Can I get D visa in Estonia by carrying C visa from Finland?
I need some help regarding of getting D visa to study in Estonia. While I'm proceeding C visa to Finland to visit friends in my country.
I have been offered a master's program at a university in Estonia. The first semester begins on the 29th of August. I was informed by the university that I needed to fly to any embassies of Estonia located in the third countries(not in Schengen). Yet, I also have a plan to visit my friends in Helsinki, Finland around the 1st of July and then arrive at Tartu for my study.
Therefore, I would like to inquire with you about getting the D Visa in Estonia while I will be holding the Schengen visa for Finland.
According to https://vm.ee/en/long-stay-d-visa#:~:text=A%20long%2Dstay%20(D),the%20period%20of%20180%20days. , it is stated that
"A long-stay visa must be applied for in person at an Estonian representation which handles visa applications or at a service point of the Police and Border Guard Board in Estonia."
I'm aware of the information stated in https://ut.ee/en/visainfo,
"Entering the Schengen zone to study for a period of longer than 90 days is not in accordance with the laws and regulations of visa-free travelling and it may cause problems when you reach the first Schengen area country"
Also the information from the embassy of Finland, https://finlandabroad.fi/web/tha/how-to-apply-for-a-visa , that
Granting a visa is subject to the condition that the person in question leaves the Schengen area before the visa expires. This is why a visa cannot be granted to anyone who intends to enter Finland in order to apply for a residence permit or wait for a decision on a residence permit. This also applies to family members of Finnish citizens.
Therefore, I am worried. Can I get to Finland using a C visa, a.k.a. the Schengen Visa, and then apply for the D visa and residence permit at the service point in Estonia? Will there be any consequence regarding the 90/180-day rule and overlapping time between these two visas? If so, I would like to know what the problems or consequences would be.
Thanks
Best Answer
Will there be any consequence regarding the 90/180-day rule and overlapping time between these two visas?
No, time spent on the soil of the issuing country of a D visa doesn't count towards the 90/180 clock
Granting a visa is subject to the condition that the person in question leaves the Schengen area before the visa expires. This is why a visa cannot be granted to anyone who intends to enter Finland in order to apply for a residence permit or wait for a decision on a residence permit. This also applies to family members of Finnish citizens.
Excluding lying by omission (which can turn out pretty badly), if you give that plan to a Finnish visa official, you are pretty sure you will be denied, like stated in the text, thay will not accept someone who doesn't intend to leave the Area before the 90 days expire.
Nothing, other than an actual visa, can tell the Finnish official that you will actually be issued a visa by Estonia. In that situation nothing would prevent you being refused one/not applying at all and switching to become an illegal immigrant
Even to be granted a visa to Finland you will need that Estonian visa as a way to prove why you will not leave the Area after the visa expires
TL;DR : Get your Estonian visa and then apply for your Finnish visa using the Estonian visa and the appropriate documentation to prove that you are legally allowed to stay further than 90 days in Estonia
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How can I get D-visa?
Documents to be submitted upon application for a long-stay visa:How long does D-visa take to process?
As a guiding principle, only a Temporary Residence Permit application or a D-visa application can be lodged at the Embassy, not both. The visa decision process is max 15 days. All D-visa and TRP applications must be submitted at the Embassy in person.Can I enter Estonia with Schengen visa?
Visiting Estonia on a Schengen VisaTo travel to Estonia for a short trip lasting fewer than 90 days, you will need an Estonian Schengen Visa, as it is part of the Schengen Area of European countries that have abolished border controls between each other.Can I work with D-visa in Estonia?
Applying for a D-visa (a year long visa) is a reasonable option in case you only want to work with a short-term project or also if you want to start working as quickly as possible (and will apply for a residence permit in Estonia later).Process, documents, embassies | Estonian D-Visa and TRP 2020-2021 | Tahe Talk
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