Finland’s missions in Bangkok and New Delhi will both be closed on Friday, 7 November 2025 due to internal staff events, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs confirmed in separate notices. While such one-day shutdowns are routine, the overlap at two high-volume posts is unusual and could affect hundreds of travellers who rely on last-minute services such as emergency passports, legalisations and work-permit notarisation.
The Bangkok embassy processed nearly 4,500 consular transactions in October alone, much of it supporting Finnish project cargo specialists working at Thai shipyards. Likewise, New Delhi handles the lion’s share of residence-permit interviews for Indian engineers hired by Finnish tech firms. Mobility managers should therefore reschedule appointments or use Helsinki’s 24/7 service centre (+358 9 1605 5555) for urgent cases.
![Embassy Closures in Bangkok and New Delhi on 7 November Disrupt Consular Services for Finnish Travellers]()
The Foreign Ministry said e-visa processing continues online and that VFS Global collection centres remain open. However, documents that require an original wet stamp will be delayed until offices reopen on Monday, 10 November.
The twin closures underscore lingering resource constraints in Finland’s foreign-service network, which has faced a 12 percent real-terms budget cut since 2022. Business-lobby group Finland Chamber of Commerce reiterated its call for a dedicated mobility service desk to avoid bottlenecks during mission downtime.
Practical tip: If an employee loses a passport while the embassy is shut, airlines may allow boarding with a police report plus a digital copy of the ID page, provided the traveller is on a direct Finnair flight to Helsinki.
The Bangkok embassy processed nearly 4,500 consular transactions in October alone, much of it supporting Finnish project cargo specialists working at Thai shipyards. Likewise, New Delhi handles the lion’s share of residence-permit interviews for Indian engineers hired by Finnish tech firms. Mobility managers should therefore reschedule appointments or use Helsinki’s 24/7 service centre (+358 9 1605 5555) for urgent cases.
The Foreign Ministry said e-visa processing continues online and that VFS Global collection centres remain open. However, documents that require an original wet stamp will be delayed until offices reopen on Monday, 10 November.
The twin closures underscore lingering resource constraints in Finland’s foreign-service network, which has faced a 12 percent real-terms budget cut since 2022. Business-lobby group Finland Chamber of Commerce reiterated its call for a dedicated mobility service desk to avoid bottlenecks during mission downtime.
Practical tip: If an employee loses a passport while the embassy is shut, airlines may allow boarding with a police report plus a digital copy of the ID page, provided the traveller is on a direct Finnair flight to Helsinki.
