Online application for a passport or an identity card

The online service of the Finnish Police is not meant for persons residing abroad, but its use from abroad is not prevented. Customers who submit their application abroad do not therefore necessarily receive the same level of service as is provided within Finnish borders.

If you meet certain criteria, the police can grant you a passport or identity card without a visit to a police station in person. However, approximately 50 per cent of applications submitted online require a visit to a police station. If your application is such that you need to visit a police station in person, this must take place at a police station in Finland, because Finnish missions abroad do not have the necessary equipment for receiving and complementing applications submitted electronically.

If your application cannot be processed without a visit for identification to a police station in Finland, it is your responsibility to take care of your travel arrangements to Finland. The police does not return paid processing fees.  

Visit the website of the Finnish Police and read more about the e-services of the police and about the criteria that must be met in cases where an appointment at a police station is not required: Getting a passport(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window) and How to apply for an identity card(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window).

In addition, when applying for a passport from abroad via the e-service of the Finnish Police, note at least the following:

  1. You can log in to the e-service of the Finnish Police via Suomi.fi e-Identification. Suomi.fi accepts identification using your online banking codes, mobile certificate or the Citizen Certificate on your identity card.
  2. For an online application, a passport photo must be sent in advance to the photograph server of the police. Foreign photography studios cannot send photos to the server directly, but you can supply the photo taken in a studio via the Suomi.fi e-Identification service. Photography studios operating in Finland can save photos directly on the photograph server of the police.
  3. You can collect your passport or identity card only in Finland either by paying a visit to a Matkahuolto service outlet yourself or by authorising someone to collect it on your behalf. The person authorised to collect the passport must prove his or her identity by means of a valid passport or identity card.
  4. The processing of an electronically submitted application may require a personal visit to a police station in Finland.