Residence permit application on the basis of family ties for a guardian whose child lives in Finland
Apply with this application for a residence permit if you are the guardian of a child under 18 years of age who is living in Finland on a residence permit or who is a Finnish citizen.
Expected processing time
9 months / extended permit 4–6 months
Electronic application fee
470 €
Paper application fee
520 €
Child in Finland with a residence permit
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. If necessary, have them translated and legalised. The processing time may be longer if you have not filled in your application sufficiently.
3
Fill in your application.
4
Pay for your application in the online service Enter Finland, at a Finnish mission (embassy or consulate) or at a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service.
5
If you are abroad, visit a Finnish mission (embassy or consulate). If you are already in Finland, 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. Check the estimated processing time of your application here. You can follow the processing of your application with the help of our chatbot Kamu. Kamu can check the status of your application among all other applications with the same type of matter and processing grounds. For more information, see the page migri.fi/chat1.
8
You should wait for the residence permit in the same country or locality where you submitted your application and proved your identity.
General requirements for entry into Finland
Make sure you meet the general requirements for entry into Finland before you submit an application.
You can only get a residence permit if you are able to travel to Finland and stay in the country legally. To do this, you must have a passport that is valid throughout the time your residence permit is valid.
Requirements
Make sure you also meet the following requirements:
Your child is under the age of 18.
Your child is not married.
If the child is your biological child, demonstrate your family ties by presenting a birth certificate.
If the child is your adopted child, present proof of adoption.
The documents must be legalised, unless they have been issued in the Nordic countries or in an EU Member State.
If the child is your foster child, present a document given to you by an authority that shows you are the child’s guardian. You also need to show reliable proof that you have actually been responsible for the child’s guardianship already before he/she arrived in Finland. These documents must be legalised, unless they have been issued in the Nordic countries.
Document showing that you are legally staying in the country where you submit the application
Form MP_1 (if you already are in Finland and apply for your first residence permit)
Birth certificate of the child living in Finland, with information on the child’s parents (must be legalised if not issued in the Nordic countries or in an EU Member State)
Document on the custody of the child living in Finland (must be legalised if not issued in the Nordic countries)
Application-specific attachments
Statement on income in Finland
Certificate of establishment of paternity (if the child is born out of wedlock) (must be legalised if not issued in the Nordic countries or in an EU Member State)
Decision on adoption (if the child is adopted) (must be legalised if not issued in the Nordic countries or in an EU Member State)
Divorce certificate (if the parents of the child are divorced) (must be legalised if not issued in the Nordic countries or in an EU Member State)
Death certificate (if one or both of the child’s parents have died) (must be legalised if not issued in the Nordic countries or in an EU Member State)
Residence permit application on the basis of family ties for a guardian whose child lives in Finland, OLE_PH3
