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Negative decision

When the Finnish Immigration Service has made a decision on your asylum application, you will be informed about it by the Finnish Immigration Service or the police. The decision will be served to you in your mother tongue or another language that you have stated you understand. If necessary, we will use an interpreter or a translator when we serve the decision to you.

Together with the decision, you will receive instructions for clients. The instructions can also be found on the page ‘Negative decision for an asylum seeker’.

If we make a negative decision on your application, you have the right to appeal against the decision to the Administrative Court. If you do not appeal the decision, you do not have the right to stay in Finland and you must leave the country.

If you wish to leave Finland, you can apply for assisted voluntary return.

Watch a video about negative decisions.

If you are applying for asylum and some other residence permit at the same time, your applications are processed separately at the Finnish Immigration Service. When you receive a decision on one of your applications, the processing of your other application will continue at the Finnish Immigration Service normally.

You cannot get a residence permit in Finland on the basis of studies, work or pursuing a trade if you are staying in Finland and

  • you have applied for asylum and have not received a decision on your application yet or 
  • you have received a negative decision on your asylum application.

For more information, see the page Asylum seeker’s right to work.