Certificate of a pending application

The Finnish Immigration Service can issue you with a certificate of a pending application. With the certificate, you can show that you have applied for a residence permit, residence permit card, EU registration, family member’s residence card, or Finnish citizenship, and that your application is waiting to be processed.

If you apply for asylum or temporary protection, the certificate will be issued by the Border Guard or the police.

You can use the certificate to prove to other Finnish authorities that you have a pending application with the Finnish Immigration Service. The certificate does not entitle you to entry into Finland.

How to obtain a certificate of a pending application

When you have submitted your application in the online service Enter Finland

You will get the certificate from your Enter Finland account. Log in to your Enter Finland account and select 'Print certificate of a pending application or a receipt of payment of the processing fee'. The certificate opens as a PDF file in a new window. You can print out the certificate and save a copy on your own device. There is no limit on how many times you can print out the certificate.

When you have submitted a paper application

You will receive the certificate when you visit a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service if you have submitted a paper application in Finland.

If you submitted a paper application at a Finnish mission abroad or at a VFS Global application centre, you can email the mission or the Finnish Immigration Service and ask for the certificate.  

Please take good care of your certificate. You may need it if your bank or Finnish authorities request to see it. You can request a new copy of the certificate by email if your old certificate is lost or damaged. Email your request to migri@migri.fi using the Securemail service of the Finnish Immigration Service (securemail.migri.fi). Read more about how to use the Securemail service.

When you have applied for asylum or temporary protection

You have received a certificate of a pending application from the Border Guard or the police. Please take good care of your certificate. You can request a new copy of the certificate if your old certificate is lost or damaged. Email the authority that has issued the certificate. If you need to contact the Finnish Immigration Service by email to request a certificate, use the Securemail service of the Finnish Immigration Service (securemail.migri.fi) to send your request to migri@migri.fi. Read more about how to use the Securemail service.