Finland visa requirements for Dominican citizens

VFS Global (Santo Domingo), on behalf of the Embassy of the Netherlands, which represents Finland

Dominicans need a Schengen visa for Finland, and Finland has no embassy or consulate with visa jurisdiction in the Dominican Republic: the Netherlands represents it there. The application is filed at the VFS Global visa application centre in Santo Domingo (Avenida John F. Kennedy esquina Ortega y Gasset, Plaza Metropolitana, unit 116), with an appointment booked online; biometric data and documents are collected there and forwarded to the Embassy of the Netherlands, which decides. You can apply up to six months before the trip and should do so with several weeks' margin (VFS recommends at least 45 days). The short-stay Schengen visa fee is EUR 90 for adults. Finland's honorary consulate in Santo Domingo does not process visas.

What the visa centre can and can't do →

Authorization system

None operational yet (ETIAS delayed)

Finland is part of the future European ETIAS system (a travel authorization for nationalities exempt from a Schengen visa). As of the verification date, ETIAS is NOT operational. Once launched: cost €20, validity 3 years, applicable to passport holders from countries exempt from a Schengen visa.

What ETIAS is, who it will affect and when it starts →

Fee

Doesn't apply until ETIAS is operational. For consular Schengen visas, the fee depends on the visa type and hasn't been verified specifically for Finland.

Processing time

Where the trip requires a Schengen visa, the consulate must decide within 15 calendar days of an admissible application being lodged. That period may be extended to a maximum of 45 calendar days in individual cases, particularly where the application needs closer examination; in justified urgent individual cases the decision is taken immediately (Regulation (EC) 810/2009, Art. 23). An application may not be lodged more than six months before the intended trip and, as a rule, no later than 15 calendar days before it; where the consulate requires an appointment, it is normally given within two weeks of being requested (Art. 9).

Required documents

• A valid passport or travel document, issued within the previous ten years and valid for at least three months beyond the date you plan to leave the Schengen area (Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Art. 6(1)(a))
• A valid visa, if your nationality requires one. It is not needed if you hold a valid residence permit or long-stay visa issued by a Schengen State (Art. 6(1)(b))
• Documents justifying the purpose and conditions of the intended stay: an accommodation booking or a declaration of invitation from your host, and a return or onward ticket (Art. 6(1)(c) and Art. 6(3), which points to the non-exhaustive list in Annex I)
• Proof of sufficient means of subsistence for the whole stay and for the return to your country of origin, or of being in a position to acquire such means lawfully. They are assessed according to the duration and purpose of the stay, by reference to average prices for board and lodging in budget accommodation (Art. 6(1)(c) and 6(4)). Cash, traveller's cheques, credit cards and declarations of invitation or of sponsorship all count as proof (Art. 6(4))

Vaccinations

• No mandatory vaccines for entry: no international certificate of vaccination (yellow fever included) is required under the International Health Regulations.

Health insurance

Mandatory to apply for the Schengen visa: minimum coverage of €30,000, valid across the whole Schengen area and for the entire length of the stay (Regulation (EC) 810/2009, Art. 15).

Which policies meet the €30,000 requirement →

Transit rules

Schengen rule: a maximum stay of 90 days within any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area.

Why isn't your passport being stamped? The EES system →

Customs limits

Cash

Declare to Tulli (Finnish Customs) if entering or leaving the EU with €10,000 or more in cash (or the equivalent in another currency), an EU-harmonized regime.

Alcohol

Arriving from outside the EU: 1 liter of spirits over 22% alcohol, or 2 liters under 22%; plus 4 liters of still wine and 16 liters of beer. Those under 18 cannot bring in any alcoholic beverages; those aged 18-19 can only bring in mild alcoholic beverages (not spirits over 22%).

Tobacco

200 cigarettes, or 100 cigarillos, or 50 cigars, or 250 grams of loose tobacco.

Overstay penalties

Chapter 17 of the Criminal Code (rikoslaki), the offense of "ulkomaalaisrikkomus" (aliens offense), punishes residing in Finland without the required authorization with a fine or up to 1 year of imprisonment. As in other Nordic countries with a day-fine system (päiväsakko), the total amount depends on the offender's income and isn't a fixed statutory sum. Separately, the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) or the Police can issue a return decision with a re-entry ban to the Schengen area.

What happens if you stay past 90 days →

Common reasons for denial

• Producing a false or falsified travel document, or reasonable doubts arising about the authenticity of the supporting documents submitted or the truthfulness of their content (Regulation (EC) 810/2009, Art. 32(1)(a)(i) and 32(1)(b)).
• Failing to justify the purpose and conditions of the intended stay (Art. 32(1)(a)(ii); the same entry condition appears in Art. 6(1)(c) of Regulation (EU) 2016/399, so it is also checked at the border).
• Failing to provide proof of sufficient means of subsistence for the whole intended stay and for the return to the country of origin or residence, and not being in a position to acquire such means lawfully (Art. 32(1)(a)(iii)).
• Having already used up the 90 days of stay within the current 180-day period on the territory of the Member States (Art. 32(1)(a)(iv)).
• Being the subject of an alert in the Schengen Information System (SIS) for the purpose of refusing entry (Art. 32(1)(a)(v)).
• Being considered a threat to public policy, internal security, public health or the international relations of any Member State (Art. 32(1)(a)(vi)).
• Failing to provide proof of adequate and valid travel medical insurance, where applicable (Art. 32(1)(a)(vii)).
• Reasonable doubts arising about the reliability of the statements made or about the applicant’s intention to leave the territory of the Member States before the visa applied for expires (Art. 32(1)(b)).