Peak time begins for students’ residence permit applications
Thousands of international students who are due to begin their studies in Finland in the autumn of 2014 will be applying for residence permits during the summer. This will cause delays in the processing of students’ residence permit applications.
The period between June and September is the busiest time of year for students’ residence permit applications. In 2013, approximately 4,000 applications, or 70% of all student applications received that year, were submitted between June and September.
The Finnish Immigration Service processes all applications for students’ residence permits as high-priority applications. Applications are processed in the order they arrive, and emailing or calling the Finnish Immigration Service will not speed up the processing of your application. The Finnish Immigration Service also cannot fast-track your application for reasons such as flight tickets purchased in advance.
Please ensure that you submit your residence permit application in time and provide all necessary supporting documents according to the instructions
Apply online and then visit your local Finnish embassy or consulate
You should apply for a residence permit as soon as your place at a Finnish educational institution is confirmed. You can apply online at https://e-asiointi.migri.fi.
Applying online is the quickest and cheapest way to apply.
Once you have submitted your application online, you will need to visit your local Finnish embassy or consulate in person. You will be asked to give your fingerprints, to prove your identity and to present originals of any documents you are appending to your application. Your application will only be processed after you have visited a Finnish embassy or consulate in person.
You can also submit your application on paper at any Finnish embassy or consulate abroad. Please note that it takes several weeks for paper applications to reach the Finnish Immigration Service by post.
Remember to check the opening hours of your local embassy or consulate and that you can go there in person before you visit.
Wait for your residence permit card abroad
As long as you have filled in your application correctly and provided all the necessary appendices, you should get your decision within approximately one month of the date on which your application arrives at the Finnish Immigration Service.
If your application is approved, you will be ordered a residence permit card at the same time. Your card will be sent to the Finnish embassy or consulate where you went to prove your identity. You should therefore wait for your card abroad.
You cannot come to Finland while your application is still being processed and receive a residence permit card in Finland. You will not be notified of the decision on your application immediately, because the printing and posting of the residence permit card takes a few weeks. Please remember that the Finnish Immigration Service cannot influence how long it takes for the card to arrive.
Most applicants receive their residence permit before their studies begin.
Track the progress of your application at migri.fi
Information about the queues for students’ residence permit applicationsis published on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service. The information on the website is updated weekly. If you apply online, you can track the status of your own application in the e-service.
Any changes to processing times are published on our website. We will also publish a special notice if we are unable to issue decisions on students’ residence permit applications before the start of the autumn term.
Further information
- Checklist for students applying for a residence permit
- Applying for a residence permit for studies
