Employee – using the e-service makes the application process smoother
The Finnish Immigration Service recommends applying for a work-based residence permit using the e-service. Your application will be processed more speedily if you use the online form, as electronic documents are quicker to transfer from one authority to another. Paper application forms can take several weeks to transfer.
The Embassy in New Delhi recommends using the electronic application form
According to First Secretary for Consular Affairs Raimo Pahkasalo at the Embassy of Finland in New Delhi, using the e-service also helps reduce their employees' work load. "As long as the applicants remember to scan all the necessary attachments correctly, the officials can process electronic applications more quickly compared to paper forms," says Pahkasalo.
Permit applications based on employment arrive in great numbers at the embassy. Approximately 1,000 residence permit applications are submitted to the Embassy of Finland in New Delhi each year. In 2012, it was the third highest number of applications received by a Finnish embassy.
Electronic applications can be filled in at home
You can fill in an electronic application form on your personal computer at home. After submitting the application, you can monitor the application process via the e-service. When you submit an electronic application:
- Scan all the necessary attachments and attach them to the application.
- Contact a Finnish embassy or, if you have submitted your application in Finland, contact the local police, and arrange a visit to give your fingerprints. The visit is necessary in order to verify your identity and to give your fingerprints for the biometric residence permit card. The processing of your application will not start until you have given your fingerprints.
- When you visit an embassy or the police to give fingerprints, remember to bring your passport and the original documents with you. Bring with you all the attachments you scanned for the electronic application.
- It is also recommended to bring with you a printed copy of the electronic application form, because it will expedite the verification of the personal data given on the application.
Access the e-service via the Finnish Immigration Service website
You may access e-services via the website of the Finnish Immigration Service or the Finnish police. The direct address is https://e-asiointi.migri.fi.
Remember that if you are applying for a residence permit for an employed person, your application will go to the Employment and Economic Development Office for a partial decision first before it is processed by the Finnish Immigration Service. The Finnish Immigration Service has no influence over how long it takes for the Employment and Economic Development Office to process your application.
