How to Apply for a Finland Schengen Visa from Australia in 5 Easy Steps – A Complete Guide

Have you ever been to any of the 26 Schengen countries? If not, start with Finland where you can see the midnight sun or travel up the stunning fjords. Everything about this beautiful country is amazing – its food is delicious, its attractions are out of this world and its people are friendly. In this article, learn more about how to apply for a Finland visa at the Embassy of Finland in Canberra, Australia, Finland visa appointment booking, processing time at the Finland visa application centre, flight itinerary for a Finland visa, hotel bookings for a Finland visa, Schengen travel insurance for a Finland visa application, and Finland visa application process at the embassy in Canberra.

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Finland Schengen Visas

In 2018, 769,049 Finland Schengen visas were dealt with and 13,439 were rejected. The Embassy of Finland in Canberra received 192 applications and issued 190 of them.

Applying for a Schengen Visa from Australia         

Generally, if you are an Australian citizen, you do not need to apply for a visa to be able to visit Finland. If you are not an Australian citizen, but you live in Australia permanently, you will have to apply for a visa for Finland. However, in order to do this from Australia, you must be able to prove you have a legal right to live there.

If you are applying for a Finland Schengen visa, you may submit your application to the Finnish Embassy in Canberra.

You have to make sure you apply at the correct Finland visa office, however, the embassy in Canberra is the only visa office for Finland in Australia.

Types of Schengen visas offered at the Embassy of Finland in Canberra

There are 3 types of visa you may apply for and the one you need will depend on your reason for travelling to Finland and the duration of your trip.

1. Schengen visa (C) if you are travelling for tourism, business, visiting family or friends for up to 90 days
2. Airport Transit visa (A) is required when you are connecting through a Schengen country airport and not leaving the airport
3. National visa (D) for family reasons, study or employment etc., for over 90 days

How Can I Apply for a Schengen Visa from the Embassy of Finland in Canberra?

Your visa application should be submitted to the embassy at least 15 days before your trip. You can apply up to 90 days ahead, so make sure you apply in plenty of time.

Here are 5 easy steps to follow to help you apply for your visa:

Step 1: How to complete your application?

To complete your application form, go to the embassy’s website and click on: “Schengen Visa to Finland”:

On the next screen, click on: “How to Apply for a visa”:

You will then see the link for the application form:

Download it or print it and you can complete it in full so you can submit it along with your other documents. Don’t forget to sign it too.

Step 2: How to make an appointment?

Making appointments with the embassy, consulate or visa application center is generally free and can be done yourself. However, If you are running short of time or not sure which consulate to apply to or have no idea on how to get this done yourself then not to worry, we will make the appointment for you for a small service fee!

Booking a visa appointment using our services is pretty simple! All you have to do is follow the 3 simple steps below:

1. Visit the link to schedule the visa appointment
2. Submit the appointment details, the visa you are applying for, consulate you need the appointment for, the country you need the appointment IN and make the payment
3. Receive appointment confirmation in email

You can also make an appointment on your own by following the steps below.

1. Go to the embassy’s website and click on: “Book an Appointment”
2. Choose “Schengen Visa (per person)”
3. Choose a date and a time
4. Enter your information and continue until the appointment is confirmed

Step 3: Prepare your documents

There is a list of required documents on the embassy’s website, so take a look at what they are before you start to prepare your documents.

You should also prepare photocopies as well as providing the original documents, so don’t forget to do that too!

