Now is a good time to apply for a municipality of residence as some reception centres will close
Once you have been granted a municipality of residence:
- You can choose where to live and how to arrange your housing. If you live in a reception centre apartment, you can ask the reception centre if you can keep using the apartment.
- You will have the same rights and access to the same services as those who reside permanently in Finland. As a resident of a municipality, your rights will be more extensive than the rights of those who live in a reception centre.
- You will no longer be a client of a reception centre.
- You will not be affected by changes in reception centres.
Reception centres are intended as a temporary solution for clients who have been granted temporary protection or who are waiting for a decision on their asylum application and cannot yet obtain a municipality of residence.
Apply for a municipality of residence with the Digital and Population Data Services Agency:
- If you have been granted temporary protection, you can apply for a municipality of residence with the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (dvv.fi) after living in Finland for one year.
- If you have applied for international protection, you can apply for a municipality of residence with the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (dvv.fi) after getting a positive decision on your asylum application.
Your reception centre will notify you once you can apply for a municipality of residence
Apply for a municipality of residence in good time. Once your municipality of residence has been registered, you can apply for an apartment for yourself. You can ask your reception centre for help.
Remember to notify your reception centre when you are granted a municipality of residence.
Read more about moving to a municipality on the Migri.fi website:
- Temporary protection: Municipality of residence
- Asylum seekers: Moving to a municipality
Some reception centres will be closing
A number of reception centres were put out to tender by the Finnish Immigration Service at the beginning of 2024. Under the Act on Public Procurement, the Finnish Immigration Service is obliged to put out to tender reception centres.
As a result of the tendering process, some of the existing reception centres will close. The suppliers selected as a result of the tendering process will open new reception centres. For some clients, this means that their own reception centre will close down. These clients will continue to receive their services from another reception centre.
If your reception centre is closing but you cannot apply for a municipality of residence, you may be required to move to another reception centre. The Finnish Immigration Service will find a reception centre that can accommodate you, depending on which reception centres have places available at the time. Your reception centre will contact you if you are affected by the changes. You can ask your reception centre for more information if necessary.
You have the possibility to arrange your accommodation yourself and live in private accommodation instead of a reception centre. In that case, you will not be compensated for accommodation costs. Read more about private accommodation on the page Living in private accommodation.
