Family members of an EU citizen who are covered by EU Free Movement Directive

According to the EU Free Movement Directive, a family member means:

  1. the spouse;
  2. the partner with whom the EU citizen has contracted a registered partnership, on the basis of the legislation of a Member State, if the legislation of the host Member State treats registered partnerships as equivalent to marriage and in accordance with the conditions laid down in the relevant legislation of the host Member State;
  3. the direct descendants who are under the age of 21 or are dependants and those of the spouse or partner as defined in point 2;
  4. the dependent direct relatives in the ascending line and those of the spouse or partner as defined in point 2.

Family members of an EU citizen who are covered by the EU Free Movement Directive may submit their application for visa either at a visa application centre or at Finland’s mission abroad. No fee is charged for the visa.

Check the website finlandvisa.fi for more detailed country-specific instructions on the documents required for visa applications of family members of an EU citizen who are covered by the Free Movement Directive. You can check the required visa application documents without logging in on the website finlandvisa.fi.

Residence permit card issued under Directive 2004/38/EC

Holders of valid Cyprus residence permit card issued to family members of EU citizens based on article 5 (2) of Directive 2004/38/EC are not required to hold a visa to enter the Schengen area or other EU Member States.

The following residence cards have a visa-exempting effect under Directive 2004/38/EC:

  • Article 10 residence cards issued to family members of those EU citizens who have moved to an EU Member State other than that of their nationality
  • Permanent residence cards issued under Article 20

It is to be noted that family members of Cypriot nationals hold residence documents issued under national legislation – not under Directive 2004/38/EC. The visa exemption is not extended to any other type of residence permit card than mentioned above.

Information leaftlet: Residence permit card issued under Directive 2004/38/EC (pdf)