The European Union and US are in the midst of negotiations on how to handle the Visa restrictions for Estonia and Finland citizens entering the United States. The EU is pushing for a visa liberalization with the United States, but there are many who oppose this idea. Find out why this is happening in this article!
Estonia and Finland
US VISA FOR ESTONIA CITIZENS and Finland have the same type of visa restrictions as the United States. Citizens of both countries must have a visa to visit the United States.
The only exception is that citizens of Estonia are not required to obtain a visa if they are visiting family or friends in the United States. Finland citizens must also have a valid passport and ticketing confirmation for their destination country.
For citizens of Estonia and Finland, the US visa restrictions apply as follows:
-Estonian citizens must have a passport that is valid for at least six months after the date of their planned departure from the United States.
-Finnish citizens must have a passport that is valid for at least three months after the date of their planned departure from the United States.
-Both Estonian and Finnish citizens must have a visa in order to enter the United States. If a Finnish citizen does not have a visa to enter the U.S., he/she should apply for a visa at the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate before taking up residence in the USA.
For more information about entry requirements for US citizens, see our document “Joint United States Visa Wishes”.
For those who qualify, US immigration law allows you to apply for asylum in the US without having to go through legal process outside of the United States. This means that you can come to Estonia and apply directly at an American Embassy or Consulate for asylum protection if you are from one of these countries: Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Iran or Somalia (including Somaliland). US VISA FOR FINLAND CITIZENS
Visa procedures for Estonia and Finland citizens
The United States imposes visa restrictions for citizens of Estonia and Finland. Citizens of Estonia must obtain a nonimmigrant visa to enter the United States, and citizens of Finland must obtain a tourist visa.
Estonian citizens must apply for a nonimmigrant visa at the U.S. Embassy in Tallinn. The application fee is $140, and the processing time is six weeks. Finnish citizens must apply for a tourist visa at the U.S. Embassy in Helsinki. The application fee is $160, and the processing time is four weeks. Both visa applications must be accompanied by a passport-style photo and a passport valid for at least six months beyond the date of intended departure.
Conclusion
If you’re an Estonian or Finnish citizen and are planning on traveling to the United States, it’s important that you know about the US Visa restrictions currently in place. As of March 23rd, 2019, citizens of Estonia and Finland will no longer be able to use a visa-free travel arrangement when visiting the US for tourism purposes. This means that all travelers must apply for a US visa prior to travel. If you have any questions about this change or how to apply for a US visa, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your nearest American consulate or embassy. Thank you for reading!