Russian citizens are recommended to apply for visa with biometric passport starting from May

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs decided in March that from 1 June 2026, Finland will not accept non-biometric passports issued by the Russian Federation. The objective of the decision is to ensure that travel documents are as reliable as possible. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs advises holders of non‑biometric passports who plan to apply for a visa or residence permit to prepare well in advance for the change.

The Ministry recommends that visa applications be submitted with a biometric passport from 1 May 2026. The Ministry cannot guarantee that it will be able to process later applications before the decision is applied on 1 June 2026.

The decision includes a transition period from 1 June to 31 December 2026. During the transition period, Finland will accept non-biometric passports issued by Russia when they contain a valid visa that was issued by Finland before 1 June 2026. During this period, Finland will also accept non-biometric passports that contain a valid visa or a residence permit that was issued by another EU Member State or Schengen country before 1 June 2026.

There are three exceptions to the decision. Finland will continue to accept, including after the transition period, non-biometric passports as follows:

1. 1) Finland will accept non-biometric passports issued to persons under the age of 18;
2. 2) Finland will accept non-biometric passports if Finland has granted the holder of the passport a residence permit before 1 June 2026. A holder of a non-biometric passport may apply for an extension on a residence permit granted by Finland;
3. 3) where there is a special reason for a person to apply for an entry permit or to reside in the country, a non-biometric passport may be accepted based on individual consideration.

Finland has restricted the entry of Russian citizens by issuing two government resolutions, the first in 2022 and the second in 2023: non-essential travel by Russian citizens to Finland and through Finland to the rest of the Schengen area is banned for the time being.

• Finland to refuse non-biometric passports issued by Russia as of 1 June 2026