Visas | | Required by all except the following for a period of up to 3 months: (a) nationals shown in the chart above; (b) nationals listed under passport exemptions above (including nationals of the French Overseas Departments of Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion but excluding nationals of Greenland and the Faroe Islands); (c) nationals of Andorra, Argentina, Bermuda, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong (SAR), Hungary, Israel, Korea (Rep. of), Latvia, Lithuania, Macau (SAR), Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Uruguay, Vatican City and Venezuela. Visas are required for stays exceeding 3 months and by all who wish to work during their stay except nationals of Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. | | | Types of visa and cost | | 30-day: $25. 31-90 day: $30 (single-entry); $30 (double-entry). Multiple-entry: $45. Transit: £6. A uniform type of visa, the Schengen visa, is issued for tourist, business and private visits. Visa fees are payable in cash (exact money only) or postal order only. Visa fees are non-refundable and payable on submission of the visa application. Note: Visa fees may vary with the rate of exchange. | | | Note | | Spouses and children of EU nationals (providing spouse's passport and the original marriage certificate is produced), and nationals of some other countries, receive their visas free of charge (enquire at Embassy for details). | | | Validity | | Transit visas are valid for up to 5 days. Single-entry and double-entry visas are valid for up to 90 days. Multiple-entry visas are valid for up to 1 year. Applications for renewal or extension should be made to the Embassy or Authorities in Finland. | | | Application to | | Consulate (or Consular section at Embassy). Travellers visiting just one Schengen country should apply to the Consulate of that country; travellers visiting more than one Schengen country should apply to the Consulate of the country chosen as the main destination or the country they will enter first (if they have no main destination). | | | Application requirements | | (a) 1 application form (in duplicate). (b) 2 identical passport-size photos. (c) Valid passport. (d) Valid re-entry permit into the UK (for applicants applying at the Finish Embassy in London). (e) Valid travel insurance other than E111. (f) Hotel reservation or original invitation from either a family or company in Finland. For business visits; a letter of invitation from the Finnish company confirming length and purpose of stay; and a letter from current employer. (g) Reservation of travel tickets and proof of funds. (h) Fee (non-refundable; payable in advance in cash or by postal order only). Postal applications need to be accompanied by a $5 handling charge. | | | Working days required | | 1-2 days. Applications for Schengen visas may take several weeks to be processed. Other applications may be referred to the Finnish Ministry of the Interior. Allow 2-3 weeks. | | | Temporary residence and work | | Apply to Finnish Embassy. Work permits and Residence permits should be arranged well in advance. EU nationals are allowed to live and work in Finland without visas or permits for up to 3 months; for periods exceeding 3 months, they can obtain a residence permit (a work permit is not required) from the local police station which normally lasts for 5 years. | | | Note | | Those wishing to visit the CIS from Finland are advised to obtain their visa in their country of origin; applications made in Helsinki take at least 8 working days. | | | Addresses | | Matkailun Edistämiskeskus (Finnish Tourist Board) | | Head Office: Töölönkatu 11, PO Box 625, 00101 Helsinki Tel: (9) 417 6911. Fax: (9) 4176 9333. E-mail: mek@mek.fi Website: http://mek.fi/ Tourist Information: Eteläesplanadi 4, 00131 Helsinki Tel (9) 4176 9300 or 4176 9211. Fax: (9) 4176 9333. | | | | | | Help to Visa Application Forms. How to find the right one(s)? Understand that we cannot provide forms, since this specific topic is too complex for a implementation in our websites. Each country uses its own specific application formulars for tourists, residents and/or workers. There are no general or multipurpose formulars for each country. Anyway you may search the needed forms in the Internet by using the search engines like, Altavista, Yahoo, Google, DMOZ, AOL, MSN, Lycos, Teoma. Search examples: Type your query and set - of course - for 'COUNTRY' the real country name you are looking for ... ... and good luck! Important remark: the [ + ] and [ " ] will reduce the number of the search results anyway. Type exactly like examples below or you copy and paste the search strings: If your search was successful, visit the consulate's, governments' or embassies' websites first. As per our investigation experiences most of the downloadable form sheets you'll find are built in PDF for Adobe's Acrobat™ Reader.  PASSPORT APPLICATIONS, RENEWALS Applying for a Passport You should apply for your passport several months in advance of your planned departure, making sure you fill in the dates of your upcoming trip in the appropriate place on the application. If you'll need visas from foreign embassies (find out by checking foreign entry requirements for the country you'll visit, allow more time. (It's very important to check those requirements. Imagine how disappointed you'd be if you were turned back on the day of your departure because your passport expires in three months and the country you're visiting requires it to be valid at least six months AFTER you return home! Also check on immunization requirements -- you may need to be inoculated before you can enter a country!) As a rule, it takes about 25 business days to process your passport application and get the document sent to you. Something to think about: Lines are longest at passport agencies from January to July, resulting in longer waiting times for applicants. You might want to avoid the crowds by applying through a nearby clerk of court or post office that accepts passport applications. Lost or Stolen Passport Losing your passport -- especially if you're in a foreign country -- can be scary. It's the most important item you carry with you, so it's best to keep it someplace secure (like in a money pouch you wear under your clothes). Another safety measure you can take is to make two photocopies of the photo ID page of your passport. Leave one at home with family or friends and keep the other in a different place from your passport, perhaps buried in the bottom of checked luggage. This could make all the difference in getting you on your flight home in the event that your passport is lost or stolen. It also makes getting it replaced much easier. Can I Have My Old Passport Back? Yes! Most people view their passports as important memorabilia and are eager to get them back. That's why your previous passport, marked "canceled," will be returned to you with your new one.
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