Amendments to Aliens Act on 6 May: new obligation to cooperate and changes to entry bans and withdrawal of residence permits
A set of amendments to the Aliens Act will enter into force on 6 May 2025. The amendments may be relevant to you if, for example, you get a negative decision on your residence permit or asylum application or when your current residence permit expires. The amendments lay down more precise provisions on entry bans and on withdrawal of residence permits.
Obligation to cooperate after receiving a decision on removal from the country
You have an obligation to cooperate with the authorities if you reside in Finland and receive a decision on removal from the country. The decision can be a decision on denial of admittance or stay or a decision on deportation. The obligation to cooperate means, among other things, that you must leave Finland voluntarily within the time limit set for you. Usually, the police or the border authorities will inform you of the obligation to cooperate. If you do not comply with the obligation to cooperate, an entry ban may be imposed on you.
Read more about the obligation to cooperate on the page Denial of admittance or stay, deportation, entry ban.
Voluntary return
When you get a decision on denial of admittance or stay or a decision on deportation, the day by which you must leave Finland voluntarily may be stated in the decision. You can apply for an extension of the time limit set for voluntary return. However, there must be a special reason why the extension should be granted. The processing fee for such applications is 100 euros.
Read more about voluntary return after a decision on removal from the country on the page Denial of admittance or stay, deportation, entry ban.
Entry ban may be imposed on a person who resides in Finland or abroad
An entry ban may be imposed on a person who resides in Finland or abroad when:
- a decision is made on refusal of entry, denial of admittance or stay, or deportation or
- the person's residence permit is withdrawn or the person is denied a residence permit.
In some situations, an entry ban may be imposed with a separate, independent decision.
An entry ban will usually prohibit entry into the entire European Union area and the Schengen area. The person who is subject to such an entry ban is not allowed to enter Finland or other Schengen or EU countries during the time the entry ban is valid.
An entry ban may be imposed for a fixed term or until further notice. Fixed-term entry bans are usually valid for 5 years, but entry bans up to 15 years are possible.
Read more about entry bans on the page Denial of admittance or stay, deportation, entry ban.
Withdrawal of residence permits
You must continue to meet the permit requirements during your entire stay in Finland. Your permit may be withdrawn if you do not meet the permit requirements.
Pursuant to the amendments to the Aliens Act, a fixed-term residence permit, a permanent residence permit and a long-term resident’s EU residence permit (P-EU) may be withdrawn in the following situations:
- If the person does not reside in Finland
- A fixed-term or permanent residence permit may be withdrawn if the permit holder could be deported from Finland because of crimes, because of endangering the safety of others, or because of endangering national security.
- A P-EU permit may be withdrawn if the permit holder could be deported from Finland because of constituting a threat to public order and security.
- A fixed-term, permanent or P-EU permit may be withdrawn if:
- the permit holder’s refugee status has been ended because the person has committed a serious crime
- the permit holder is a danger to the community or to national security or
- the permit holder’s subsidiary protection status has been ended because the person has committed a serious crime.
See the page Withdrawal of residence permits for more information on when a residence permit may be cancelled.
The maximum duration of detention in matters related to decisions on removal from the country is extended
A person may be detained if, for example, he or she has received a decision on removal from the country but refuses to cooperate with the Finnish authorities. Detaining a person is also possible if detention is considered necessary for ensuring public security.
The maximum time period for holding a person in detention in situations related to removal from the country is extended from 12 months to 18 months.
The decision to detain a person is made by the police or a border authority. The Finnish Immigration Service runs the detention units and is responsible for directing, planning and supervising the practical detention unit operations.
