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Peak time is beginning for students’ residence permit applications – instructions for applicants

Migri
Publication date 21.6.2017 16.09
Press release

Thousands of international students who are due to begin or continue their studies in Finland will be applying for residence permits during the May-September period. This will cause delays in the processing of residence permit applications submitted by students.

Applications by students are always considered urgent

The Finnish Immigration Service processes and decides on all residence permit applications for studies as high-priority applications.

All applications are processed in the order they are submitted, and contacting the Finnish Immigration Service by e-mail or telephone will not speed up the processing. The Finnish Immigration Service also cannot fast-track your application for reasons such as flight tickets purchased in advance.

Are you applying for a first residence permit?

If you are applying for a first residence permit for studies, apply for it abroad using the Enter Finland service or by submitting a paper form as soon as your study place at a Finnish educational institution has been confirmed. Applying online is the quickest and most affordable way to apply.

Make sure that you have all the necessary attachments indicated in the instructions.

Once you have submitted your application online, you will need to visit a Finnish embassy or consulate in your home country or in your country of legal residenceYou will be asked to give your fingerprints, to prove your identity and to present the original documents you are attaching to your application. Your application will only be processed after you have visited a Finnish embassy or consulate in person.

If you are granted a residence permit, a residence permit card will be ordered for you at the same time. It takes a few weeks to manufacture and post the card. Your card will be sent to the Finnish embassy that you visited to prove your identity. You should therefore wait for the decision abroad. You cannot come to Finland while your application is still being processed and receive a residence permit card in Finland.

Are you applying for an extension to your residence permit?

  • Apply for the extended permit through the Enter Finland service or with a paper form in Finland before your current residence permit expires. You cannot apply for an extended permit while abroad.
  • Only submit your application after completing your spring studies, as we will check whether studies were your actual grounds for residence in Finland. Undergraduates at a university or a university of applied sciences should complete about 45 credits during the academic year.
  • Visit our service point within three months of submitting the application. Book an appointmentusing the reservation service on the Migri.fi site. At the service point, you must present the original copies of the documents attached to your application, as well as giving your fingerprints, for example.
  • Do not worry if you are unable to visit our service point before your current residence permit expires. However, be sure to visit our service point within three months of submitting your electronic application.
  • Collect all the necessary attachments in accordance with the instructionsReadSpeakerpdf, 70,7 kB.
  • If you are granted a new residence permit, you will receive a residence permit card by mail. If you are not in Finland, you can authorise another person to pick up the card on your behalf.
  • If you are abroad, return to Finland before your current residence permit expires.We will not send you a new residence permit card abroad.

Are you going on a student exchange or a traineeship?

If you are away from Finland for more than six months, you cannot be granted a residence permit. Before your return, reapply for a first residence permit at the Finnish embassy or consulate of your country of residence.

Information on the processing queue can be found on the Migri.fi site

You can check the current status of the processing of students’ residence permit applications on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service. The status of student application queues is updated regularly.

If you submitted your application using our e-service, you can track the status of the application through e-service.

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