A Schengen visa is a permit to enter the Schengen area for a temporary stay of up to 90 days in a period of 180 days. Visa can be issued for single, double or multiple entries. When the visa validity period expires, the person must exit the Schengen area. Visa holders are not allowed to work in the Schengen area.
The Schengen countries are Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
A Schengen visa should always be applied at the consulate or the embassy of the country of the jouney's main destination.
More information from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs website
Visa applications can only be submitted in person through a pre-booked appointment.
Please contact the Embassy either by email or by telephone to book an appointment for your visa application:
Please note that starting from November 2nd 2015 the fingerprints and a digital photograph will be collected from persons applying for a Schengen visa from the Finnish Embassy in Kathmandu as part of the Visa Information System (VIS). You can find more information on VIS from the European Commission's website.
Visa applications can be submitted only with a pre-booked appointment from Monday to Thursday between 9.00 - 11.00. All required documents and their copies should be submitted together with the application form.
All service fees are paid into the Embassy's bank account with a deposit slip given by the Embassy. Please note that the visa processing fee is non-refundable.
The visa fee is waived for children under 6 years of age and for the family members of a citizen of Finland.
Visa application should be submitted at least two weeks before the intended travelling date. Visa processing time is usually seven working days but it might be substantially longer in case any documents are missing.
The applicant can inquire his visa decision by calling the embassy ten days after the application appointment time. The information regarding the process of a visa application and decision will be given to the applicant only. A visa applicant or visa holder can appeal decisions concerning refusal, invalidation or cancellation of a visa to the public authority that has made the decision.
Applicant does not have the right to obtain a visa merely on the basis of having submitted an application even if applicant in principle would seem to fulfill the basic requirements for obtaining a visa. Visa can be issued according to the requested type and duration, shorter than requested duration, with single, double or multiple entry, or the visa can be refused.
If visa is granted, the applicant needs to provide a paid return airline ticket and a travel insurance when picking up the visa. The travel insurance must cover a minimum of 30.000€ and include both medical expenses and repatriation costs. The travel insurance must be valid for the whole period of stay and cover the whole Schengen territory.
Embassy of Finland advises not to buy any airline tickets or insurance prior to visa approval in order to avoid financial loss.
Although a Schengen visa has been granted, the conditions of entry are re-evaluated upon arrival into the Schengen area. A person requiring a visa should be able to show a valid travel document, a visa, travel insurance and other necessary documents such as a letter of invitation to the border control authority. In addition, a person required to have a visa must have sufficient funds for the duration of the stay and for the return to the country of origin.
Please note that the Embassy is authorised to require any further documents not mentioned above.
The recipient of a decision made by a Finnish mission to refuse, to annul or to revoke a visa (otherwise than at the request of the visa holder), may request rectification of the decision from the mission. Instructions for a rectification request are appended to the decision. The rectification request must be lodged within 30 days of notice of the decision on the visa application. The rectification request must be made in writing in Finnish or Swedish.
A decision of a Finnish diplomatic or consular mission on a rectification request may be appealed to the Helsinki Administrative Court. The right of appeal applies to rectification request decisions that are made on 1 April 2016 or later. Instructions for appeal are appended to the decision on the rectification request. The appeal document must be lodged with the mission that made the decision. The mission submits all the appeal documents to the Helsinki Administrative Court. The appeal must be lodged within 30 days of notice of the decision on the rectification request. The appeal must be made in writing in Finnish or Swedish. The Administrative Court fee of the appellate proceedings is EUR 250.
In visa matters relating to the free movement of EU citizens and their family members, the applicant may appeal to the Administrative Court without a rectification request procedure.
Updated 5/17/2016
