The new visa waiver program for Europe’s Schengen Area will be arriving later than expected. The latest announcement from the European Union (EU) has stated that the ETIAS system will now be launched in 2025 instead of 2024. The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) has been in the works for several years. It
Visa Policy for Finland
The visa policy of Finland outlines the foreign residents who are listed as visa-exempt, as well as those who need a visa to enter the state.
Finnish visa requirements differ for all visitors depending on nationality, the purpose of the visit, and the expected period of stay.
As Finland is one of the countries that form the Schengen Area, Finnish visa law is the same as the other European countries that have signed the Schengen Agreement for passport-free travel.
Accordingly, travelers from any Schengen country can gain freedom of movement to Finland by simply presenting a valid ID Card at a border checkpoint.
Citizens of countries that are visa-exempt but do not form part of the Schengen zone are required to travel with a valid passport, to gain entry to Finland for short length stays and specific purposes.
However, although these countries will remain visa-free, in 2025 their citizens will need to apply for an electronic travel authorization (ETIAS) to travel to Finland for the same periods and travel purposes.
Once approved, an ETIAS for Finland will be linked automatically to the traveler’s passport and allow multiple entries for 90-day stays in the Schengen Area during its validity, .
Those who wish to visit Finland for longer consecutive stays, as well as citizens not eligible for ETIAS, will need to apply for a Schengen visa from a Finnish embassy or consulate before departure from their country of residence.
An eVisa or a visa on arrival for Finland is not currently available.
In the boxes below you can find further information about each visa or travel authorization type for Finland.
