Skip to Content

UK citizens – Remember to apply for a right of residence under the withdrawal agreement between 1 October 2020 and 30 September 2021

Publication date 3.7.2020 12.20
Press release

Due to the UK leaving the European Union, you may apply for either a right of residence or right of permanent residence under the withdrawal agreement.

At the moment, applications are not yet accepted, so we ask you to wait for further instructions. The online booking for appointments to apply for a right of residence or right of permanent residence under the withdrawal agreement will be opened in September. Further information about the process will be provided closer to the time. We will also announce the processing fees in September. The applications may be submitted as of 1 October 2020 either electronically through Enter Finland online service or using a paper form. Follow our customer information updates

Read these instructions on which type of permit you should apply for between 1 October 2020 and 30 September 2021:

  • If you have resided in Finland for less than five years and have registered your EU citizen’s right of residence in Finland
    • you should apply to change your status to a right of residence under the withdrawal agreement. Follow our customer information updates. If you are granted the right of residence under the withdrawal agreement, you may continue to reside in Finland after the transition period, i.e. after 2020. The right of residence under the withdrawal agreement is valid in Finland only. If you wish to continue to reside in Finland after 2020, applying for a right of residence is mandatory.
  • If you have resided in Finland for more than five consecutive years and have registered your EU citizen’s right of residence in Finland
    • you should apply for a right of permanent residence under the withdrawal agreement. You may be granted a right of permanent residence under the withdrawal agreement if you have resided in Finland for more than five consecutive years and you meet the criteria of the permit.
  • If you have a document certifying the right of permanent residence of an EU citizen
    • you may apply for a right of permanent residence under the withdrawal agreement. Applying for the permit is not mandatory for you, but we strongly recommend it. The right of permanent residence under the withdrawal agreement is the easiest way for you to prove your right of residence in Finland or at a Schengen external border. 

If your family member is a third-country national and resides in Finland with a residence card of a family member of a Union citizen, he or she will also need to apply for the residence status under the withdrawal agreement. 

Do this if you have not yet registered your EU citizen’s right of residence:

  • First apply to register your EU citizen’s right of residence. Instructions on how to apply are available at migri.fi/en/registration-of-right-of-residence
  • If you register your EU citizen’s right of residence prior to 31 December 2020, you should apply to change your status to a right of residence on the withdrawal agreement by 30 September 2021.

A right of residence and right of permanent residence under the withdrawal agreement may in some cases also be applied for whilst abroad

If you are temporarily residing outside Finland but are a legal resident of Finland, you may apply for a right of residence or right of permanent residence under the withdrawal agreement at a Finnish foreign mission (embassy or consulate). Your family members who are not yet residents of Finland may also submit their applications while abroad. 

If you intend to apply for a right of residence or right of permanent residence under the withdrawal agreement while abroad, wait for further instructions. Further information on the application process will be provided later this summer. Follow our customer information updates.

Further information

Updated information on the UK leaving the EU is available on migri.fi/en/brexit/en.

Updated on 3 July 2020: A sentence concerning the time limit for applying for registration of an EU citizen’s right of residence has been removed.