Application for an extended permit on the basis of studies

Apply for a residence permit with this form if your studies continue but the validity of your residence permit is about to expire. Apply for an extended permit before your previous residence permit expires. We do not recommend that you apply for an extended permit earlier than three months before the expiry date of your residence permit. If you apply earlier, we may not necessarily be able to assess whether you meet the requirements for an extended permit and may be unable to grant the permit. Do not apply for an extended permit before you have completed the necessary ECTS credits.

Please observe that in matters concerning extended permits the residence permit card will not be sent abroad. You have to have a valid address in Finland where the card can be sent.

Expected processing time for electronic application

2 months
Expected processing time for paper application

3 months
Electronic application fee

180 €
Electronic application fee, minor holder

180 €
Paper application fee

250 €
Paper application fee, minor holder

250 €

This is what you should do

1

Make sure you meet the requirements for the residence permit you are applying for.

2

Make sure you have all the attachments needed for the application and that they are up to date. If necessary, have them translated and legalised.

3

Fill in your application.

4

Pay for your application in the e-service Enter Finland or at a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service.

5

Book an appointment at a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service.

6

Wait for a decision. The Finnish Immigration Service will contact you if necessary.

7

Read what happens after you have applied.

Requirements

You must meet the following requirements:

It is your responsibility to ensure that you have sufficient financial resources for living in Finland. You must have at least EUR 560 at your disposal every month to be able to pay for your accommodation, food and other needs.

In your application, provide documentation proving that you have sufficient funds to live in Finland for the first year of studies.
- A deposit in a Finnish bank account is the easiest and most reliable way to show that you have sufficient financial resources.

If your educational institution supports your living in Finland, you do not necessarily need to have 560 euros per month at your disposal. When applying for an extended permit, your income from work can also be taken into account. Read more about income requirements.

You got your first residence permit on the basis of studies. You have to be a student at an educational institution in Finland and your studies must be progressing.

If you are studying at a vocational education institution, you must study full-time and your studies must progress according to the study plan.
If you are a student at a higher education institution, you must complete approximately 45 credits during an academic year.
If you have completed fewer than 45 credits during an academic year, attach to your application documentation of the reasons why you have not made enough progress in your studies. The documentation can be, for example
- a statement from your supervisor, if you are writing a thesis
- a doctor’s certificate, if you cannot make progress in your studies because of your health.

As a student, you must personally cover the costs if you become ill in Finland. In order to get a residence permit, you must take out private insurance that will cover your medical and pharmaceutical expenses. If you have a Kela card, a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or a UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) you do not need to take out other insurance. Attach a certificate of insurance to your application. Read more about the insurance you need, and about accepted insurance companies, on the page Insurance.

General attachments

Valid passport (you must present it when you submit the residence permit application)
Passport photo complying with the photo guidelines issued by the police or a photograph retrieval code you received from a photo shop
Colour copies of the passport page containing personal data and of all passport pages that contain notes

Application-specific attachments

Certificate of acceptance/attendance from your educational institution in Finland
Documentation of sufficient financial resources
Documentation of health insurance
Documentation of paid tuition fee or documentation of scholarship
If you have completed fewer than 45 credits during an academic year, attach to your application
- a statement from your supervisor, if you are writing a thesis
- a doctor’s certificate, if you cannot make progress in your studies because of your health.

Right to work

If you have applied for an extended permit in good time, in other words before your previous permit expires, you may work while your residence permit application is pending. If you submit your application too late, you cannot start working before you get a new residence permit.

You can work without restrictions if your work is related to your degree. This means practical training or diploma work as part of the degree.

In addition, you may work in paid employment for a maximum of 30 hours per week. The number of working hours can be exceeded some weeks, as long as the average working hours are no more than 30 hours per week at the end of the year.