Applying for a visa on the basis of family ties during the pandemic

All Finnish missions abroad responsible for entry matters accept visa applications submitted by representatives of defined special groups. Representatives of such special groups include, for example, persons applying for a visa on the basis of family ties or an established relationship. The conditions for issuing a visa under the Schengen Visa Code must also be met.

According to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, if your family member or your partner wants to apply for a visa based on family ties or an established relationship and if they are residing legally in a country where Finland does not have a mission that processes entry permit matters, the following applies:

1. If Finland has entered into a visa representation agreement with another Schengen country, Finland can, in individual cases, send a note to request the country representing Finland to handle a visa application submitted by a person belonging to one of the defined special groups. The country representing Finland is not obligated to accept the application because, due to the pandemic, visa representation agreements have been suspended until further notice.

• The country representing Finland makes all decisions starting from accepting the visa application to the decision to grant the visa independently. It observes the Schengen Visa Code and its own national requirements and guidelines, which Finland cannot influence. In many countries, the customer service is congested, which is why it is not possible to predict how long the processing of a visa application may take. 

Information needed in the note to be sent to the authorities:
-    The Ministry for Foreign Affairs must inform the name of the visa applicant to the authorities of the other country.
-    Disclosing the information to the authorities of another country is subject to a written consent by the applicant or his or her guardian. This may be, for example a picture of a signed letter of consent taken by a smartphone.

In cases described above, please contact the Ministry for Foreign Affairs by email on visas.mfa@formin.fi or by phone to +358 295 16001 (on weekdays between 8.00 and 16.15 Helsinki time).
 

2. In cases where Finland has not entered into a visa representation agreement with a Schengen country, visa applications can be submitted to a mission of Finland located in the consular district of the applicant’s place of residence.

Finland promotes resumption of visa representation agreements for special groups.

Due to the pandemic, representation agreements have been suspended since 19 March 2020 until further notice. The pandemic is continuing and Finland, as the only Schengen country, has proposed the resumption of visa representation agreements for the above-mentioned special groups, but a common European solution has not been reached yet. Finland continues to advance the matter.

Finland has approached all countries representing Finland individually and asked them to restart accepting special groups’ visa applications, including applications submitted by persons in an established relationship.

All countries have not yet replied to the request but it is clear that not all of them will be able to resume the application of the visa representation agreements. Therefore, Finland has decided to launch an arrangement to be applied in individual cases, which will be based on sending a note. In the note, Finland will request a country representing Finland if it was able to accept the visa application in question.

"This procedure also takes into account the principle of equality laid down in the Constitution of Finland," the Ministry for Foreign Affairs said.