What kind of questions are asked in the Finnish VFS Interview?

When you appear for your interview in VFS, you will be giving the interview in two stages. The first will be the written one, and the second will be with the interviewer. The questions in the oral interview might vary but the questions in the written interview are usually the same and include questions related to Finland, your university, your course, and your sponsors. 

Photo by Sora Shimazak

How is the interview held?

Firstly, you will be called according to your appointment time. Then, you enter the VFS building. There, an officer would hand out a few papers with questions on them, which you have to fill out. You will be given some time to fill those papers. There are around two to three pages. When you finish filling out those papers, then, you wait for the officer to call out your name so that you can enter the room where your interview is to be taken. 

When your name is called, you are to enter the interview room along with the original documents that you have submitted to the Enterfinland website. The interviewer will greet you and will ask you for the form that you just filled out. You are supposed to give that paper to him/her. Then, the interviewer will ask you a few questions regarding your sponsors and the place of study. He/she would ask for the bank balance certificate and bank statements showing your living expenses as well. 

When the interview is finished, you will have to submit all of those documents to one of the VFS officers on the counter. Before that, VFS will give you another 2 forms for you to fill up. Then, after submitting those documents to the officer. You will be required to pay for your visa or RP processing which is around 350 euros. PS: They also accept bank transfers. After the payment, they will give you the receipt and you will have to submit the receipt along with your passport to the VFS officer on the counter again. After some time, the Visa officer will call you and give you the receipt and a few documents but he will keep your passport. He will then instruct you to wait for your turn to do biometrics. PS: make sure your hair is neat and tidy or else they will make you go to washroom and you might lose your turn. After the biometric is done, you will be given your passport along with the bill that says you have paid for the visa processing. The VFS officer will ask you to bring those documents when your RP card arrives. 

Note: I forgot to tell you that all the procedures will be held according to token system. 

What kinds of questions are asked in written interviews?

1. Why Finland?

2. What preparations have you made before moving to Finland?

3. What do you know about Finnish Culture?

4. Why this University?

5. Why this Course?

6. What is the source of your living expenses?

7. There is a section where you have to mention where your living expenses come from. 

8. Where do you see yourself in Five years? (something like that)

9. Have you applied through agencies? (some questions follow regarding these agencies but that really doesn't matter because you say "NO" even though you applied from consultancies)

( these are the questions that I can remember from my interview back in the day)

What are the questions asked in an oral interview?

1. What is your name?

2. Where are you from?

3. Which university are you planning to go?

4. How long is your study duration?

5. Who are your sponsors?

6. What do your sponsors do?

7. Who gave you the living expenses?

8. Do you have insurance?

9. What is the source of income of the sponsor who gave you living expenses?

10. Have you bought your and your sponsors bank statements?

(These are the questions from a normal interview, if there is something that raises suspicion, the interviewer will ask you more questions to satisfy that suspicion)

Points to remember: 

1. Nervousness is normal when you have to give interviews. Just calm down take long breaths before entering the interview room and answer the questions as properly as you can. 

2. Your fellow interviewees might induce fear in you. Don't let their talk demotivate you. 

3. Ask for help without hesitation with the VFS officers, they will help you. 

4. Nail the interview and get you Visa. cheerio.