A fully completed application form must be submitted in person (including child applicants) to the Embassy of Finland. When submitting an application, photo identification, such as a valid passport or identity card should be presented. The passport is valid for five years. An emergency passport can be processed only in valid emergency situations.
The new Finnish act on the Population Information System and the certificate services of the Population Register Centre (661/2009) took effect on 1 March 2010. The act obligates Finnish citizens residing abroad to notify the Population Information System immediately of any changes of their personal data occurring during their residence abroad. Such changes may include for instance births of children, marriages, divorces and changes of names.
Lodging a passport application is subject to the condition that the applicant must have a Finnish personal identity code and that his or her personal data recorded in the Population Information System must be up to date.
The registration of a birth, marriage or name change has to be completed in Finland by a Magistrate before a passport application can be submitted.
Passport application form is printed directly from the Finnish Population Register System. Before applying for a passport (especially applicants with dual/multi citizenship), applicants must confirm with their Magistrate (www.maistraatti.fi) that their citizenship information is correct. If a dual/multi citizenship applicant obtained Finnish citizenship as a minor or was granted foreign citizenship before 2003, the applicant must confirm with their Magistrate or the Immigration Directorate that their Finnish citizenship is in force and that the minor did not lose their Finnish citizenship at the age of 22. (More information Finnish Immigration Service Retaining Citizenship at 22).
Applicants of military service age (18-30 years) should present proof of military service or an exemption document from the Defence Office Staff.
Instructions for passport applicants over 18 years
The following documents are required:
Instructions for minor passport applicants under 18 years
Children cannot be entered onto a parent’s passport and have to apply for their own passports. Passport document requirements are the same as above. In addition, the child’s guardians have to be present and give their written consent to the passport application. If both guardians cannot be present written consent from the absent guardian should be presented.
The child's registration to the Finnish Population Register System must be up dated before applying for the passport.
If a child is a dual citizen the passport can be given only till he turns 22 unless he can prove that he will retain their Finnish citizenship after the age of 22 (for more information please see Registry Office or Finnish Immigration Service).
The theft or the loss of a valid passport must be reported to the police and a police report must be presented when applying for a new passport. Identification with a photograph is also required.
Processing time will be two to three weeks. In case of urgency, a special delivery service from Finland to Dublin is available for an extra fee. The passports can be posted from the Embassy to the applicant within Ireland.
The fee is payable in cash or by cheque at the time of applying.
The new passport can be collected from the Embassy or upon request, the passport can be sent registered mail. A person authorised by the applicant may also collect the passport. When collecting the passport, the old passport has to be presented for annulling.
Please call the Embassy for any additional information, tel. 01-478 1344 or e-mail to sanomat.dub@formin.fi
Visa free and visa required countries to Finland
Finland introduced visa and border checking procedures on 25th March, 2001 in accordance with the Schengen Agreement. Schengen visas are issued by: The Schengen member states are Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. A visa issued by one Schengen State entitles its holder to travel and stay in territories of all Schengen States.
Nationals of a country subject to a visa requirement must have a visa when travelling to the territory of Schengen States. If a traveller has a residence permit issued by one of the Schengen States, he or she does NOT need a visa while travelling in the Schengen territory. In this case, the residence permit functions as if its holder had a visa entitling the holder to a stay of 90 days.
A visa is a permit, issued for travelling purposes, to enter the Schengen territory and stay there for a short period, that is, for the duration of the validity of the visa. The visa entitles its holder to stay in one or more Schengen States continuously or in several periods during the validity of the visa, but for no longer than 90 days during the six months following his/her entry into the Schengen territory. Similarly, the visa may entitle its holder to enter the territory once, twice or multiple times. In the visa application the applicant should specify the desired validity period of the requested visa and the number of trips he/she wishes to make. Finland issues visas in accordance with international law, legislation and regulations and thus the application for a visa does not automatically guarantee that a visa will be granted.
The Schengen visa is applied for primarily at the embassy or consulate of the main destination country. For example, if the planned journey takes place only in Finland, the visa has to be applied for at the Finnish embassy. Similarly, if the destination country is only Germany, the visa must be applied for at the German embassy. If there is no main destination country or if several Schengen States are to be visited during the same journey, the visa may be applied for at the embassy or consulate of the country which is the first point of entry.
You have to apply in person at least 15 calendar days before the intended travel.
You must have an appointment to apply for a visa. Please call the Embassy at 01-478 1344 between 9.00-12.00 Monday to Friday to make an appointment.
For a visa application to be considered, the applicant must have a completed and signed Application form.
The application form may be completed electronically and printed out here or you can get one at the embassy. The embassy only accepts originals.
For the application the following documents are required:
See page Services.
Temporary residence and work permits to Finland must be applied in Ireland at the Finnish Embassy in Dublin.
See page Services for fees.
Information on residence and work permits is available on the homepage of the Finnish Immigration Service.
Please call the Embassy for any additional information, tel. 01-478 1344 or e-mail to sanomat.dub@formin.fi
Updated 3/26/2010
