Residence permits to Finland

If you want to stay in Finland for a longer period than three months, you need a residence permit. Nationals of an EU member state, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland do not need a residence permit to come to Finland.

How to apply for a residence permit

  1. You can apply for a residence permit in Finland if you have a job, a study place or a family member in Finland. Apply for a residence permit before you come to Finland. 
  2. According to the EU visa rules, one of the requirements for granting a Schengen visa is that the person must leave the Schengen area before the visa expires. For this reason, a visa cannot be granted to a person who has come to Finland in order to obtain a residence permit or to wait for the decision on a pending residence permit-related matter. This also applies to family members of Finnish citizens.
  3. Only you may initiate the application.
  4. Apply for a residence permit electronically at enterfinland.fi(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window) or on paper at migri.fi(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window)  
  5. Choose the correct application form based on why you are coming to Finland (job, study place or family member in Finland).
  6. Fill in the residence permit application carefully. Make sure that the appendices are correct.
  7. Having filled in the application, find out which Finnish mission or VFS Global Application Centre you can visit for identification and for submitting biometric identifiers (signature, photograph, fingerprints) and book an appointment there.
  8. A Finnish mission or VFS Application Centre may be located in a different country from where you are staying. Be prepared to apply for a visa for the country in question.
  9. Go to the mission, authenticate yourself, and pay the fee collected for the residence permit application. This fee will not be refunded even if you cancel your application or receive a negative decision.
  10. After this, your application will be transferred to the processing queue at the Finnish Immigration Service
  11. You can follow the progress of the processing online. You may be asked for further information and you may be invited for an interview.
  12. Processing the application takes time. Please be patient. Waiting times are usually long, but each application will be processed.
  13. You will be notified once a decision has been made.
  14. If you receive a positive decision, the residence permit card will be delivered to the mission. A negative decision means that is was considered that you do not have sufficient grounds for a residence permit.
  15. You can get further information about applying for a residence permit at the Finnish Immigration Service website migri.fi(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window)

Guide for Students

When you are applying for your first residence permit for your studies, check out the guide for students. In the guide you can easily find the information you need. The guide will also help you make a checklist of the attachments you need for your application. 

Guide for students(Link to another website.)

Guide for an employed person

When you are applying for your first residence permit for an employed person, check out the guide for employed persons. In the guide you can easily find the information you need. The guide will also help you make a checklist of the attachments you need for your application.

Guide for an employed person(Link to another website.)

 

If you encounter problems at work, you can find information on the work-related rights and obligations in Finland, and instructions on how to proceed, on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri)(Link to another website.).

Loss of residence permit card

If your Finnish residence permit card has been lost, stolen or expired, you may apply for a D visa for return to Finland if your residence permit is valid. To apply for a D visa, you must visit the Finnish mission in person and present there proof of the loss of your card.

You must report a lost or stolen card to the authorities of the country where your card was lost or stolen.

Read more about the D visa on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri)(Link to another website.).

Expired residence permit

If your residence permit has expired while you have been abroad, apply for a new residence permit at a Finnish diplomatic or consular mission. A visa cannot be granted for this purpose, because the return requirement set out in the Visa Code is not met. A visa may be granted only in situations referred to in the Visa Code, such as in a serious humanitarian situation – not because the applicant is in a hurry, has lost his or her air ticket or cannot pay the residence permit fee, for example.

If a mission cannot grant a visa under the Visa Code, you must apply for a residence permit before returning to Finland.

Fast track for holders of a D visa who have been issued with a residence permit

You can be issued with a D visa for Finland if you are applying for one of the following:

  • a residence permit for a specialist
  • an EU Blue Card
  • a residence permit for startup entrepreneur
  • a residence permit for intra-corporate transferee (ICT)
  • a residence permit for work in senior or middle management
  • a residence permit for studies
  • a residence permit for research
  • a residence permit for family member of an applicant for one of the above permits.

Citizens of countries exempt from visa requirement do not need a D visa.

For more information, please visit the website of the Finnish Immigration Service(Link to another website.).

migri.fienterfinland.fi

Where to apply for a residence permit?

Apply for a residence permit at the Embassy of Finland in Ottawa.