Finland is offering 16 single adults from around the world a fully paid four-day trip built around one long dinner table, and the window to apply is almost shut. Applications for the Finnish Dinner Date close at 11:59 a.m. Finnish time (EET, UTC+2) on Tuesday, November 10, 2026. Anyone who wants a chance at one of the 16 places has to complete two steps before that deadline: post a short application video and submit the official form.
This is not a social media giveaway and it is not a travel influencer contest. The campaign sits on the official Visit Finland website, and the full rules are published in its terms and conditions. This guide sets out what the campaign is, what the free trip covers, who can apply, and how to complete an application correctly in the time that remains.
What the Finnish Dinner Date Campaign Is
The campaign is called Have Some Finnish – The Finnish Dinner Date. It is run by Visit Finland, the national tourism organization and part of Business Finland, together with Helsinki Partners and Visit Tampere. Funding comes from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland. The goal is food tourism. Finland argues that its cuisine is one of the best kept secrets in Europe, and it wants the world to taste it.
To make that point, chefs and food experts built four official tasting menus from regional dishes gathered across the country. Two of the menus were served to a group of travelers in September. The remaining two menus, one for the Helsinki region and one for the Lakeland region around Tampere, will be served in February 2027, and this time each dinner is a date. Eight selected singles travel to Helsinki and eight travel to Tampere. Local Finnish singles join each group dinner, and the four-day experience ends at that table.
What the Free Trip Covers
Selected participants receive an all-expenses-paid four-day trip to Finland. The package covers the parts of the trip that normally stop people from applying to anything like this.
- Return international flights to Finland
- Accommodation for the full stay
- Meals across the four days, including the official tasting menu dinner
- A hosted itinerary of activities and dining experiences in the host region
- The group dinner date itself, held in either the Helsinki region or Tampere
The trips run on set dates between February 9 and February 19, 2027. One detail surprises most applicants. The destination is not chosen by the winner. Visit Finland assigns each selected participant to Helsinki or Tampere, and the city is revealed only after selection, as a first match. The offer covers the official four-day program. Personal spending outside that program is not part of the offer.
Who Can Apply: The Eligibility Checklist
Social media posts about this campaign have described it as open to everyone with no conditions. The official terms say otherwise. An applicant must meet every condition on this list.
- Single, and applying as an individual
- Aged 18 or over on the day of application
- Not a resident of Finland
- Free to travel to Finland in February 2027
- Able to record and post a short video in English
- One application per person, covering both the Helsinki and the Tampere events
Couples cannot apply together, and friends cannot submit a joint entry. No degree, job or income requirement exists, and there is no application fee. Finnish residents are excluded even if they hold another nationality, because the campaign is designed to bring new visitors into the country.
How to Apply, Step by Step
The application has two parts, and both parts are compulsory. A video without the form does not count, and a form without the video link does not count either.
Step 1: Record the video. Film a short video in English answering one set question: “What would you serve on a dinner date, and why?” The organizers ask for a creative and personal answer, not a restaurant performance. A home cook with a genuine story behind a dish is exactly the kind of entry this format rewards.
Step 2: Post it on one platform. Upload the video to Instagram, TikTok or YouTube. Add the hashtag #FinnishDinnerDate and tag the official Visit Finland account for that platform: @ourfinland on Instagram, @visitfinland.com on TikTok and @VisitFinland on YouTube. Make sure the post can be viewed through its link, because the selection team has to open it.
Step 3: Submit the official form. Go to the official Finnish Dinner Date campaign page and complete the application form. The form asks for the link to the video post, so keep that link ready before starting.
Step 4: Beat the deadline. Both the post and the form must be complete before 11:59 a.m. Finnish time (EET, UTC+2) on Tuesday, November 10, 2026. That deadline falls in the middle of the Finnish day, so applicants in time zones behind Finland have even less time than the date suggests. Submitting on Monday is the safe plan.
The Honest Odds: Only 16 Places Worldwide
A clear-eyed look at the numbers matters before anyone films a video. There are 16 places in total, and the entry pool is the entire world. The campaign has already been shared widely on social media, and thousands of hopeful applicants are expected for each city group. Selection is a judgment call by the organizers, who are looking for engaging people and creative answers, not a random draw that treats every entry equally.
Treat the application as a small, enjoyable project rather than a plan. The video takes an afternoon at most, and the form is short. Anyone who applies with that mindset loses nothing if December passes without a call. Anyone who treats it as a promised route to Europe is reading the campaign wrong.
Key Dates to Remember
- Applications close: Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at 11:59 a.m. Finnish time (EET, UTC+2)
- Winners announced: December 1, 2026, on the Visit Finland Instagram and TikTok channels
- Trips take place: Four-day experiences between February 9 and February 19, 2027
- Destinations: Helsinki region and Tampere, eight selected singles in each
Five Tips for a Stronger Video Entry
- Answer the actual question. The dish and the reason behind it are the whole entry. A dish tied to family, culture or a personal memory gives the judges something to remember.
- Show the food. A plate, ingredients or a kitchen in the frame makes the answer concrete in the first three seconds.
- Keep it short and natural. A clear 30 to 60 second video beats a long scripted speech. Speak to the camera the way a person speaks across a dinner table.
- Use the exact hashtag and the correct account tag for the platform. Entries that cannot be found cannot be selected.
- Submit the form early. A posted video with no matching form is an incomplete application, and the midday deadline leaves no room for a last minute fix.
Finnish Dinner Date FAQs
Is the Finnish Dinner Date trip really free?
Yes. Visit Finland covers the flights, accommodation, meals and hosted activities that make up the official four-day program for the 16 selected participants. There is no entry fee and no purchase is required at any stage. Costs outside the official program are the responsibility of the participant.
Who can apply for the Finnish Dinner Date?
Applicants must be single, aged 18 or over, and not resident in Finland. Applications are individual, with one entry per person. There is no nationality restriction beyond the Finland residency exclusion, and no degree or employment requirement.
Can couples or friends apply together?
No. The campaign accepts individual applications only. Each person applies alone, and one application covers both the Helsinki and the Tampere events. The organizers assign the destination after selection.
What does the application video need to include?
The video must be in English and must answer the set question: “What would you serve on a dinner date, and why?” It goes on Instagram, TikTok or YouTube with the hashtag #FinnishDinnerDate and a tag for the official Visit Finland account on that platform. The link to the post then goes into the official application form.
Is this a way to move to Finland or get a visa?
No. The Finnish Dinner Date is a tourism promotion run by the national tourism organization. It offers a four-day hosted trip in February 2027 and nothing beyond that. It is not a job offer, not an immigration program and not a route to residence in Finland or anywhere else in Europe.
The Bottom Line
Finland has topped the World Happiness Report rankings for eight years in a row, and its tourism board is now using dinner to explain why. Sixteen singles will get the full demonstration in February 2027, flights and tasting menus included. The entry costs nothing but an afternoon, the rules are simple, and the only real obstacle is the clock. Applications close at midday Finnish time on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, and after that the table is set without latecomers.
Readers who prefer their global moves with a salary attached can browse the latest global finance openings tracked on this site, including roles such as the BDO assurance associate opening in New York. For everyone else, the official rules, the form and the full campaign details are on the Visit Finland campaign page, which is the only place an application should ever be submitted.
Lauren Brooks is a finance professional writing on professional exams, study strategies, and finance careers.
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