Documents include:

1. A duly completed and signed application form
2. Passport photograph
3. Passport – The passport must be valid at least three (3) months after your planned trip ends and it must have been granted during the last ten (10) years. It also must have 2 free pages
4. Proof of residence
5. Proof of visa status – VEVO
6. Airline reservation, including confirmation of the booking of an organised trip including a detailed itinerary (if applicable)
7. Proof of travel medical insurance for the whole period of travel in the Schengen area. The insurance should be at least EUR 30,000 for sudden illness or accident and including transportation home in the event of death
8. Proof of sufficient funds – 3 recent bank statements
9. Proof of sponsorship and/or private accommodation, such as a hotel reservation
10. Invitation letter from the host – private individual or company/organisation
11. If married or in a partnership, provide a marriage certificate or registered partnership agreement
12. Documents proving the applicant’s employment status in the company (for example, contract, proof of social security contributions
13. Certificate from a medical doctor and/or a medical institution advising that medical treatment is necessary (if applicable)
14. Parental consent for children aged 0-17 years of age and birth certificate

If you’re planning to obtain your flight reservation for visa without paying for the ticket, all you have to do is follow the 3 simple steps below:

1. Visit the Visa Reservation website to choose the right package
2.  Submit the travel details and make the payment online
3. Receive flight itinerary in email

Step 4: A guide to your visa appointment

On the day of your appointment, arrive before your appointment is due to begin, don’t forget any of the documents that you prepared earlier and dress smartly.

The visa officer will examine your application and other documents. If they need to know any more information, they will ask you questions about your application. Just answer truthfully!

Typical questions include:

1. What do you know about Finland?
2. Are you meeting anyone in Finland?
3. What is your job?
4. How long have you lived in Australia?
5. What is your salary?

Don’t jeopardize your Schengen visa interview at the last minute. Use this comprehensive and thorough visa interview guide to crack the visa interview!

During your appointment, you will also pay the fee for your visa. You may pay by Eftpos, Visa and Mastercard only. Please note, the fee is non-refundable even if your application gets rejected.

If you have never applied for a Schengen visa before, you will have to provide a scan of your fingerprints and have your photo taken. This biometric data is stored on the Visa Information System (VIS) for future use.

Step 5: Receive your visa

Once a decision about your visa has been reached, you will either:

1. Collect your passport from the embassy in Canberra
2. Receive your passport by mail to your home

You should check with the embassy which method is available.

The decision will be either:

1. Approved – your visa will be inside your passport
2. Rejected – this would have been for a specific reason and you can appeal the decision

Common rejection reasons include:

1. Lack of funds – you must be able to afford your trip and the documents you provide such as bank statements must show this
2. Passport invalid – if your passport is invalid in any way, you must get a new one before applying for your visa
3. No proof of sponsorship – if you are being sponsored for your trip to Finland, you must provide proof of the sponsorship
4. No proof of residence – if you are a non-Australian citizen who is living in Australia permanently, you must provide proof that you have a legal right to do so

How to contact the Embassy of Finland in Canberra?

Address: 12 Darwin Avenue, YARRALUMLA, ACT 2600, Australia

Hours:

By appointment only: Mon–Fri 9.30 am–12.30 pm

Telephone inquiries: Mon–Thu 1:00 pm–3.00 pm

Office Hours: Mon-Thu 9:30 am–12:30pm and 1:00pm–5:00pm Fri 9:30 am–12:30pm and 1:00pm–2:30pm

Conclusion

To apply for a Schengen visa for Finland in Australia, follow these simple steps:

1. Complete your application
2. Make your appointment
3. Prepare your documents
4. Attend your appointment
5. Receive your visa

Now, get ready for your exciting adventure!

At Visa Reservation, we strive to simplify the visa process by providing free visa consultations, cover letter templates and no objection letter templates for our clients from US, UK, Canada, Philippines, India, China, UAE, Europe, Nigeria and globally. We also offer flight itinerary for visa, travel medical insurance, hotel reservations for visa, Book Visa Appointment, Travel Guides, Visa Interview Guides and many more. To learn more about how we can help you with our visa services, please feel free to contact us today.

See Also

How to Apply for Schengen Visa from Australia

How to Apply for Austria Schengen Visa from Australia

How to Apply for Belgium Schengen Visa from Australia

How to Apply for Czech Republic Schengen Visa from Australia

How to Apply for Denmark Schengen Visa from Australia

How to Apply for Estonia Schengen Visa from Australia