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Identification and strong identification in Enter Finland

Identification means proving your identity. Using strong identification means that you prove your identity online with your online banking credentials, citizen certificate or mobile certificate. 

When you apply for a first residence permit, you must always visit a Finnish embassy or consulate abroad to prove your identity in person. Read more on the page Handling your matters at a Finnish mission. If you are in Finland and apply for your first permit, you must visit a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service to prove your identity.

When is a visit at a service point not required?

A visit to a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service is not always required if you use online banking credentials or other form of strong identification in Enter Finland when you apply for

In addition to using strong identification, you need to:

  • pay the processing fee before you submit the application in Enter Finland;
  • add to your application the photograph retrieval code for your digital passport photo;
    • The photograph retrieval code is not needed if you apply for Finnish citizenship. 

After you have submitted your application, Enter Finland will tell you whether you need to visit a service point or not.

This is what you should do:

The most common reasons for having to visit a service point even when you are using strong identification:

  • You have not added the retrieval code for your digital passport photo to your application before submitting the application.
  • You did not pay the processing fee for the application in Enter Finland before you submitted it.
  • You are under 18 years of age.
  • More than 5 years have passed since the last time you were fingerprinted.
  • Your residence permit has expired for over 60 days ago. 
  • You have not shown a passport issued by your home country to the Finnish Immigration Service or the police.
  • The entry ban imposed on you by Finland is still in force.
  • You are applying for a permanent residence permit.
  • You are applying for citizenship for yourself and for your children.

Enter Finland will tell you whether you need to visit a service point or not

How to upgrade your Enter Finland account into an account that uses strong identification

You cannot avoid visiting a service point if you only log in to Enter Finland with your email and password.

Upgrade your account into an account with strong identification before you submit your application. If you submitted your application before updating your account, you will unfortunately have to visit a service point.

This is what you should do:

Factors to take into account when you apply for a new residence permit card or residence card in Enter Finland:

Also a child under 18 of age can avoid having to visit a service point if the child applies for an extended permit from a parent’s or guardian’s Enter Finland account and the parent or guardian uses strong identification 

Also a child under 18 years of age can avoid having to visit a service point if the child applies for a new residence permit card or a new residence card from a parent’s or guardian’s Enter Finland account and the parent or guardian uses strong identification