Finland introduced visa and border checking procedures on 25th March, 2001 in accordance with the Schengen Agreement. The Schengen Territory covers Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. A visa issued by one Schengen State entitles it's holder to travel and stay in territories of all Schengen States.
Citizens of Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe need a Schengen visa to enter to the Schengen area.
The Schengen visa is applied 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 or consulate. In Zambia, visa is applied at the Finnish Embassy in Lusaka, in Malawi at the Norwegian Embassy in Lilongwe and in Zimbabwe at the Norwegian Embassy in Harare. 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 diplomatic mission of the country which is the first point of entry.
If a traveller has a residence permit issued by one of the Schengen States, he/she does not need a visa while travelling in the Schengen territory. Residence permit enables it's holder to a stay of 90 days.
It is essential to allow yourself sufficient time when applying for a visa. The application process may take more than a month.
For the application the following documents are required:
Updated 4/8/2010
