News And Updates

Effective 21st June 2021, customers can submit visa applications with a prior appointment at the Finland Visa Application Centres in the Kosovo for below visa categories:

• Family member of a Finnish national and third country national living permanently in Finland (according to following definition of who is a family member)

  • Family members are spouse, children, parents, parents-in-law and grandparents, and family members (spouse or minor children) of those listed above.
• Pressing family matter: birth of one’s own child, a serious illness of a close relative, one’s own wedding, dating relationship, or other pressing personal reason
• Healthcare professionals, health researchers, and elderly care professionals;
• Frontier workers;
• Transport personnel engaged in haulage of goods and other transport staff to the extent necessary;
  
• Diplomats, staff of international organizations, military personnel and humanitarian aid workers in the exercise of their functions;
• Passengers in transit in the international transit areas of airports between connecting extra-Schengen flights;
• Persons in need of international protection or for other humanitarian reasons.
• Persons who own property in Finland and family members (spouse and minor children) of them.
• Persons picking of natural products based on the invitation from a company that is committed to a letter of intent
• Parents and grandparents travelling to Finland to meet their underage children
• Persons travelling for serious medical reasons
• Special business groups (such as representatives of culture, sports and business life) for work that is significant for the functioning of society or supply security, the implementation of which requires the work performance of a person or persons coming from another country and the work cannot be delayed
• Seasonal workers

Submission of applications for any other visa categories is still suspended.

A Schengen visa does not guarantee entry to Finland. There are only limited reasons of travel that permit entering Finland and rules are subject to change. Find more information here: www.raja.fi/en/guidelines-for-border-traffic-during-pandemic

Information regarding quarantine and COVID-testing on arrival to Finland: https://thl.fi/en/web/infectious-diseases-and-vaccinations/what-s-new/coronavirus-covid-19-latest-updates/travel-and-the-coronavirus-pandemic

"Finland Visa Application Centre in Pristina can accept only limited category of applications. Customer can submit visa applications with a prior appointment at the Finland Visa Application Centre in Pristina, Kosovo for below visa categories:

• Private (Family) Visit / Tourism
• Official / Business Visit
• Sports / Cultural/ Medical / Other Reason
• Seasonal Work
• FAMILY MEMBER OF AN EU, EEA AND SWISS CITIZEN, WHO EXERCISES THEIR RIGHT OF FREE MOVEMENT ACCORDING TO DIRECTIVE 2004/38/EY
• Family members of Finnish citizens even when all family is living together abroad and family is coming to Finland as a tourist
• Applicants who are coming to Finland to get medical treatment in serious illness (like cancer) and such high-quality treatment is not available in country where they apply Submission of applications for any other visa categories is still suspended."

Finland Visa Application Centre in Pristina, Kosovo re-opens

• Effective 15 March 2021, customers can submit visa applications with a prior appointment at the Finland Visa Application Centre in Pristina, Kosovo, for below visa categories only:
• Visa applications of Special groups, for example persons applying for a visa on the basis of family ties or an established relationship. In this context, family relationships refer to the spouse, partner and minor children of a person who resides in Finland. For pressing family matters, for example the birth of one’s own child, serious illness of a close relative or one’s own wedding. Special groups include also visas for seasonal work up to 90 days. Clarification for essential seasonal work can be found here. The conditions for issuing a visa under the Schengen Visa Code must also be met.
• During the COVID-19 –pandemic it is not possible to apply or travel to Finland with a tourist visa.
• Keeping in mind the health and safety of all our customers and employees in view of the ongoing COVID-19 physical distancing guidelines, we would like to inform all applicants who have already submitted their biometrics to any Schengen state during the last 59 months do not have to visit the application center for visa application until further notice. Thus, all such BIO exempt visa applications can be submitted also through travel agents effective 15.03.2021. However, please note that you may be requested to visit our application center for providing biometrics post application submission in case there is a request from the local Embassy.
• Your safety is our priority. As part of precautionary measures, customers visiting our Visa Application Centers may be subjected to body temperature checks to assess their health conditions and required to wear face mask and gloves. Customers exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms, including fever (higher than 38 degrees Celsius), cough and difficulty breathing will be allowed to reschedule their application submission for another day and will be advised to seek medical attention at the nearest healthcare facility of their choice.

Due to the Corona virus / COVID-19 situation, Finland has temporarily suspended accepting visa and residence permit applications at the VFS application centres globally.

New visa sticker for use

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. Regulation (EU) 2017/1370, amending Council Regulation (EC) No 1683/95 on a uniform format for visas, was adopted on 04 July 2017. All Member States must start using the new visa sticker by 21 December 2019.

The introduction of the new visa sticker does not require any measures from visa applicants. Visas issued before 11 November 2019 will be valid for the period of validity indicated on the visa sticker.

The Embassy of Finland and VFS Global Visa Application Centre would like to inform the visa applicants travelling to Finland that they are now able to make an appointment to submit their visa application by calling the following telephone numbers 0900 111 22

Kindly also note that starting the 04 November 2019 only the applicants with an appointment will be accepted at the Visa Application Centre. The applicants are required to schedule an appointment before they visit the Visa Application Centre.

Kindly note that one appointment slot is valid for one applicant only. In case you arrive in a group, kindly book the required number of appointments corresponding to the number of applicants.

You are also recommended to make an appointment in good time prior to your journey, as there is a limitation of 12 applications per day