I'm a US citizen and I have recently moved to Finland. I've read that I'm only legally allowed to stay in Finland for up to 90 days (3 months) without a Visa. I also know that there are only three ways for me, myself, to obtain a Visa..... 1. Spouse Visa (Get married to someone in Finland.) 2. Work Visa (Find a permanent Job in Finland.) 3. Student Visa (Find a school in Finland.) I'm leaning towards the Student Visa so my question is... –What are the Requirements of a Student Visa? –What do I physically have to do to obtain a Visa at all? This is just feedback from Zafir's answer: I was totally unaware that I had to be IN my home country in order to obtain a visa. This is the first I'm hearing of this and it is pretty weird that I haven't come across this browsing the web. Can you source your facts so I may take a look myself? Although you've given me a good amount of information my questions were still unanswered. I want to know exactly how to apply for a Visa. Is it a simple, send the embassy an application and wait for it to be processed, sort of deal or is there a more complicated procedure?
Other - Europe - 2 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Since you are in Finland you MUST contact the nearest Finnish immigration office ASAP. If you have stayed in Finland now for longer than 90 days, you are an illegal immigrant and will be fined and deported! UPDATE: Thanks! ;-) I do not understand why you are still asking on what to do? Just contact the nearest immigration office in Finland (I assume you are still in Finland) 071 873 3400 they will tell you EXACTLY what to do. And by the way, when you travelled to Finland I am sure you got a visa (stamp) in your passport when you were at the airport. The stamp should say how long you are allowed to stay, e.g. 90 days from date of entry. JUST CALL THEM!
2 :
M's answer is correct. And you cannot get either a work or study visa while you're in Finland as you entered the country under false pretences. To get a study visa you need to be accepted by a university or accredited educational institution while you are still in the US. You cannot travel to Finland to study until you have this visa. To get a job you must apply from the US and the employer must prove that there are no Finnish or EU citizens available to do the job. The employer will then help you apply for the work visa. If your 90 days is not yet up you have the option of leaving Finland for 90 days, go to the UK or other non-Schengen country for this time, then you can return to Finland for a further 90 days. So it's 90 days in Finland and 90 days out. But this is only for tourists and you are not allowed to work. However, if your 90 days are up you need to leave the country immediately as you're an illegal alien. If you've only overstayed by a few days you might be OK going through Finnish Immigration. But is you've overstayed by weeks or months you could get a stamp in your passport which prevents you from re-entering the Schengen Zone for several years. BTW it's the traveller's responsibility to find out about visas before booking any travel. EDIT: Here's a link to the Finnish Immigration website where it clearly states that visas must be obtained before travelling. In fact, unless you're visiting a country which requires no visa or issues visas at it's borders, it's always the case that you need to apply, be approved, and receive the visa before travelling. Residence Permit: http://www.migri.fi/netcomm/content.asp?path=8,2471 Worker's Residence Permit: http://www.finland.org/public/default.aspx?nodeid=40971&contentlan=2&culture=en-US Student Residence Permit: http://www.finland.org/public/default.aspx?nodeid=40969&contentlan=2&culture=en-US
