Disclaimer: Please note that the information provided below is merely the experience of a candidate, so it might not be comprehensive and can change in the future. Please contact VFS helpline Finland or Embassy of Finland for latest and accurate information.
Embassy of Finland has outsourced the appointment booking and acceptance including collecting of biometrics for residence permit applications to VFS Global. Previously, it was handled by the Embassy of Finland itself. Here is experience of a candidate who has gone through the process.
Appointment
You need to book an appointment from the VFS online system. Appointments will start from mid-October, according to VFS. And VFS will send you an email regarding the appointment date and time. You need to visit the Finland Application Centre in VFS Global (3rd Floor, Chhaya Center, Chhaya Devi Complex, Amrit Marg, Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Please note that VFS manages visa of many countries. As per VFS website, it manages visa of 147 countries. Hence, for the UK and Canada you can go directly to the third floor of Chhaya Center. However, for Finland, you first need to go to the second floor. From there, take the escalator. There will be a guard, who will check your appointment time and let you go. From there, go to the third floor where you need to turn right and then right again after about 50m, to reach Finland Visa Application centre. There are many counters each serving a separate country or a group of countries.
There is one counter mainly dedicated for Finland, Norway, Sweden, Croatia, France, Luxembourg and so on. You need to visit that counter.
Please be informed that the guard on the second floor sitting near the escalator will grant you access strictly 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time. For instance, if you have appointment at 9:30 am, access will be granted at 9:15 am.
At the Counter (Security Counter)
Once you reach the counter, you need to pass through a security check. You are not allowed to take your laptop inside, hence it is advisable not to bring your laptop there. If you brought it, you would need to find a place to keep it until you are done with the process. I personally requested 'Best Visa Office' located at the second floor to keep it, they reluctantly agreed to keep it after I promised to 100 Rs pay them. You can however take your mobile phone inside. Once you go through the door, a lady from VFS will ask which country you want to apply for, and she will guide you on what to do next. VFS staff are quite helpful, therefore you will not have any problem inside.
Video Interview
Unlike other countries, for Finland you need to take short interview at VFS Office. In my case, there was one representative from Embassy of Finland. She asked me general questions such as when did you get married? Where is your wife studying? Where do you work? and so on. The interview was very short and once you are done you need to leave the interview room and wait there in the chairs for further processing.
For the interview, someone from VFS will call your name.
At the Payment Counter
After video interview you need to wait outside in the chairs, and someone from VFS will give you a token for the payment counter. If the monitor is not working, they might call you by your name otherwise you can wait for your turn.
At this counter they will check all your documents. If you are applying for a residence permit based on family ties, you need to have the following printed to present to the official there.
You will also need to show other original documents. During the interview, they will ask for your Passport and marriage registration certificate. The marriage registration certificate must be legalised by Embassy of Finland. See the process of legalisation on Embassy of Finland website.
At this point, if you don't have any document they will let you print it or copy it. Download all the documents to your laptop or mobile phone, so you can visit the second floor where you can print the required documents paying a small fee. You then need go back up and wait again until they finish with another customer. And give the documents you are told to print. After that you need to pay them. You can either pay in cash or by bank card. Make sure you remember the pin code of your ATM Card and it works on the machine if you want to pay it by card.
For residence permit based on family ties you need to pay NPR 68,200 for Application processing fee and 10,400 VFS charges, total around 80 thousand Nepali rupees.
After the payment, they will give you a paper and receipt for your payment. You then need to wait in front of the door where they take biometrics. They will call you by your name, but be close to the door as they usually tell the previous applicants to send you as they leave, and they might should your name not so loudly.
Biometrics
Biometrics won't take long. They will first take your photo. The photo should show your neck. And then they will take fingerprints of all your fingers. But sometimes the machine might not record your fingerprints in one attempt when your hand is too dry or something. So, you might need to try a few times.
At the End
After biometrics, the agent will take your passport and receipt back to the counter where you made the payment. You need to wait for a bit until the official at the payment counter will call your name and hand you over your passport and receipt of payment and then you are done.
Duration
The process can be quite lengthy. I started around 9:30 am and finished around 12:00 noon. If you have all the required documents already printed, cash ready, and everything else in proper order, you can finish it a bit quicker. However, it will take at least 2 hours, and depending on your case, more than that.
Photocopy, Prints & Cash Withdrawal
It is always better to take the required Finland residence permit size photo, photocopies and print (ref. "at the payment counter above") a day ahead. But if you cannot print them, there are places at the entrance of Chhaya Center. Also for printing and photocopying, if you are missing something when the officials check your documents you can directly go down to second floor and find a place to print and photocopy.
While you can pay via your bank card, if you want to pay in cash, there are ATM machines in the parking lot of VFS. Take the escalator and come all the way to the parking lot, you will find ATM machines right in the premises of VFS. If you are in doubt, you can always ask the security personnel there.
Lavatory
There is a toilet on the 3rd floor of Chhaya Centre. Go straight, away from where you go for visa application, and turn right, or follow the signs. You will find the toilets.
