Many Russians prefer to spend their days off in the Finnish state, in particular this is characteristic of the inhabitants of the northern capital of our vast homeland. But, unfortunately, it is impossible to simply take off and go to Finland like this. On the territory of this state, as in other countries of the European Union, a number of rules apply for crossing the international border.
As you have already guessed, Finland is a member of the 28 countries of the European Union. When crossing the border of this state, every Russian citizen must provide the customs officer with an appropriate document confirming permission to stay in Finland and other EU countries. This document is proudly called the "visa". How to get it to a citizen of the Russian Federation, as well as its cost and other important nuances, will be discussed in today's article.
What is the EU?
All countries that have signed the relevant document for accession to the European Union have state sovereignty and independence. Each country speaks its own language, but all of them are united by a set of rules that they must adhere to. The EU also has its own governing bodies, such as the European Parliament, the European Court and the European Commission.
Types of Visas
To date, there are several options for Finnish visas, depending on the purpose of the trip. This rule applies not only to Finland, but also to other countries that are part of the European Union.
Visas are divided into:
- tourist;
- Guest
- workers;
- transit;
- student.
Each of the visas also has its own unique validity period, which is established by the consul depending on the status of the applicant. The status is assigned in accordance with the characteristics of the tourist: all violations in the EU, financial viability, purpose of the trip and other trifles are taken into account.
- single;
- double;
- multiple (180 days, 1 year or 2 years).
The most common option is a multiple entry visa for 180 days, less often for 1 year and the most unlikely for 2 years. Incidentally, the Schengen countries often practice multi-visas, which provide for the possibility of visiting the territory of other countries that are members of the European Union. The most generous states for multivisa are considered Italy, Finland and Spain.
How much does a visa to Finland cost?
In this section, we will talk about the approximate cost of applying for a Finnish visa in Moscow and St. Petersburg and the main documents required before applying for a visa. Many Russians often ask the question: how much does a visa to Finland cost? Unfortunately, to answer it definitely will not work. The fact is that this kind of factor depends at least on the category of visa.
The cost of a Schengen visa to Finland also depends on the place where you plan to draw up documents. The easiest option is to contact the visa center where you can go through all the necessary procedures: fill out an application, pay a consular fee, and submit biometric data. The answer to the question of how much a visa to Finland costs for Russians is presented in the table below.
| Fees | Cost in rubles |
| Consular fee | 2,500 |
| Children from 6 years old | 2,500 |
| Children under 6 years old | is free |
| Urgent visa | 4,700 |
| Service fee | 1 845 |
Biometric data is collected once for a period of five years. Payment for the entire operation must be made directly at the ticket office of the visa center. It is worth noting the fact that in case of refusal of the consulate to issue a Schengen visa of this country, fees are not refundable.
In addition, it is necessary to take into account as an additional expense the design of insurance, which is a mandatory document for entry into the country of the Schengen agreement. You can purchase it both inside the visa center and in third-party organizations. The cheapest way is to submit an application for registration of insurance online on the website of insurance companies. Now we figured out the question of how much it costs to make a visa to Finland. Let's go further!
Moscow or St. Petersburg?
How much does a visa to Finland to St. Petersburg cost? Is there a difference between applying for a visa in Moscow or St. Petersburg? Of course not. The consulate of the country where you plan to enter sets a fixed price for each of the services, regardless of the place of stay. A complete list of all fees was listed in the table above.
How much does a work visa to Finland cost?
The process of obtaining a work visa is more time-consuming, unlike a tourist visa. To obtain a working Schengen visa, the applicant must provide an extended list of documents.
The price of a work visa varies from 2,500 to 35,000 euros, depending on the consulting services. For example, if the applicant used the services of translators, then the cost may take on an individual character. A list of basic documents can be found on the official website of the visa center.
How long does a visa take?
The average rate for applying for a Finnish visa is 12-15 days. If your application falls on one of the holidays, then delays may occur due to the large flow of tourists.
Bounce
You can get a refusal to issue a Finnish visa by accident, but situations like this happen quite rarely. You may not even suspect that you have violated one of the points of the Schengen agreement until the consulate puts you before the fact.
The list of main reasons why you may be denied:
- Violation of the terms of stay.
- Lack of clear travel objectives not satisfying the consul.
- Violation of state law during a previous trip.
- Most of the time spent in the territory of another Schengen country.
There are times when a visa is canceled right at the border, as the tourist’s goals differ from those that he indicated when receiving it. Sometimes you may be required to provide hotel reservations or other documents confirming the purpose of your visit.
Visa rollback
For residents of St. Petersburg, this phrase is painfully familiar. Who, if not them, should deal with similar matters with neighboring Finland? This procedure includes crossing the Finnish border in order to affix the appropriate stamp in the passport so that subsequently it can move freely throughout the EU.
Important! At the moment, the number of days of stay in the vastness of another country is not considered, the Consulate of Finland takes into account the number of entries made by a tourist into the territory of a state and compares it with the total number of entries across the Finnish border.
How to find out about visa preparedness?
Along with the question of how much it costs to get a visa to Finland, many tourists have another, no less important: how can you find out that your visa is ready and has long been waiting for the applicant on the spot? After completing the application for a visa, the consultant of the visa center must give the visitor an ICR check, which indicates his registration number and a link to the corresponding site with the possibility of further monitoring the readiness of the document. Thus, you can save the visa center staff from receiving numerous calls on this issue.
Conclusion
Visa processing is always a rather complicated issue, over which you have to smash your head. Without any initial knowledge of travel documenting, your planned trip can turn into a full-blown paperwork.
Fortunately, our article presented the main nuances and common mistakes encountered by a novice tourist. We hope that the question of how much a Schengen visa costs to Finland will no longer cause you any difficulties. It is also worth noting the fact that a full list of necessary documents can be found at any time on the official website of the visa center. Enjoy your travels and new discoveries!