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Situation with the missions affecting application for residence permit overseas

Publication date 19.3.2020 16.25 | Published in English on 20.3.2020 at 14.31
Press release

Missions of the Finnish Ministry for Foreign affairs have interrupted the receiving and processing of residence permit applications on 19 March 2020, due to the coronavirus epidemic.The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has reported that the residence permit applications already received will be initiated as usual and submitted to the Finnish Immigration Service for processing. Special arrangements at the missions will be in effect until further notice.

You cannot currently prove your identity at the missions. If you have applied for a residence permit for Finland while overseas, identification is obligatory before the residence permit can be granted. Furthermore, interviews with applicants at the missions have been interrupted. If you have been asked to visit a mission for an interview, you must take the interview before receiving a residence permit.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs will provide information on discontinuation of the exceptional arrangements later.

The Finnish Immigration Service will still  process applications already submitted

The Finnish Immigration Service will continue to process residence permit applications already submitted.

While abroad, you can still submit your application through the Finnish Immigration Service’s Enter Finland online service. Your application will be accepted for processing once you have identified yourself.

Usually, you should identify yourself at the mission after 3 months from the date on which the electronic application was submitted. However, owing to the coronavirus situation, you may have to wait longer before you can identify yourself or take the interview. Please follow the bulletins issued by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Book a time for identification immediately when the Ministry for Foreign Affairs has announced that the exceptional arrangements are no longer in effect.

Restrictions on border traffic in Finland affect entry into the country

Border traffic in Finland has been restricted by decision of the Finnish Government until 13 April 2020. This will influence the possibility to enter Finland from abroad. You can read more about the restrictions on the Finnish Border Guard’s website.

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