Finnish Consulate NYC, New York – 5 Easy Steps to Apply for Finland Schengen Visa

Finland is a magical place any time of the year. Witness the spectacular Northern Lights in the winter or the midnight sun in the summer – both truly wondrous sights. There are small towns on beautiful lakes, cities of art and culture with many museums to visit, and ski resorts surrounded by beautiful nature. It’s such a fascinating Schengen country to visit. In this article learn more about how to apply for Finland Visa at the Finnish consulate in NYC, New York, Finland visa appointment booking, Processing time at the Finland visa application center and Finland Visa Application Process at the NYC consulate.

Schengen Visa

In 2017, 827,520 Finland Schengen visa applications were received and only 1.13% rejected, making this country one of the easiest and most popular European destinations to get a visa for. The consulate of Finland in NYC, New York received 548 applications and rejected just 57.

 Applying for Schengen Visa from the United States

If you are a US citizen by birth there is no need for a visa to enter Finland, but you can only stay for up to 90 days. Plus, your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after your trip to be able to qualify for a visa-free trip.

If you are not a US citizen, who is also a legal resident of the US, you need to apply for a visa. You needn’t worry though, the process is very easy.

You have to make sure you apply at the right Finnish embassy and consulate. You must apply at the correct consulate and if you want to apply at the Consulate of Finland in New York then you must live in one of the following areas:

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and US Virgin Islands.

If you live in any other area, click on the map on the consulate’s website and it will tell you where you need to apply.

Types of Schengen Visas Offered at the Finnish Consulate in NYC New York

The amount of time you are planning on staying in Finland will determine the type of visa you apply for. For stays up to 90 days, you’ll need a Finland Schengen visa. For stays over 90 days, you’ll need a National visa. If you are applying for a National visa, you may also need a residence permit. For further information on residence permits, go to VFS Global.

You can also apply for an Airport Transit visa if you are transiting through a Finnish airport on the way to your final destination.

Schengen (short-stay) visas are issued as single, double, or multiple entry. This will allow you to enter the country once, twice or unlimited times. National (long-stay) visas are issued as single or multiple.

Schengen Visa Application Process at the Finnish Consulate in NYC New York

The Finnish consulate in New York has outsourced visa applications to VFS Global, so it’s the New York visa application center of VFS where you will submit your application.

VFS Global aim to process visa applications within 10-15 days, but you should still apply well in advance of your trip. Some applications could take up to 60 days to process. Applications are processed in the order of arrival and VFS Global will not expedite applications if they are received late. You can apply up to 90 days ahead of your trip, so the earlier the better. Please note, email or telephone inquiries will not speed up the processing of your application.

It is your responsibility to apply for the correct visa, so it’s advisable to spend some time looking at the consulate’s website before you begin the process of applying.

You can also go to VFS Global’s website which will give you information on how to apply:

If you click on: “How to apply” VFS will give you a handy step-by-step guide to what you need to do:

Step 1: Make your appointment online

The first thing you need to do is to make your appointment. Go to the consulate’s website and click on: “Visa and residence permits”:

Next, click on: visa.finland.eu

You will be directed to VFS Global’s booking system and you will need to log in:

Or, create a new account:

Once you’ve done that you’ll be able to make a suitable appointment.

Making appointments with the embassy 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!

Step 2: Complete your application online

The next step is to complete your application form online. You can do this by going to VFS Global’s website and click on the “Online application form” tab:

Next, you’ll have to log in:

Or, create a new account:

Once you’ve done that, you can complete your application form. Don’t forget to print it off for signing.

Step 3: Get your documents ready

You should take a look at the consulate’s website before you start to get your documents ready. There is information about what you need to submit to VFS Global. You can also do this by going to VFS Global’s website. Just click on the link and it will provide a handy checklist of documents required for your type of visa:

If you fail to comply with these requirements, your application will not be processed and you may have to make a new appointment. Plus, you are also required to provide original documents as well as photocopies, so don’t forget to do this. Documents to get ready include:

1) Visa application form. Signed and dated in sections 36 and 37.

