All residence permit applications based on family ties are subject to a fee starting from 16 May

All applications for a first residence permit on the basis of family ties will be subject to a fee starting from 16 May 2016. Up to now, a fee has been payable for most residence permit applications, including those based on family ties. A family member’s application for a first residence permit has been free of charge only when the sponsor residing in Finland has been granted international protection and the family ties already existed before the sponsor came to Finland.

The application for a first residence permit of an adult family member costs 455 euros. The residence permit application of a child costs 230 euros.

With a tenfold increase in asylum applications in 2015, the number of family members’ residence permit applications is also expected to grow significantly. The revenue from processing fees will cover part of the costs incurred in employing more personnel. The processing fees of the Finnish Immigration Service are determined by the Ministry of the Interior Decree 1522/2015, as amended by the Decree 340/2016.

Asylum applications remain free of charge

If you apply for asylum or you are a quota refugee, your application is still free of charge. However, residence permit applications by your family members will be subject to a fee.

You must pay the fee to have your application processed

In future, we will not process your application for a residence permit, travel document or revocation of a prohibition of entry until you have paid the processing fee.

If you do not pay the processing fee within a reasonable time, that is, within one month of the date you submitted your application, your application will expire.

Applications submitted before 16 May 2016

If your application was free of charge at the moment you submitted it, you will not have to pay the processing fee.

If your application submitted before 16 May 2016 was subject to a fee at the moment you submitted it but you have not paid the fee yet, we will contact you as soon as it is time to process your application. Once you have paid the fee, we will continue the processing.

If you do not pay the processing fee even if requested to do so, your application will expire.

This customer bulletin has been updated on 13 May 2016.