Applying for an extended or permanent permit at the Finnish Immigration Service – answers to frequently asked questions

The Finnish Immigration Service will handle applications for extended permits and permanent residence permits from 1 January 2017. Here, we have answered frequently asked questions by our customers.

Fill in the application beforehand online in the e-service Enter Finland or using a paper form, and make sure that you have all the necessary attachments before you visit a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service.

How do I book a time to apply for an extended permit?

Book a time according to the reason you are applying for a residence permit. This can be work, studies or family ties. If you applying for a residence permit for another reason, choose ‘Other grounds’. The appointment system of the Finnish Immigration Service does not separate between an application for a first permit and an application for an extended permit.

If you are applying for an extended permit, don’t book a time to renew your residence permit card. Only book a time to renew your residence permit card, if your right to reside is valid but you need to renew your residence permit card, for example, because you have lost a card that you have already been issued.

When will new times become available in the appointment system?

Appointments will become available gradually and there are appointments available for a couple of months at a time. If your permit expires next summer, please be patient and wait for new appointment times to become available.

When is it advisable to apply for an extended permit or a permanent permit?

We advise that you submit your application ahead of time, a couple of months before your current permit expires.

The easiest way to apply is to submit your application online, as the e-service Enter Finland makes sure that you include all the necessary attachments. If we have to ask you separately for additional information, this will prolong the processing of your application. After you have submitted your application online, you have three months to visit one of our service points and prove your identity.

As of now, it is only possible to apply for a permanent permit with a paper form. Fill in the application and make sure that you have all the necessary attachments before booking a time to submit your application at one of our service points.

What if my current permit expires before I submit a new application?

If you submit your residence permit application too late, your right to reside will be interrupted. Your right to work will also be interrupted. The police may fine you for residing in Finland without a residence permit.

Being unable to book a time is not considered a justifiable excuse. If you are unable/not able to book a time using our appointment system, you can visit a service point without booking an appointment beforehand. Please note, however, that the queue might be long and that it might not be possible for you to take care of your matter on the same day. Waiting numbers will no longer be handed out when all the available appointments for the day have run out for the desks that service customers with waiting numbers. You yourself are responsible for making sure that you apply for a new permit in good time and you should not wait to apply until the last day of the permit’s validity.

The easiest way to apply is to submit your application online in the e-service Enter Finland, as this means that you can submit your application at a time that suits you. You need to visit a service point to prove your identity within three months after you have submitted your application online. Please remember, however, that submitting your application online requires sufficient computer skills.

What should I bring with me when I visit the service point?

If you have submitted your application online in the e-service Enter Finland and are visiting the service point to prove your identity, you should bring with you

• your passport,
• the originals of all attachments to your application and
• a passport photo.

If you are bringing documents with you that you have not attached to your application, you should first complete your application in Enter Finland.

If you are applying with a paper form, you need to bring with you

• the filled-in application,
• your passport and a copy of the passport page containing personal data and of all passport pages with notes,
• the originals and paper copies of all attachments to the application and
• a passport photo.

How long will the processing of an application for an extended permit take?

At this stage, it is not yet possible to precisely estimate the processing times since the Finnish Immigration Service will be handling for the first time all applications for extended permits and permanent residence permits as well as registration of the right to reside of EU citizens. The number of pending applications that will be transferred from the police to the agency may affect the processing times at the beginning of next year. The Finnish Immigration Service will decide both pending applications that are transferred from the police and new applications that are submitted to the agency.

You can find information about our processing timeson our website. The website will be updated with new information as soon as the information is available.

What will the processing fees be for applications handed in to the Finnish Immigration Service?

The new processing fees have not yet been decided. The processing fees will be decided by the end of the year. The processing fees will be published on our website as soon as they become available.

How can I pay the processing fee?

If you are submitting an application for an extended permit in Enter Finland, you can pay the processing fee with the most common credit cards or with your online bank codes.

At our service points, you can pay with cash, the most common debit cards or Visa, Visa Electron or MasterCard.

When can I apply for a permanent residence permit?

The conditions for a permanent residence permit will not be affected by the transfer. You may apply for a permanent residence permit after you have been residing in Finland with a continuous residence permit for an uninterrupted period of four years.

Can I apply for an extension to my visa at the Finnish Immigration Service?

No, you cannot. The police will still continue to make the decisions on extended visas.