What’s the best way for a Finnish expat to get a new passport?
It makes sense to plan ahead when you need a new passport. If you’re a Finnish expat living abroad, plan to get your new passport the next time you travel to Finland or to a country that has a Finnish diplomatic mission.
Passport applications must always be filed in person. This even applies to children, who now need their own passport to travel. You can apply for a new passport well before your current passport expires.
The passport application form is printed directly from the Finnish Population Register System. If any of your personal information in that system is outdated, the application will be rejected. Therefore you will first need to update your information and then submit a new application.
Finnish expats travelling to Finland can apply for a passport at any local police station. It’s cheaper to get a passport in Finland than abroad. The cost of getting a regular passport abroad about 120 euros compared to 52 euros in Finland.
In Finland, the best way to avoid having to queue is to make an appointment with the police in advance, either online at www.poliisi.fi(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window) or by phone. Please note that at several police service points an appointment is always required for other than urgent licence matters. For more details, go to your local police station’s website.
You can have your ready passport delivered for pick-up at an R- Kiosk or any Finnish mission. You can also collect your passport from a police station.
Finnish citizens may submit their passport application at any Finnish mission anywhere in the world. For more detailed information on where passports are issued, go to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs website(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window) (in Finnish).
In case of urgency it’s possible to collect your passport at the National Traffic Police’s Airport Unit. However please note that passport services at the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport Unit are primarily intended for passengers passing through the airport.
Check the validity of your passport well ahead of your next trip! Remember that many countries will not let you in unless your passport is valid for at least six months after your planned date of return.
- For contact information and opening hours for police licence services, go to www.poliisi.fi(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window)
Further information on delivery of passports in Finland(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window) (in Finnish)
Further information on where to collect your passport abroad (Link to another website.)(in Finnish)
- Further information on the Police Airport Unit (Link to another website.) (Opens New Window)