Frequently asked questions: Visiting a service point and the processing of applications

• Booking an appointment
• Submitting an application
• Handling matters at a service point
• Waiting for the decision

Booking an appointment

I have applied for a permit in the online service Enter Finland. When I tried to book an appointment, I was told that there are no available times for proving my identity within the three-month time limit. What should I do?

Exceeding the time limit for the reason that the authorities have no available appointments will not affect the processing of your application. If the authorities have given you an appointment for proving your identity, you do not need to ask for extra time. 

Inform us of the appointment you have been given within 3 months from submitting the application on the page ‘Send additional information’ in the online service Enter Finland.

How do I book an appointment to apply for an extended permit?

Book an appointment according to the reason you are applying for a residence permit. This can be work, studies or family ties. If you applying for a residence permit for another reason, choose ‘Other grounds’. The appointment system of the Finnish Immigration Service does not separate between an application for a first permit and an application for an extended permit.

If you are applying for an extended permit, don’t book an appointment to renew your residence permit card. Only book an appointment to renew your residence permit card, if your right of residence is valid but you need to renew your residence permit card, for example, because you have lost a card that you have already been issued with.

When will new times become available in the appointment system?

New appointments become available all the time. 

There are no available appointments in your appointment system. What should I do?

Check the appointment system  again later for available appointment times. New appointment times become available every week.

If your permit does not expire during the next two months, please be patient and wait for new appointments to become available.

Most of the applications can also be submitted online in the e-service Enter Finland. Your application will become pending from the moment you send in the application via Enter Finland. After that, you need to visit a service point to prove your identity

If you cannot book an appointment, your permit is about to expire and you are not able to submit an application online, you can visit a service point and queue with a queue number. However, be prepared for the fact that you will most likely have to queue for a very long time and still not get to handle your matter during the same day.

You can send additional documents to us. Please check the instructions on our website at migri.fi/en/answering-a-request-for-additional-information.

Submitting an application

Can I apply for an extended permit or permanent permit outside Finland?

No, you cannot. You need to be in Finland to apply for an extended permit or a permanent permit. You can only choose a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service as your service point in the online service.

When is it advisable to apply for an extended permit or a permanent permit?

We advise you to submit your application for a permit well in advance, but not earlier than three months before your current permit expires.

The easiest way to submit your application is to apply using our online service Enter Finland. After you have submitted your application online, you have three months to visit one of our service points to prove your identity.

However, if you use a paper form, make sure that you have all the necessary attachments before booking an appointment for submitting your application at one of our service points.

When can I apply for a permanent residence permit?

You may apply for a permanent residence permit after you have been residing in Finland with a continuous residence permit for an uninterrupted period of four years.

More information: Permanent residence permit.

Where can I find the application forms?

You can print the application form on the page Applications on migri.fi.

What if my current permit expires before I submit a new application?

If you submit your residence permit application too late, your right of residence will be interrupted. Your right to work will also be interrupted. The police may fine you for residing in Finland without a residence permit.

Being unable to book an appointment is not considered a justifiable excuse. If you are unable to book an appointment using our appointment system, you can visit a service point without booking an appointment beforehand. Please be prepared to wait. Waiting numbers will no longer be handed out when all the available appointments for the day have run out for the desks that serve customers with waiting numbers. Apply for a permit well in advance. 

The easiest way to apply is to submit your application in the online service Enter Finland, as this means that you can submit your application at a time that suits you best. You need to visit a service point to prove your identity within three months after you have submitted your application online. 
Using the online service requires basic computer skills. 

When will my residence permit application that I submitted in the online service become pending?

Your application becomes pending immediately after you have submitted it in the online service. 

However, the processing of the application cannot begin before you visit a service point to verify that you have sent the application. For that reason, you must visit the service point that you have chosen in the online service to prove your identity, so that the processing of your application can begin.

I made a mistake and sent an application that is incorrect in the online service Enter Finland. I have not yet visited the service point that I have selected. Can I delete the application that I have already sent and make a new one?

You yourself cannot delete an application that you have sent in the online service. If you have not yet visited your service point, send an email message to esupport@migri.fi and explain why you want your application to be deleted. We will consider case by case whether an application may be deleted.

I have visited my service point and paid the application fee. Is it too late to cancel my application?

You may cancel your application at any time while it is pending. For more information, see the page migri.fi/en/cancelling-an-application.

Handling matters at a service point

What should I bring with me when I visit the service point to apply for a residence permit?

If you have submitted your application in the online service Enter Finland and are visiting the service point to prove your identity, you should bring with you

• your passport,
• the originals of all attachments to your application and
• a passport photo (passport photo guidelines).
• your passport documents proving that you are residing in the country legally (your visa or residence permit, for example)

If you are bringing documents with you that you have not attached to your application, you should first complete your application in Enter Finland.

