Finland tourist visa
Chasing the Northern Lights over Lapland, or a summer of lakes and Helsinki's design streets? For any of it, you'll need the Schengen category C short-stay visa — and that one sticker opens the entire Schengen area, up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Indian passport holders must have it in hand before flying. The Embassy of Finland in New Delhi is the mission that decides your case, and you lodge the application in person through its appointed partner, VFS Global.
Apply through Finland's mission when Finland is your main destination — the country where you'll spend the most days. If the trip splits evenly, you apply instead through your first point of entry into the Schengen area. Appointments are held at VFS Global centres in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kolkata, where ten fingerprints and a photo are taken. The window opens 6 months before travel and closes 15 days before departure.
Who this visa is for
- ✓Indian passport holders travelling to Finland for tourism, sightseeing or a short private visit of up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
- ✓Finland is your main destination (the country where you spend the most days), or your first point of entry into the Schengen area when stays are of equal length.
- ✓Foreign nationals resident in India must additionally hold a valid Indian residence permit, valid at least 3 months beyond the intended departure from the Schengen area.
- ✓Passport valid at least 3 months after the planned journey, issued within the previous 10 years, with at least 2 blank pages.
- ✓Able to demonstrate travel medical insurance of at least EUR 30,000 and sufficient funds for the duration of the stay.
Visa options for Finland
Single-entry Schengen visa (Type C)
Permits one entry into the Schengen area within the visa's validity; it is used up once you exit, even if permitted days remain.
Double-entry Schengen visa (Type C)
Permits two separate entries into the Schengen area within the visa's validity period.
Multiple-entry Schengen visa (Type C)
Permits multiple entries and can be issued for validity up to 5 years; each stay is still limited to 90 days in any 180-day period.
Documents typically required
- ✓Completed and signed Schengen visa application form.
- ✓One colour passport photograph, maximum 6 months old, plain light-coloured background, neutral expression, unedited.
- ✓Passport plus one photocopy (ID page and all pages with markings); valid at least 3 months after the journey, issued within the last 10 years, with 2 blank pages.
- ✓Travel medical insurance covering the whole trip, minimum EUR 30,000, covering emergency medical care, hospital treatment and repatriation, valid across the whole Schengen area.
- ✓Travel plan/itinerary listing all destinations of the journey.
- ✓Flight tickets, including any onward third countries (the embassy advises against buying tickets before the decision).
- ✓Proof of accommodation for the whole stay in the Schengen area.
- ✓Proof of employment or studies on official letterhead, stamped and dated (retirees: pension proof; unemployed: relevant certificate and spouse's income documents).
- ✓Proof of sufficient means of subsistence, such as the previous 3 months' bank statements.
- ✓Indian Income Tax Return (ITR) documents for the past two years.
- ✓Free-form cover letter from the applicant.
- ✓For minors: passport/ID copies of custodian(s), birth certificate or custody document, and notarised parental consent to travel when not accompanied by the guardian(s).
- ✓Foreign residents of India: valid Indian residence permit valid at least 3 months beyond departure from the Schengen area.
Your exact checklist depends on your profile — we confirm it during your case analysis. Every visa decision rests with the embassy or consulate.
Supporting documents must be in English, Finnish or Swedish. You show originals at the VFS Global centre and submit photocopies; the Embassy of Finland does not return submitted copies. If you gave fingerprints for a Schengen visa within the last 59 months, you won't need to repeat them. The Embassy of Finland may request additional documents or ask to interview you.
Frequently asked questions
Do you guarantee the visa?
No consultant can guarantee a Schengen visa — the decision rests solely with the Embassy/Consulate of Finland. What we do is give you a frank, honest assessment of your profile and build the strongest, best-documented application possible. Over the last 2-3 years our applications have carried a historical success rate of about 97%.
Which Finland mission and centre handle my application in India?
The Embassy of Finland in New Delhi decides every Indian application. You lodge it through a VFS Global centre — New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad or Kolkata — attending in person to give biometrics: ten fingerprints and a photo.
How long can I stay, and where can I travel on this visa?
A Finland short-stay (Type C) visa gives you up to 90 days in any 180-day period, and it isn't limited to Finland — you can move across the whole Schengen area, all 29 member countries, subject to your visa's entry type and validity.
When should I apply?
The earliest is 6 months before travel; the latest is 15 days before departure. Processing usually runs around 15 days, but complex cases take longer — so apply early, above all for peak summer travel.