Does a Finn need a visa for a 3 week vacation in the USA?

rob34 · Post by **rob34** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 8:05 pm

Do we need to contact the embassy, or is there just some form we can just fill out at the airport?

**Sponsor:**

Post by **neil** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 8:12 pm

No, they are fine. Finns qualify for the Visa Wavier Programme (as do the majority of EU Passports). So just fill in the white and green cards which will be issued during the flight and they'll be all set.

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 8:23 pm

The passport must be the new one with the biometrics doesn't it?

Darn, where did they loose the "aere you or have you been a member of the communist party"... old nazis still haunt.

rob34 · Post by **rob34** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 8:26 pm

Thanks for the reply, Neil.

Another question, when travelling with a significant other of another nationality, is it common practice to get in the same line during the customs phase and travel as "a group"? I do this with my parents (I'm a US citizen but my parents are not). I've never really given it a second thought until now.

However, my gf and I aren't "family", and one of our connections is kind of tight... we have to go through customs in Chicago, and then reboard another flight... so picking "the short line" during customs would come as an advantage here...

Thoughts, anyone?

rob34 · Post by **rob34** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 8:28 pm

Hank W. wrote:The passport must be the new one with the biometrics doesn't it?

Darn, where did they loose the "aere you or have you been a member of the communist party"... old nazis still haunt.

Good question. She has to renew her passport, so I think she'll probably get one. My US passport doesn't have a biometric, but my British one does.

sy · Post by sy » Sat Apr 05, 2008 10:04 pm

rob34 wrote:
Hank W. wrote:The passport must be the new one with the biometrics doesn't it?

Darn, where did they loose the "aere you or have you been a member of the communist party"... old nazis still haunt.
Good question. She has to renew her passport, so I think she'll probably get one. My US passport doesn't have a biometric, but my British one does.

The biometric passport is not necessarily required. Older machine readable passport might be good enough. You can check the details from the link Neil gave above.

karen · Post by **karen** » Sun Apr 06, 2008 1:15 am

Families of different nationalities can all go with the American through the citizens line.

Finns are allowed to stay for up to 90 days without a visa.

If you hold a U.S. passport you MUST use it when you enter and leave the U.S.

My U.S. passport is not biometric. I've been assured by the embassy here that it is perfectly acceptable and there is no need for a new one until the current one expires. The airline agents (U.S. only, of course

) have cursed me because they have to manually enter my passport info, but I'm perfectly legal.

Finland Forum

Find information about moving to, living in and life in Finland