2) Color photo not older than 6 months. On a light background with a neutral facial expression

3) Passport or other travel documents. Requirements of passports are: dated a minimum of 3 months past trip, issued within 10 years, and contains at least 2 free pages

4) Copy of the passport ID page

5) Green Card or US visa (A, E, F, G, H, I, J + J1 form, L, O, R) valid for at least 3 months past trip

6) Proof of employment or studies

– Employment: an official company letter stating name, job role, length of employment, approval of leave

– Studies: Valid I-20 or official document stating name, years of studies, and approval of absence

7) Hotel reservation or invitation letter with the host ID

8) Airline reservation

9) Proof of financial sufficiency – Bank statements for 3 months or other proof of sufficient funds. I.E. proof of business or income

10) Birth certificate with Apostille verification and passports of parents (for minors)

11) Travel Medical Insurance to cover €30,000 for medical expenses, hospitalization, and repatriation. Valid for the entire duration of the trip and in Schengen/EU/worldwide area

12) Reference letter from employer and/or invitation letter from the Finnish company

13) Marriage 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: Attend your appointment at VFS Global

Get to the visa application center with time to spare on the day of your appointment. Don’t forget any of your documents and dress smartly – this all helps to give a good impression.

The staff will look over your application and supporting documents and if they find it necessary to clarify anything with you, they may ask you additional questions. If this happens, just answer the questions honestly. They are not trying to trick you, they just want to have all the information to be able to make a decision on your application.

Visa interview questions could be:

1. Are you married?
2. How will you pay for this trip?
3. Where do you plan to go in Finland?
4. How many children do you have?
5. What do you know about the country you are visiting in the Schengen area?

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

The fee for your visa will need to be paid. There is also an additional service charge payable to VFS Global of $37. You can pay these fees by credit or debit card or cash.

The fees are non-refundable even if your application gets refused.

Schengen Visa Fee

You may also have to provide biometric data as part of your application which involves a scan of your 10 fingerprints and a digital photograph.

Step 5: Receive your visa

After your appointment, you are able to track the status of your application. You can do this by going to VFS Global’s website and click on: “After submission”:

Click on the link to track your application:

Enter your reference number and date of birth and click on: “Submit”:

Once VFS Global have received your passport from the consulate in New York, they will let you know and you can go and collect it from them. You should collect it within 30 days otherwise your passport will be returned to the consulate in New York and you will have to collect it from them.

You must take the following items to be able to collect your passport from VFS Global:

1. The original receipt (ICR)
2. Copy of the ID page of your passport (stapled to the receipt)

You can also arrange for your passport to be mailed back to you, but you’ll need to pay a courier fee of $30 when you submit your file.

Hopefully, your Finland Schengen visa will be in your passport, but there is a chance that your application may have been refused for any of the following reasons:

1. You did not provide an employer’s letter
2. You don’t have sufficient funds
3. Your passport is not valid for 3 months past trip
4. It cannot be established why you wish to go to Finland
5. There is no marriage certificate
6. The consulate cannot be sure that you will return to the US

To avoid any of these rejection reasons you must provide clear evidence that you will be returning to the US after your trip as well as your reason for traveling there. You can do this at your interview or with the documents you provide. Make sure your passport is valid or get a new one before applying for your visa. You must show that you can pay for your trip as well as providing all the required documents with your application. The consulate cannot make a decision if there is anything missing.

Contact details for VFS Global in New York

Address: 145 West 45^th Street, Floor 4, New York, NY 10036

Email: info.fin.usa@vfshelpline.com

Tel: +1 212 203 0023

Helpline Hours: 6:00am – 4:00pm PST/ 7:00am – 5:00pm MST / 8:00am – 6:00pm CST / 9:00am – 7:00pm EST

Hours:

Monday to Friday, 9.00 am – 3.00 pm (Visa appointments)

Monday to Friday, from 4.00 pm to 5.00 pm (Passport collections)

Conclusion

There isn’t really much to applying for your Finland Schengen visa.

1. Make an appointment online
2. Complete your online application
3. Get your documents ready
4. Attend your appointment
5. Receive your visa

5 very easy steps to follow one-by-one and you’ll hopefully have your visa for Finland. Now it’s time to start preparing for your exciting trip!

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.