Visas
Electronic visa application requirement
All applicants are required to fill out the electronic visa application form (DS-156) and print it including the barcode on the third page and bring it with them for the interview. The barcode needs to be clearly printed. If the applicant does not have this form on the date of the interview, the interview appointment will be canceled and the applicant needs to reschedule the interview.
General Information
Welcome to the visa section of the American Embassy Finland! Please read the overview below and then use the navigation bar to the left to learn more about US visas and to begin the application process.
Before you read any further, it may help you to know that most Finns traveling to the United States for business or pleasure are not required to obtain a visa when they use the Visa Waiver Program. Please read the Visa Waiver Program information to see if you qualify to use this program.
Note: If children are included in their parents’ passports, and do not have passports of their own, they do need to obtain appropriate category non-immigrant visas, even if the parents are in possession of valid machine-readable passports containing digital photograph. If children have their own machine-readable digitized passports, they can travel on a Visa Waiver Program, if the purpose of travel is pleasure or business, and the requirements of the Visa Waiver Program are met.
For other travelers, there are two basic types of visas: Non-immigrant visas (NIVs) and Immigrant visas (IVs). NIVs are for temporary travelers going to work, study, or otherwise visit the United States. IVs are for people that are entitled to move permanently to the US, based on family or employment relationships.
In order to ensure that you are prepared for your visa interview, please carefully review all of the instructions to the left under Application Requirements. To apply for a visa from the US Consulate in Helsinki, you are required to do the following
Fill out the appropriate Forms
Pay the proper Fees
Provide the right size Photographs, and
Schedule your interview.
Please take a moment to read about the common problem of Defective Passports so your processing is not delayed. When you are ready to start your application, please follow the instructions under each section of the NIV Application Requirements.
Many Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) address details not discussed elsewhere, such as if you can reapply for a visa and who may accompany an applicant to the interview. If you can’t find the answer to your question elsewhere, we have tried to include it in the FAQ section of our webpage.
To learn more about traveling to the United States, visit the Department of State’s website at http://travel.state.gov/. To learn more about the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) US VISIT program, visit their website at http://www.dhs.gov/usvisit.
Consular Section - Visa Unit
Embassy of the United States of America
Itäinen Puistotie 14 B
FIN-00140 Helsinki
Finland
Effective June 8, 2009, the Consular Section will only accept written email correspondence through the email address below. Telephone service will be discontinued by June 8, 2009. We are changing our method of communication to enable us to serve you better and more efficiently.
Fax Number: +358-9-6162 5800
For faster and more comprehensive information please email your enquiries to the below email addresses:
For questions about Nonimmigrant Visa, please write: HelsinkiNIV@state.gov
For questions about Immigration, please write: HelsinkiIV@state.gov
