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Permits and citizenship

Correcting a material or typographical error

If there is an obvious material error or typographical error in your decision, the Finnish Immigration Service may correct the error if a request for correction is submitted to the Finnish Immigration Service either by you or your representative. The request must state the error that should be corrected and the grounds for your request.

Requesting the correction of an error is not the same thing as appealing against a decision. The Finnish Immigration Service may correct an error only in cases where the error is obvious and indisputable and when the grounds for correction are unambiguous. If there are conflicting interpretations, the Finnish Immigration Service will not able to make changes in the decision. In that case, you need to appeal against the decision to an administrative court. For more information on how to appeal, see the page Appealing a decision.

You may still appeal against a decision even if you submit a request for the correction of an error or if an error in your decision is corrected. Likewise, you may request the correction of an error even if you have appealed against the decision. The appeal period does not affect your possibility to request the correction of an error.

Material error

The Finnish Immigration Service may correct a decision that contains a material error if:

  • the decision is clearly based on erroneous or insufficient evidence;
  • the decision is based on a manifestly incorrect application of the law;
  • a procedural error has occurred in the decision-making; or
  • new evidence has been received that may significantly affect the decision on the matter.
    • The new evidence must be such that it makes the earlier decision seem clearly erroneous, and there is no ambiguity about the matter and no need to obtain further clarifications.

The correction of a material error is discretionary, meaning that an authority is not always obliged to correct a factual error. If the Finnish Immigration Service rejects your request for the correction of an error, no appeal may be made against this decision.

Typographical error

A typographical error might be, for instance, a wrong name or date in a decision issued by the Finnish Immigration Service. At your request, the Finnish Immigration Service will issue a corrected decision.

How to request the correction of a material or typographical error

You can make a request for the correction of an error within five years from the date of the decision by the Finnish Immigration Service.

Send your request and the grounds for correcting the error to the address migri@migri.fi from the website securemail.migri.fi, which is a service for sending encrypted email. For instructions on how to send encrypted email, see the page Contact information.

If the Finnish Immigration Service finds that an error has been made and should be corrected, you will get a new or corrected decision free of charge.