If you are applying with a paper form, you need to bring with you

• the filled-in application,
• your passport and a copy of the passport page containing personal data and of all passport pages with notes,
• originals and paper copies of all attachments to the application and
• your passport photo (passport photo guidelines).

Bring these with you also if you are applying for a residence permit card.

I have selected a service point in the online service. Is it possible to change it?

You cannot change your service point in the online service, but you can submit a free-form addition to your matter. 

If you wish to visit a different mission (embassy or consulate) than the mission where you have submitted your application, please contact the mission in question. 

If you are in Finland and have selected one of the service points of the Finnish Immigration Service, you can also choose to visit another service point of the Finnish Immigration Service. Please remember to tell the employee at the Finnish Immigration Service which service point you originally selected.

How can I pay the processing fee?

If you submit your application in Enter Finland, you can pay the processing fee with the most common credit cards or with your online banking credentials.

At our service points, you can pay with cash, the most common debit cards or Visa, Visa Electron or MasterCard.

More information: Processing fees and payment methods.

I do not speak Finnish or English. How can I handle matters at the Finnish Immigration Service?

You can submit applications and handle matters at the Finnish Immigration Service in Finnish, Swedish and English. If you do not speak any of these languages, you need to find a counsel or an interpreter to help you handle matters. Our service points do not offer interpretation services.

Can I apply for an extension to my visa or an identity card at the Finnish Immigration Service?

No, you cannot. The police makes the decisions on visa extensions and identity cards.

Visa and residence permit mean different things. If you, for example, are visiting Finland as a tourist or on a business trip, you have been granted a visa (brief stay). The visa sticker is added to your passport.

If you have come to Finland to work, study or because of family ties, you have been granted a residence permit (long stay). Since 2012, the permit means a residence permit card.

Can I use a waiting number to submit a citizenship application?

Waiting numbers are meant for people with urgent applications. A citizenship application is not considered urgent. Use our appointment system to book an appointment for submitting your application. If you cannot use the appointment system, visit one of our service points to get an appointment booked for you.

Waiting for the decision

Where can I find information about the processing of my application?

You can find the processing times for applications on Migri.fi.

If you have applied online, you can follow the processing of your application in Enter Finland. The service points or our telephone service are not able to give out more information than that.

More information: Processing Time Checker.

How can I expedite an application so that it will be processed urgently?

For more information about expedited processing, see the page migri.fi/en/expedited-processing1.

Can I get more detailed information about my matter over the phone?

No, you cannot. We cannot give you any more information over the phone than what you see in Enter Finland. Use Enter Finland to see the latest and the most precise information about your matter.

For more information about processing of applications, see the page migri.fi/en/expected-processing-time-what-affects.

I have visited the authorities to prove my identity, but the status of my application is unchanged in Enter Finland. Do I need to do something?

Do not worry if your application is not immediately pending in the online service after you have proven your identity at a service point. 

There are sometimes delays when the authorities take applications up for processing. Your application will be taken up for processing as soon as possible. 

You do not need to take any action. We will contact you if additional information is needed for your application.

According to the online service Enter Finland, my matter has been in progress for a very long time. Where can I find more information about processing times?

For more information about processing of applications, see the page migri.fi/en/expected-processing-time-what-affects.

Where can I submit additional documents to my application?

If you have submitted your application in our online service, log in and send your additional documents there.

If you have applied on a paper form, you can send your additional documents by post.

However, if you wish to submit your documents in person, you can do this at the service points of the Finnish Immigration Service during their opening hours. Put the documents in an envelope and drop the envelope in the postbox. Please attach a covering note to speed up the processing of your documents.

You do not need to book an appointment at a service point to bring us additional documents.

More information: Reply quickly to a supplement request.

How do I know that my reply to a request for additional information has been sufficient?

We will send you a new request if we consider that your reply is insufficient and we cannot continue processing your matter because of that.

What should I do when I get a notification in the online service about a decision being made on my residence permit application?

When you receive a notification about a decision being made, wait for the authorities to contact you. They will tell you where to collect the decision or whether it will be delivered to you. 

If you are granted a residence permit, you will receive a residence permit card. It takes several days to manufacture the card. That is why you cannot collect your residence permit immediately after the decision has been made.

What is my customer number at the Finnish Immigration Service?

When a matter that concerns you becomes pending, you will be given a customer number that is unique to you. From that point on, this customer number will be used to identify you.

More information: Customer number and diary number

What is my diary number at the Finnish Immigration Service?

Each of your matters will be given a diary number. The diary number will be used to identify your matter throughout the processing of the matter.

More information: Customer number and diary number